Ecosystem carbon storage in arctic tundra reduced by long-term nutrient fertilization

Global warming is predicted to be most pronounced at high latitudes, and observational evidence over the past 25 years suggests that this warming is already under way. One-third of the global soil carbon pool is stored in northern latitudes, so there is considerable interest in understanding how the carbon balance of northern ecosystems will respond to climate warming. Observations of controls over plant productivity in tundra and boreal ecosystems have been used to build a conceptual model of response to warming, where warmer soils and increased decomposition of plant litter increase nutrient availability, which, in turn, stimulates plant production and increases ecosystem carbon storage. Here we present the results of a long-term fertilization experiment in Alaskan tundra, in which increased nutrient availability caused a net ecosystem loss of almost 2,000 grams of carbon per square meter over 20 years. We found that annual aboveground plant production doubled during the experiment. Losses of carbon and nitrogen from deep soil layers, however, were substantial and more than offset the increased carbon and nitrogen storage in plant biomass and litter. Our study suggests that projected release of soil nutrients associated with high-latitude warming may further amplify carbon release from soils, causing a net loss of ecosystem carbon and a positive feedback to climate warming.     

Variable effects of nitrogen additions on the stability and turnover of soil carbon

Soils contain the largest near-surface reservoir of terrestrial carbon and so knowledge of the factors controlling soil carbon storage and turnover is essential for understanding the changing global carbon cycle. The influence of climate on decomposition of soil carbon has been well documented, but there remains considerable uncertainty in the potential response of soil carbon dynamics to the rapid global increase in reactive nitrogen (coming largely from agricultural fertilizers and fossil fuel combustion). Here, using 14C, 13C and compound-specific analyses of soil carbon from long-term nitrogen fertilization plots, we show that nitrogen additions significantly accelerate decomposition of light soil carbon fractions (with decadal turnover times) while further stabilizing soil carbon compounds in heavier, mineral-associated fractions (with multidecadal to century lifetimes). Despite these changes in the dynamics of different soil pools, we observed no significant changes in bulk soil carbon, highlighting a limitation inherent to the still widely used single-pool approach to investigating soil carbon responses to changing environmental conditions. It remains to be seen if the effects observed here-caused by relatively high, short-term fertilizer additions-are similar to those arising from lower, long-term additions of nitrogen to natural ecosystems from atmospheric deposition, but our results suggest nonetheless that current models of terrestrial carbon cycling do not contain the mechanisms needed to capture the complex relationship between nitrogen availability and soil carbon storage.     

Soil fertility limits carbon sequestration by forest ecosystems in a CO2-enriched atmosphere

Northern mid-latitude forests are a large terrestrial carbon sink. Ignoring nutrient limitations, large increases in carbon sequestration from carbon dioxide (CO2) fertilization are expected in these forests. Yet, forests are usually relegated to sites of moderate to poor fertility, where tree growth is often limited by nutrient supply, in particular nitrogen. Here we present evidence that estimates of increases in carbon sequestration of forests, which is expected to partially compensate for increasing CO2 in the atmosphere, are unduly optimistic. In two forest experiments on maturing pines exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2, the CO2-induced biomass carbon increment without added nutrients was undetectable at a nutritionally poor site, and the stimulation at a nutritionally moderate site was transient, stabilizing at a marginal gain after three years. However, a large synergistic gain from higher CO2 and nutrients was detected with nutrients added. This gain was even larger at the poor site (threefold higher than the expected additive effect) than at the moderate site (twofold higher). Thus, fertility can restrain the response of wood carbon sequestration to increased atmospheric CO2. Assessment of future carbon sequestration should consider the limitations imposed by soil fertility, as well as interactions with nitrogen deposition.     

黄河三角洲湿地土壤氮库沿水盐梯度的时空分布特征

为了分析湿地土壤总氮沿水盐梯度的时空分布规律,以黄河三角洲湿地为研究对象,沿自河向海的水盐梯度 设置3条样带(每条样带上包括假尾拂子茅湿地(S1)、香蒲湿地(S2)、芦苇湿地(S3)、柽柳和盐地碱蓬湿地(S4)和盐地碱 蓬湿地(S5)共5类湿地),于2014 — 2015年的4个季节在样带上的各类型湿地内采集50cm 深的剖面土壤并测定土壤 总氮及其他理化性状. 研究结果表明:在水平方向上,湿地表层(0~10cm)土壤总氮沿水盐梯度总体呈现先下降后上升 的趋势,最高值出现在低盐湿地的S2样地,最低值出现在高盐湿地的S4样地;但各类湿地0~50cm 的土壤总氮质量分 数基本上不存在显著差异(P>0.05). 在垂直方向上,低盐和中盐湿地总氮主要累积在20cm 以上土壤,占50cm 深土壤 氮储量的50%左右,中盐湿地底部土层氮储量也相对较高;低盐和高盐湿地土壤总氮质量分数及储量总体上沿土壤剖 面深度呈现下降趋势,中盐湿地土壤总氮则随深度增加呈现先下降后上升的变化趋势. 相关分析表明,土壤总氮质量分 数及储量与水土质量比、黏粒、粉砂粒和有机碳呈显著正相关关系(P<0.05),与钠离子、镁离子、氯离子、氯离子与硫酸 根摩尔比、钠吸附比、pH、容重、沙粒质量分数和碳氮比呈显著负相关关系(P<0.05)      

Ecosystem carbon loss with woody plant invasion of grasslands

The invasion of woody vegetation into deserts, grasslands and savannas is generally thought to lead to an increase in the amount of carbon stored in those ecosystems. For this reason, shrub and forest expansion (for example, into grasslands) is also suggested to be a substantial, if uncertain, component of the terrestrial carbon sink. Here we investigate woody plant invasion along a precipitation gradient (200 to 1,100 mm yr(-1)) by comparing carbon and nitrogen budgets and soil delta(13)C profiles between six pairs of adjacent grasslands, in which one of each pair was invaded by woody species 30 to 100 years ago. We found a clear negative relationship between precipitation and changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen content when grasslands were invaded by woody vegetation, with drier sites gaining, and wetter sites losing, soil organic carbon. Losses of soil organic carbon at the wetter sites were substantial enough to offset increases in plant biomass carbon, suggesting that current land-based assessments may overestimate carbon sinks. Assessments relying on carbon stored from woody plant invasions to balance emissions may therefore be incorrect.     

氮磷添加对温带和亚热带森林土壤碳氮矿化的影响

选取黑龙江五营温带森林和福建武夷山亚热带森林两个站点, 通过120天室内培养实验, 探讨氮磷(NH₄NO₃和NaH₂PO₄)添加对两种森林表层土壤(0~20 cm)碳氮矿化的影响。结果表明, 氮添加通过降低土壤微生物的生物量及其碳氮比来降低亚热带森林的土壤碳矿化, 但对温带森林的土壤碳矿化没有显著影响; 磷添加对两种森林的土壤碳矿化均没有显著影响。磷添加显著地增加温带森林的土壤净氮矿化, 氮添加显著地降低温带森林的土壤净氮矿化, 氮添加和磷添加均对亚热带森林的土壤净氮矿化没有显著影响。总体而言, 可能由于养分可利用性和土壤性质的区别, 温带森林和亚热带森林土壤碳氮矿化对氮磷添加的响应存在区别。     

Limited carbon storage in soil and litter of experimental forest plots under increased atmospheric CO2

The current rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration is thought to be mitigated in part by carbon sequestration within forest ecosystems, where carbon can be stored in vegetation or soils. The storage of carbon in soils is determined by the fraction that is sequestered in persistent organic materials, such as humus. In experimental forest plots of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) exposed to high CO2 concentrations, nearly half of the carbon uptake is allocated to short-lived tissues, largely foliage. These tissues fall to the ground and decompose, normally contributing only a small portion of their carbon content to refractory soil humic materials. Such findings call into question the role of soils as long-term carbon sinks, and show the need for a better understanding of carbon cycling in forest soils. Here we report a significant accumulation of carbon in the litter layer of experimental forest plots after three years of growth at increased CO2 concentrations (565 microl l(-1)). But fast turnover times of organic carbon in the litter layer (of about three years) appear to constrain the potential size of this carbon sink. Given the observation that carbon accumulation in the deeper mineral soil layers was absent, we suggest that significant, long-term net carbon sequestration in forest soils is unlikely.     

鄱阳湖湿地洲滩前缘浅层土壤碳-氮-磷的时空特征

湿地洲滩土壤碳、氮、磷是重要的营养元素,其分布特征直接影响湿地生态系统的生产力和生态系统服务功能.通过2014-2017年对鄱阳湖湿地洲滩前缘浅层土壤(0～20 cm)有机碳、全氮、全磷观察实验分析,结果表明:鄱阳湖湿地洲滩前缘浅层土壤有机碳、全氮、全磷的年际变化特征不同,有机碳变化不显著,全氮、全磷变化显著; 浅层土壤有机碳、全磷、全氮的高程梯度变化极显著; 浅层土壤碳氮比、碳磷比年际变化极显著,氮磷比不显著; 浅层土壤碳氮比高程梯度变化不显著,碳磷比、氮磷比的高程梯度变化极显著.浅层土壤氮磷含量较其他     

Variations in net litter nutrient input associated with tree species influence on soil nutrient contents in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest

The influence of tree species on soils has received much attention,but we know little about either the pattern and underlying mechanisms of net nutrient and carbon inputs under canopy for various tree species or the effects of net nutrient input on soil nutrient contents.To address these issues,we selected three tree species with distinct leaf sizes and arranged litter traps around the target individuals to test what affected net nutrient and carbon inputs under canopy of target individuals,and how net nutrient inputs influenced soil nutrient contents.The results showed that net litter manganese(Mn)and lignin inputs were significantly different among these tree species,as well as soil exchangeable potassium(K),available iron(Fe)and available Mn.The results also revealed that the species with the smallest sized leaves may stimulate more net Mn and lignin inputs than the species with the largest sized leaves.At the same time,net nutrient inputs correlated with soil available Fe,while the ratio of lignin to nitrogen of net litter correlated with total phosphorus contents.These results demonstrated that litter production may be the main factor deciding net nutrient and carbon inputs under different tree species’canopy,which significantly differentiated soil iron’s availability.     

松嫩草地碳和水通量对全球变化的响应

全球变暖和氮格局的改变对生态系统碳通量的变化具有深远的影响,长期的模拟增温和氮沉降实验对预测21世纪全球气候变化下草地生态系统生产力和碳匮缺的响应有着至关重要的意义.在中国东北松嫩草地开展4年的增温和施氯实验,通过测定羊草草地光合特性,试图揭示全球变化对羊草草地的碳、水通量产生的影响.试验采用一个封闭的光合测定系统(LI-6400)测定草地的碳、水通量变化,通过计算CO2的变化量确定净生态系统CO2交换量.结果表明,增温降低了净生态系统CO2交换量(NEE),净生态系统生产力(GEP)和生态系统蒸腾作用(ET),升高了生态系统呼吸(ER)和水分利用效率(WUE);施氮处理刺激了NEE、ER、GEP和WUE;增温加施氮处理,氮素的添加缓解了因增温对生态系统产生的负效应.碳、水通量对全球变化的响应是通过改变生物群落中优势物种羊草的数量实现的,全球变化能在短期内迅速改变松嫩草地的碳通量.这些结果都有助于理解未来生态系统碳循环对全球气候变化的反馈.     

海拔变化对黄山松阔叶混交林土壤有机碳组分的影响

【目的】明确海拔变化对黄山松阔叶混交林土壤有机碳化学组分含量的影响及初步影响机理,了解全球气候变暖后,典型林分土壤有机碳稳定性的变化。【方法】以黄山松在凤阳山的主要分布海拔范围1 000～1 800 m为准,选取1 200、1 500、1 800 m 3个海拔梯度,在每个海拔梯度的阳坡选取3个标准样地(20 m×20 m),用蛇形法于每块样地取样,带回测定其土壤理化性质及有机碳化学组分含量。【结果】随着海拔升高,土壤养分含量呈先升高后降低的变化趋势,土壤水溶性碳及有效磷含量在各海拔间差异性显著(P<0.05); 随海拔升高,烷基碳、N-烷氧碳含量先增大后减小; 芳香碳、酚基碳及羰基碳含量则先减小后增大; 烷氧碳和缩醛碳含量则随海拔升高而降低; 海拔1 200 m处羰基碳含量与其他两个海拔存在显著差异(P<0.05)。非度量多维标度(NMDS)排序显示不同海拔梯度土壤有机碳组分含量之间有显著差异,这些差异主要是由于羰基碳、烷基碳含量及Z_烷基碳/Z_烷氧碳的变化引起的。冗余分析(RDA)显示,土壤总磷含量及土壤容重对有机碳分子结构复杂程度影响较强; 土壤总氮含量与有机碳稳定性则呈极显著正相关关系。【结论】海拔变化所引起的土壤理化性质的改变,是影响土壤有机碳稳定性的重要因素; 高海拔处温度过低会对土壤有机碳的分解产生影响,从而影响土壤有机碳稳定性。     

Increased forest ecosystem carbon and nitrogen storage from nitrogen rich bedrock

Nitrogen (N) limits the productivity of many ecosystems worldwide, thereby restricting the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to offset the effects of rising atmospheric CO(2) emissions naturally. Understanding input pathways of bioavailable N is therefore paramount for predicting carbon (C) storage on land, particularly in temperate and boreal forests. Paradigms of nutrient cycling and limitation posit that new N enters terrestrial ecosystems solely from the atmosphere. Here we show that bedrock comprises a hitherto overlooked source of ecologically available N to forests. We report that the N content of soils and forest foliage on N-rich metasedimentary rocks (350-950?mg?N?kg(-1)) is elevated by more than 50% compared with similar temperate forest sites underlain by N-poor igneous parent material (30-70?mg?N?kg(-1)). Natural abundance N isotopes attribute this difference to rock-derived N: (15)N/(14)N values for rock, soils and plants are indistinguishable in sites underlain by N-rich lithology, in marked contrast to sites on N-poor substrates. Furthermore, forests associated with N-rich parent material contain on average 42% more carbon in above-ground tree biomass and 60% more carbon in the upper 30?cm of the soil than similar sites underlain by N-poor rocks. Our results raise the possibility that bedrock N input may represent an important and overlooked component of ecosystem N and C cycling elsewhere.     

深圳市不同建成区密度和植被类型下绿地土壤碳、氮、磷含量和细根生物量

在深圳市按建成区密度(体现人类活动干扰程度)递增梯度选取3个公园为采样地点, 每个采样地点选取草坪、乔木林和荔枝林3种植被类型采集土壤样品, 同时以远郊的梧桐山人工林为对照, 研究不同深度土壤碳、氮、磷含量和细根生物量。结果表明城区各植被类型土壤容重和pH值都显著高于远郊人工林, 并高出适合植物生长的范围。城区各植被类型土壤碳、氮含量及细根生物量都低于远郊人工林。城区土壤磷含量高于远郊人工林, 呈现明显的富磷化特征, 特别是荔枝林土壤的富磷化现象最严重。土壤碳、氮浓度与细根生物量三者之间显著正相关, 表明城市植物的生长受到土壤氮含量的限制。与此同时, 城市植物的细根周转和输入能够有效维持土壤有机质含量。研究表明, 城市绿地土壤碳、氮、磷含量和细根生物量受现有植被类型和建成区密度(人为干扰)的共同影响。在城市绿地建设中, 种植草坪可以较快地积累土壤表层碳和氮, 而荔枝林更有利于土壤深层碳和氮的积累, 同时, 对于城区乔木林应该减少枯枝落叶的清理以利于土壤碳、氮的积累。     

Factors Affecting Soil Organic Carbon Density （SOCD） and Total Nitrogen Density （TND） in Inner Mongolian Steppe

在内蒙古草原区选取94个样点,涵盖耕地、退耕地、人工林和草原4种土地利用类型,根据土壤质地将草原细分为沙质草原和非沙质草原。通过对这些样点土壤有机碳密度（SOCD）和全氮密度（TND）的研究,发现在内蒙古草原区,SOCD主要受到土壤质地的影响,黏粒（〈2gm）、粉砂（2～16μm）和细粉砂（16～63μm）的含量越高,SOCD越高。而TND同时受到土壤质地和土地利用类型的影响,分布在非沙质土壤的草原具有最高的TND。耕作不会导致SOCD显著降低,但是会造成TND降低。人工林不能显著提高土壤养分含量,相反,由于人工林对养分和水分的需求很大,可能导致土壤肥力的降低。此外,草原区温度越高,土壤养分越低,这预示着在全球变暖的背景下,这一地区的土壤可能成为重要的碳源。植被退化越严重,土壤养分越低,因此保护草原区的植被免受过度放牧的影响非常重要。     

Plant diversity enhances ecosystem responses to elevated CO2 and nitrogen deposition

Human actions are causing declines in plant biodiversity, increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations and increases in nitrogen deposition; however, the interactive effects of these factors on ecosystem processes are unknown. Reduced biodiversity has raised numerous concerns, including the possibility that ecosystem functioning may be affected negatively, which might be particularly important in the face of other global changes. Here we present results of a grassland field experiment in Minnesota, USA, that tests the hypothesis that plant diversity and composition influence the enhancement of biomass and carbon acquisition in ecosystems subjected to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations and nitrogen deposition. The study experimentally controlled plant diversity (1, 4, 9 or 16 species), soil nitrogen (unamended versus deposition of 4 g of nitrogen per m2 per yr) and atmospheric CO2 concentrations using free-air CO2 enrichment (ambient, 368 micromol mol-1, versus elevated, 560 micromol mol-1). We found that the enhanced biomass accumulation in response to elevated levels of CO2 or nitrogen, or their combination, is less in species-poor than in species-rich assemblages.     

常见绿化树种对土壤碳氮垂直分布及有机碳储量的影响

【目的】调查常见绿化树种各立地土壤层次有机碳含量、全氮含量及有机碳储量等相关指标,分析树种差异对城市森林土壤碳氮垂直分布及有机碳储量的影响,为城市绿化树种的选择提供基础数据。【方法】以邻近农田相关指标为对照,测定分析了水杉、香樟、重阳木纯林下各土壤层次的有机碳含量、全氮含量及有机碳储量。【结果】①不同绿化树种纯林立地土壤有机碳、全氮含量存在一定差异,其变化范围分别为7.28～10.78、1.03～1.43 g/kg,均为重阳木林地土壤的含量最高; 各纯林土壤C/N的波动范围为4.78～9.56,水杉与重阳木之间差异显著。②各绿化树种纯林0～60 cm土壤有机碳储量变化范围在60.54～89.61 t/hm²之间,大小顺序为:重阳木>香樟>水杉。③试验地土壤有机碳含量与全氮含量之间存在显著或极显著的正相关关系。土壤有机碳、全氮含量主要与黏粒百分含量呈显著或极显著的正相关,与土壤密度呈显著或极显著的负相关。④造林后第7年森林土壤有机碳、全氮含量与有机碳储量均显著减少,各树种土壤C/N变化明显。其中,香樟、重阳木林地更接近于农田。【结论】在农田转为林地初期,土壤有机碳含量、全氮含量、有机碳储量均有不同程度减少,而落叶阔叶树种重阳木较其他绿化树种更有利于土壤有机碳恢复及固持。     

内蒙古温带草地低级根生物量格局及其与环境因子的关系

为了揭示根系生长策略与环境的关系以及草地植物根系周转对土壤碳的贡献, 在内蒙古荒漠草地、典型草地以及草甸草地设置17 个样点, 分析总根生物量、低级根生物量和低级根占总根生物量之比随草地类型与土层深度的变化及其与气候、土壤因素之间的关系。结果表明: 1) 低级根生物量与总根生物量正相关, 低级根生物量和总根生物量都与年均降水量、土壤氮含量正相关, 与年均温为负相关; 2) 低级根占总根生物量之比总体上呈现荒漠草原(14%)<典型草原(20%)<草甸草原(39%)的趋势, 与年均降水量正相关, 与年均温负相关, 与土壤全碳和全氮不相关; 3) 低级根生物量随土层的垂直分布规律与总根生物量一致, 在草甸草地随着土层加深而降低, 低级根主要分布在0~40 cm 表层土壤中(85%以上), 而在典型草地与荒漠草地则土层之间差异不显著。研究得到以下结论: 1) 草地植物根系可能通过不同机制响应温度和降水这两个环境因子; 2) 植物在水分贫乏的生境中可能通过降低对快速周转的低级根的投入来减少碳支出, 而投入更多的高级根来存储水分养分, 同时表明干旱生境中植物细根的水分养分吸收效率可能高于湿润生境。     

高浓度CO2对红松幼苗及土壤碳氮特征的影响

为探知红松苗对未来大气CO₂浓度的碳、氮响应策略,系统了解不同CO₂浓度下红松幼苗及其土壤碳、氮特征,采用生长箱培养法,分别研究了350、700 μmol/mol CO₂浓度下红松幼苗主要器官碳、氮浓度与积累(吸收)量变化,并分析其培养土壤的碳、氮含量。结果表明:与低浓度CO₂处理相比,高浓度CO₂处理并未对红松幼苗根、茎及叶的碳浓度产生显著影响,但导致叶碳积累量显著增加37.63%; 高浓度CO₂培养导致红松幼苗根、茎、叶氮浓度显著降低,茎氮吸收量显著下降27.45%,根、茎、叶的碳氮比升高,土壤溶解性有机碳含量显著增加28.82%,总有机碳、微生物量碳、全氮、微生物量氮及水解性氮含量均未发生显著变化,碳氮比增加。总体上,3年生的红松幼苗氮浓度、碳氮比、叶碳积累量及土壤溶解性有机碳对CO₂升高响应迅速。     

小麦秸秆还田对华北高产粮区碳截留的作用

根据公开发表的文献资料中的数据,从秸秆还田对土壤有机碳的增加、对生物量碳的增加和秸秆还田减少化学N、P、K肥料的使用可减排碳三个方面,定量研究了华北平原冬小麦-玉米轮作区秸秆还田对农田生态系统碳截留的作用。结果表明,在高产粮区,若小麦秸秆全部还田,可以增加土壤有机碳690 kg C.hm-1.year-1;增加生物量碳580 kg C.hm-1.year-1;因增加土壤N、P、K含量少施化肥减排碳40 kg C.hm-1.year-1;合计大约可以增加1310 kg C.hm-1.year-1的碳截留。     

三峡水库水位消退过程岸滩土壤呼吸特征

为了研究三峡水库水位消退过程岸滩土壤呼吸及植被化护岸对土壤碳排放影响,以库区澎溪河段岸滩土壤为研究对象,利用Yaxin—1102便携式光合蒸腾仪系统对库区水退过程中岸滩土壤的呼吸速率进行了测定,并同时测定了土壤呼吸测点的土壤温度(土层深度0、5和10 cm)、土壤含水量、土壤有机碳和p H等土壤环境因子。结果表明:水位消退过程中岸滩近水层土壤呼吸速率表现出明显的时间变化,呈单峰曲线,2月份出现峰值;常年非淹水区土壤呼吸速率变动大于近水层,其峰值晚于近水层1个月。研究发现,长时间淹水可降低土壤呼吸强度即有利于岸滩土壤固持CO_2;但退水时间越长,岸滩土壤呼吸强度增加,接近或高于常年非淹没区。研究表明,岸滩现有植被在护岸同时是否亦能保持土壤碳的低水平排放亟待给予深入探讨。