The effect of soil moisture on the response by fungi and bacteria to nitrogen additions for N_(2)O production

In addition to bacteria,the contribution of fungi to nitrous oxide(N_(2)O)production has been recognized but the responses of these two broad and unrelated groups of microorganisms to global environmental changes,atmospheric nitrogen(N)deposition,and precipitation in terms of N_(2)O production are unclear.We studied how these two microbial-mediated N_(2)O production pathways responded to soil moisture conditions and to N addition in an N-limited temperate forest.Soils from a long-term N addition experiment in Changbai Mountain,northeastern China were incubated.Varied concentrations of cycloheximide and streptomycin,both inhibitors of fungal and bacterial activity,were used to determine the contributions of both to N_(2)O production in 66%,98%and 130%water-filled pore spaces(WFPS).The results showed that N_(2)O production decreased significantly with increasing cycloheximide concentration whereas streptomycin was only inhibiting N_(2)O emissions at 98%and 130%WFPS.The bacterial pathway of N_(2)O production in N-addition(Nadd)soil was significantly more dominant than that in untreated(Namb)soil.The difference in the fungal pathway of N_(2)O production between the soil with nitrogen addition and the untreated soil was not significant.Net N_(2)O emissions increased with increasing soil moisture,especially at 130%WFPS,a completely flooded condition.Bacteria dominated carbon dioxide(CO_(2))and N_(2)O emissions in Nadd soil and at 130%WFPS regardless of N status,while fungi dominated CO_(2)and N_(2)O emissions in soil without N addition at 66%and 98%WFPS.The results suggest that flooded soil is an important source of N_(2)O emissions and that bacteria might be better adapted to compete in fertile soils under anoxic conditions.