Effects of Vegetation Restoration Age on Soil C:N:P Stoichiometry in Yellow River Delta Coastal Wetland of China

Vegetation restoration can alter carbon(C),nitrogen(N),and phosphorus(P)cycles in coastal wetlands affecting C:N:P stoichiometry.However,the effects of restoration age on soil C:N:P stoichiometry are unclear.In this study,we examined the re-sponses of soil C,N,and P contents and their stoichiometric ratios to vegetation restoration age,focusing on below-ground processes and their relationships to aboveground vegetation community characteristics.We conducted an analysis of temporal gradients based on the'space for time'method to synthesize the effects of restoration age on soil C:N:P stoichiometry in the Yellow River Delta wetland of China.The findings suggest that the combined effects of restoration age and soil depth create complex patterns of shifting soil C:N:P stoichiometry.Specifically,restoration age significantly increased all topsoil C:N:P stoichiometries,except for soil total phosphorus(TP)and the C:N ratio,and slightly affected subsoil C:N:P stoichiometry.The effects of restoration age on the soil C:N ratio was well constrained owing to the coupled relationship between soil organic carbon(SOC)and total nitrogen(TN)contents,while soil TP con-tent was closely related to changes in plant species diversity.Importantly,we found that the topsoil C:N:P stoichiometry was signific-antly affected by plant species diversity,whereas the subsoil C:N:P stoichiometry was more easily regulated by pH and electric con-ductivity(EC).Overall,this study shows that vegetation restoration age elevated SOC and N contents and alleviated N limitation,which is useful for further assessing soil C:N:P stoichiometry in coastal restoration wetlands.

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition affects forest plant and soil system carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus stoichiometric flexibility:A meta-analysis

Background:Nitrogen(N)deposition affects forest stoichiometric flexibility through changing soil nutrient availability to influence plant uptake.However,the effect of N deposition on the flexibility of carbon(C),N,and phosphorus(P)in forest plant-soil-microbe systems remains unclear.Methods:We conducted a meta-analysis based on 751 pairs of observations to evaluate the responses of plant,soil and microbial biomass C,N and P nutrients and stoichiometry to N addition in different N intensity(050,50–100,>100 kg·ha^(-1)·year^(-1)of N),duration(0–5,>5 year),method(understory,canopy),and matter(ammonium N,nitrate N,organic N,mixed N).Results:N addition significantly increased plant N:P(leaf:14.98%,root:13.29%),plant C:P(leaf:6.8%,root:25.44%),soil N:P(13.94%),soil C:P(10.86%),microbial biomass N:P(23.58%),microbial biomass C:P(12.62%),but reduced plant C:N(leaf:6.49%,root:9.02%).Furthermore,plant C:N:P stoichiometry changed significantly under short-term N inputs,while soil and microorganisms changed drastically under high N addition.Canopy N addition primarily affected plant C:N:P stoichiometry through altering plant N content,while understory N inputs altered more by influencing soil C and P content.Organic N significantly influenced plant and soil C:N and C:P,while ammonia N changed plant N:P.Plant C:P and soil C:N were strongly correlated with mean annual precipitation(MAT),and the C:N:P stoichiometric flexibility in soil and plant under N addition connected with soil depth.Besides,N addition decoupled the correlations between soil microorganisms and the plant.Conclusions:N addition significantly increased the C:P and N:P in soil,plant,and microbial biomass,reducing plant C:N,and aggravated forest P limitations.Significantly,these impacts were contingent on climate types,soil layers,and N input forms.The findings enhance our comprehension of the plant-soil system nutrient cycling mechanisms in forest ecosystems and plant strategy responses to N deposition.

Maize straw application as an interlayer improves organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations in the soil profile: A four-year experiment in a saline soil

Soil salinization is a critical environmental issue restricting agricultural production.Deep return of straw to the soil as an interlayer (at 40 cm depth) has been a popular practice to alleviate salt stress.However,the legacy effects of straw added as an interlayer at different rates on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in saline soils still remain inconclusive.Therefore,a four-year (2015–2018) field experiment was conducted with four levels (i.e.,0,6,12and 18 Mg ha~(–1)) of straw returned as an interlayer.Compared with no straw interlayer (CK),straw addition increased SOC concentration by 14–32 and 11–57%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively.The increases in soil TN concentration (8–22 and 6–34%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively) were lower than that for SOC concentration,which led to increased soil C:N ratio in the 20–60 cm soil depth.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations in the 20–60 cm soil layer with straw addition led to a decrease in stratification ratios (0–20 cm:20–60 cm),which promoted uniform distributions of SOC and TN in the soil profile.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations were associated with soil salinity and moisture regulation and improved sunflower yield.Generally,compared with other treatments,the application of 12 Mg ha~(–1) straw had higher SOC,TN and C:N ratio,and lower soil stratification ratio in the2015–2017 period.The results highlighted that legacy effects of straw application as an interlayer were maintained for at least four years,and demonstrated that deep soil straw application had a great potential for improving subsoil fertility in salt-affected soils.

Effects of the combined application of organic and chemical nitrogen fertilizer on soil aggregate carbon and nitrogen:A 30-year study

To understand the long-term effects of combined organic and chemical nitrogen fertilization on soil organic C(SOC) and total N(TN), we conducted a 30-year field experiment with a wheat–maize rotation system on the Huang-HuaiHai Plain during 1990–2019. The experimental treatments consisted of five fertilizer regimes: no fertilizer(control), chemical fertilizer only(NPK), chemical fertilizer with straw(NPKS), chemical fertilizer with manure(NPKM), and 1.5 times the rate of NPKM(1.5NPKM). The NPK, NPKS, and NPKM treatments had equal N inputs. The crop yields were measured over the whole experimental duration. Soil samples were collected from the topsoil(0–10 and 10–20 cm) and subsoil(20–40 cm) layers for assessing soil aggregates and taking SOC and TN measurements. Compared with the NPK treatment, the SOC and TN contents increased significantly in both the topsoil(24.1–44.4% for SOC and 22.8–47.7% for TN) and subsoil layers(22.0–47.9% for SOC and 19.8–41.8% for TN) for the organically amended treatments(NPKS, NPKM and 1.5NPKM) after 30 years, while no significant differences were found for the average annual crop yields over the 30 years of the experiment. The 0–10 cm layer of the NPKS treatment and the 20–40 cm layer of the NPKM treatment had significantly higher macroaggregate fraction mass proportions(19.8 and 27.0%) than the NPK treatment. However, the 0–10 and 20–40 cm layers of the 1.5NPKM treatment had significantly lower macroaggregate fraction mass proportions(–19.2 and –29.1%) than the control. The analysis showed that the higher SOC and TN in the soil of organically amended treatments compared to the NPK treatment were related to the increases in SOC and TN protected in the stable fractions(i.e., free microaggregates and microaggregates within macroaggregates), in which the contributions of the stable fractions were 81.1–91.7% of the increase in SOC and 83.3–94.0% of the increase in TN, respectively. The relationships between average C inputs and both stable SOC and TN stocks were significantly positive with R2 values of 0.74 and 0.72(P<0.01) for the whole 40 cm soil profile, which indicates the importance of N for soil C storage. The results of our study provide key evidence that long-term combined organic and chemical nitrogen fertilization, while maintaining reasonable total N inputs, benefited soil C and N storage in both the topsoil and subsoil layers.

浙江天童常绿阔叶林、常绿针叶林与落叶阔叶林的C:N:P化学计量特征

以浙江天童常绿阔叶林、常绿针叶林和落叶阔叶林为对象,通过对叶片和凋落物C:N:P比率与N、P重吸收的研究,揭示3种植被类型N、P养分限制和N、P重吸收的内在联系。结果显示:1)叶片C:N:P在常绿阔叶林为758:18:1,在常绿针叶林为678:14:1,在落叶阔叶林为338:11:1;凋落物C:N:P在常绿阔叶林为777:13:1,常绿针叶林为691:14:1,落叶阔叶林为567:14:1;2)常绿阔叶林和常绿针叶林叶片与凋落物C:N均显著高于落叶阔叶林;叶片C:P在常绿阔叶林最高,常绿针叶林中等,落叶阔叶林最低,常绿阔叶林和常绿针叶林凋落物C:P显著高于落叶阔叶林;叶片N:P比也是常绿阔叶林最高、常绿针叶林次之,落叶阔叶林最低,但常绿阔叶林凋落物N:P最低;3)植被叶片N、P含量间(N为x,P为y)的II类线性回归斜率显著大于1(p<0.05),表明叶片P含量的增加可显著提高叶片N含量;凋落物N、P含量的回归斜率约等于1,反映了凋落物中单位P含量与单位N含量间的等速损耗关系;4)常绿阔叶林N重吸收率显著高于常绿针叶林与落叶阔叶林,落叶阔叶林P重吸收率显著高于常绿阔叶林和常绿针叶林。虽然植被的N:P指示常绿阔叶林受P限制,落叶阔叶林受N限制,常绿针叶林受N、P的共同限制,但是N、P重吸收研究结果表明:受N素限制的常绿阔叶林具有高的N重吸收率,受P限制的落叶阔叶林并不具有高的P重吸收率。可见,较高的N、P养分转移率可能不是植物对N、P养分胁迫的一种重要适应机制,是物种固有的特征。

不同工艺制备的ta-C和ta-C:N薄膜表面粗糙度研究(英文)

采用FCVA工艺成功制备了ta-C薄膜,采用ECR-CVD工艺对部分ta-C薄膜试样进行氮等离子体处理,制备了ta-C:N薄膜。对两种薄膜的表面粗糙度与元素含量、沉积工艺参数之间的关系进行了研究。通过AFM对薄膜表面粗糙度进行了分析,通过XPS对薄膜的元素含量进行了分析。试验结果显示,沉积条件对薄膜厚度和元素含量具有明显的影响。对ta-C薄膜进行氮等离子体处理后,其表面粗糙度有一个明显的起伏变化。研究结果表明,氮能改变DLC薄膜表面的粗糙度。元素含量也随着薄膜的厚度变化而变化。

不同林龄杉木养分重吸收率及其C∶N∶P化学计量特征

为探究不同林龄杉木成熟叶与衰老叶之间的重吸收率及其C∶N∶P化学计量特征,以8、14、21、46年生杉木为研究对象,测定并计算其鲜叶、凋落叶和表层土壤的养分含量、重吸收率及其C∶N∶P化学计量比。结果表明:1)不同林龄间叶片C、N含量差异显著(P<0.05),叶片、凋落叶P含量差异性均极显著(P<0.01),14年生杉木叶片N含量显著高于其他3个年龄的树木(P<0.05),呈单峰型;2)较高的C∶N、C∶P比是植物对养分较高利用率的体现,杉木鲜叶养分含量均与其重吸收率均呈负相关,N、P利用效率在一定范围随N、P含量的升高而降低;3)本区植物N、P重吸收率分别在33.89%~38.40%和37.49%~46.35%之间,P重吸收率>N,且不同林龄杉木成熟鲜叶N∶P>16,表明该地区杉木的生长可能受到P元素限制。

陆生和水域生态系统植物的C、N、P生态化学计量特征研究综述

生态化学计量学是一门把不同研究领域的研究结果从化学元素水平上统一起来的热点学科。笔者简单阐述了生态化学计量学的基本定义,主要通过比较陆生和水域生态系统来阐述生态化学计量学特征,讨论不同生态环境对植物的生态化学碳氮磷比(C:N:P)的影响,在大尺度范围研究植物C:N:P生态化学计量学特征与限制性养分判断、生态系统稳定性、生长率的关系。

鼎湖山季风常绿阔叶林土壤C?N?P生态化学计量特征对长期模拟酸雨的响应

研究模拟酸雨对森林土壤C、N、P生态化学计量特征的影响,对于认识森林生态系统生物地球化学循环如何响应酸雨加剧具有重要意义。以鼎湖山季风常绿阔叶林为研究对象,2009年6月开始进行人工模拟酸雨的野外实验,共设置4个不同处理水平,即CK(喷洒pH=4.5左右的天然湖水)、T1(pH=4.0)、T2(pH=3.5)和T3(pH=3.0);2009年12月—2017年12月(8年实验周期)对模拟酸雨下土壤pH值和土壤C、N、P质量分数及其生态化学计量特征进行了5次测定。结果显示:对照样地表层(0~10 cm)土壤pH值,土壤C、N、P质量分数分别为(3.89±0.01),(31.99±0.37)、(2.25±0.05)和(0.23±0.01)g·kg-1。长期模拟酸雨处理导致表层土壤pH值显著下降(最大降幅达0.22,P<0.05),土壤酸化加剧;同时,表层土壤C质量分数显著增加(最大增幅达14.69%,P<0.05),P质量分数呈一定程度的下降趋势(最大降幅达18.79%),但N质量分数没有显著变化。对照样地表层土壤C?N、C?P和N?P分别为(14.24±0.23)、(141.38±3.35)和(9.91±0.26),由于土壤C、N、P质量分数对酸雨响应的差异导致土壤C?P和N?P显著增加(最大增幅分别达41.31%和27.16%,P<0.05),从而改变了土壤C?N?P生态化学计量特征。模拟酸雨对上述指标的处理效应随着处理时间的延长而逐渐显现,处理间的差异在试验后期才逐渐达到显著水平(P<0.05),且上述各指标在次层(10~20 cm)土壤在不同处理间不存在显著差异。根据研究结果可推测,长期酸雨引起的土壤酸化会改变南亚热带森林土壤C、N、P耦合关系,加剧该区域森林土壤P限制的趋势,降低森林生态系统结构与功能的稳定性。

会同成熟杉木器官C:N:P生态化学计量的动态特征

【目的】植物不同器官的C、N、P含量及生态化学计量学的动态特征能反映其营养利用效率及生长环境相对的养分限制。本文针对30年生杉木林叶、枝、根C、N、P生态化学计量的季节动态进行研究,旨在剖析成熟杉木林各器官在不同季节养分元素的变化情况及器官之间的内在关联性,揭示成熟杉木林生态过程中养分元素的变化规律及其环境平衡关系,为杉木成熟人工林培育大径材培育提供理论支撑。【方法】以湖南会同生态站Ⅲ号集水区30年生杉木人工林为研究对象,测定不同季节杉木叶、枝、根的C、N、P含量及计量比,分析不同器官C、N、P含量及其生态化学计量比间的差异性,用CCA约束性排序对根、枝、叶之间的相关关系及不同季节下环境因子的影响进行分析。【结果】杉木相同器官的C、N、P含量及其生态化学计量比呈显著性季节变化(P<0.05),不同器官的生态化学计量比在相同季节间差异显著(P<0.05);叶、枝、根的C含量具有一致的变化规律,4月份最高,7月份最低,器官之间表现为根>枝>叶;叶、枝、根的N、P含量也均表现为10月份最高,7月份最低,器官之间表现为叶>枝>根;CCA分析表明植物器官的生态化学计量特征受季节变化影响较大;Ⅲ号集水区杉木叶、枝、根的C、N、P含量及生态化学计量之间均呈正相关关系;杉木生态系统整体的N素含量偏低,其生长主要受到N的限制,杉木林凋落物量相对较少,其凋落物的分解提供N素少,影响植物器官中N、P等营养元素的含量。【结论】30年生成熟杉木不同器官养分元素含量及环境因子对植物器官的生态化学计量特征均有影响,这一结果与普遍认为成熟期杉木的生长基本停滞的观点不同,证明了杉木到成熟期N、P作为植物生长过程中主要影响元素,其养分循环效率仍然很高,生长缓慢是由于N素限制。本研究为杉木林大径材培育和提高杉木林经济效益提供了数据支撑。

Size of Microbial Biomass in Soils of China

The microbial biomass C,N and P of soils all over China were determined in this study to study their affecting factors.The results,about 100-417 mg C kg^-1 soil,18-51 mg Nkg^-1 soil and 4.4-27.3mg P kg^-1 soil,showed the biomass C,N and P in linear relationship with the soil total organic C,toal N and soil organic P.The ratios of C:Nand C:P,ranging from 5.6 to 9.6 and from 11.2 to 48.4 respectively,were affected by soil pH.texture,crop rotation,macroclimate etc.The ratio of C:N in soil biomass increases gradually from the north to the south in China.

Responses of plant community to the linkages in plant-soil C:N:P stoichiometry during secondary succession of abandoned farmlands,China

Succession is one of the central themes of ecology;however,the relationship between aboveground plant communities and underground soils during secondary succession remains unclear.In this study,we investigated the composition of plant community,plant-soil C:N:P stoichiometry and their relationships during secondary succession after the abandonment of farmlands for 0,10,20,30,40 and 50 a in China,2016.Results showed that the composition of plant communities was most diverse in the farmlands after secondary succession for 20 and 50 a.Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen contents slightly decreased after secondary succession for 30 a,but both were significantly higher than those of control farmland(31.21%-139.10%and 24.24%-121.21%,respectively).Moreover,C:N ratios of soil and microbe greatly contributed to the changes in plant community composition during secondary succession of abandoned farmlands,explaining 35.70%of the total variation.Particularly,soil C:N ratio was significantly and positively related with the Shannon-Wiener index.This study provides the evidence of synchronous evolution between plant community and soil during secondary succession and C:N ratio is an important linkage between them.

Effects of three coniferous plantation species on plant-soil feedbacks and soil physical and chemical properties in semiarid mountain ecosystems

Background:Large-scale afforestation can significantly change the ground cover and soil physicochemical properties,especially the soil fertility maintenance and water conservation functions of artificial forests,which are very important in semi-arid mountain ecosystems.However,how different tree species affect soil nutrients and soil physicochemical properties after afforestation,and which is the best plantation species for improving soil fertility and water conservation functions remain largely unknown.Methods:This study investigated the soil nutrient contents of three different plantations(Larix principis-rupprechtii,Picea crassifolia,Pinus tabuliformis),soils and plant-soil feedbacks,as well as the interactions between soil physicochemical properties.Results:The results revealed that the leaves and litter layers strongly influenced soil nutrient availability through biogeochemical processes:P.tabuliformis had higher organic carbon,ratio of organic carbon to total nitrogen(C:N)and organic carbon to total phosphorus(C:P)in the leaves and litter layers than L.principis-rupprechtii or P.crassifolia,suggesting that higher C:N and C:P hindered litter decomposition.As a result,the L.principis-rupprechtii and P.crassifolia plantation forests significantly improved soil nutrients and clay components,compared with the P.tabuliformis plantation forest.Furthermore,the L.principis-rupprechtii and P.crassifolia plantation forests significantly improved the soil capacity,soil total porosity,and capillary porosity,decreased soil bulk density,and enhanced water storage capacity,compared with the P.tabuliformis plantation forest.The results of this study showed that,the strong link between plants and soil was tightly coupled to C:N and C:P,and there was a close correlation between soil particle size distribution and soil physicochemical properties.Conclusions:Therefore,our results recommend planting the L.principis-rupprechtii and P.crassifolia as the preferred tree species to enhance the soil fertility and water conservation functions,especially in semi-arid regions mountain forest ecosystems.

Biomass and nutrient productivities ofTetraselmis chuii under mixotrophic culture conditions with various C：N ratios

Mass microalgal culture plays an irreplaceable role in aquaculture,but microalgal productivity is restricted by traditional autotrophic culture conditions.In the present study,a Tetraselmis chuii strain belonging to the phylum Chlorophyta was isolated from south Yellow Sea.The growth rate and biomass productivity of this strain was higher under mixotrophic conditions with different carbon:nitrogen(C:N)ratios than those under autotrophic conditions.When the C:N ratio was 16,the optical density and biomass productivity were 3.7-and 5-fold higher than their corresponding values under autotrophic culture conditions,respectively.Moreover,T.chuii synthesized more polysaccharides and total lipids under mixotrophic conditions.In addition,T.chuii cultured under mixotrophic conditions synthesized more types of fatty acids than autotrophic culture conditions.At a C:N ratio of 16,the percentage of C16:0 and C18:1 reached 30.08%and 24.65%of the total fatty acid(TFA) content,respectively.These findings may provide a basis for largescale mixotrophic culture of T.chuii,as a potential bait-microalga.

Growing Cover Crops to Improve Biomass Accumulation and Carbon Sequestration: A Phytotron Study

Cover crop system has shown a potential approach to improving carbon sequestration and environmental quality. Six of each winter and summer cover crops were subsequently grown in two soils, Krome gravelly loam soil (KGL), and Quincy fine sandy soil (QFS), in phytotrons at 3 temperatures (10/20, 15/25, 25/30oC for winter/summer cover crops) to investigate their contributions for carbon (C) sequestration. Among winter cover crops, the highest and the lowest amounts of C accumulated were by bellbean (Vicia faba L.), 597 g/m2 and white clover (Trifolium repens), 149 g/m2, respectively, in the QFS soil. Among summer cover crops, sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) accumulated the largest quantity of C (481 g/m2), while that by castorbean (Ricinus communis) was 102 g/m2 at 30oC in the KGL soil. The mean net C remained in the residues following the 127 d decomposition were 187 g/m2 of C (73% of the total) and 91 g/m2 (52% of the total) for the winter and summer cover crops, respectively. Following a whole cycle of winter and summer cover crops grown, the mean soil organic C (SOC) increased by 13.8 and 39.1% in the KGL and QFS soil, respectively, compared to the respective soils before. The results suggest that triticale, ryegrass, and bellbean are the promising winter cover crops in the QFS soil, while sunn hemp, velvetbean (Mucuna pruriens), and sorghum sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor &#215;S. bicolor) are recommended summer cover crops for both soils under favorable temperatures.

Elevated CO_(2) increases shoot growth but not root growth and C:N:P stoichiometry of Suaeda aralocaspica plants

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the eco-physiological responses,in terms of growth and C:N:P stoichiometry of plants cultured from dimorphic seeds of a single-cell C4 annual Suaeda aralocaspica(Bunge)Freitag and Schütze under elevated CO_(2).A climatic chamber experiment was conducted to examine the effects of ambient(720μg/L)and CO_(2)-enriched(1440μg/L)treatments on these responses in S.aralocaspica at vegetative and reproductive stages in 2012.Result showed that elevated CO_(2) significantly increased shoot dry weight,but decreased N:P ratio at both growth stages.Plants grown from dimorphic seeds did not exhibit significant differences in growth and C:N:P stoichiometric characteristics.The transition from vegetation to reproductive stage significantly increased shoot:root ratio,N and P contents,but decreased C:N,C:P and N:P ratios,and did not affect shoot dry weight.Moreover,our results indicate that the changes in N:P and C:N ratios between ambient and elevated CO_(2) are mainly caused by the decrease of N content under elevated CO_(2).These results provide an insight into nutritional metabolism of single-cell C4 plants under climate change.

Voltage-Induced Effect on Resistance of C:N/Si Heterojunctions

Nitrogen doped a-C/Silicon (a-C:N/Si) heterojunctions have been fabricated by using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique and their current-voltage characteristics at various temperatures are investigated.For reverse applied voltages,a-C:N/Si heterojunctions exhibit metal-insulator transition characteristics and the transition temperature can be controlled by the applied voltages.After the excitation of repeated high reverse applied voltages,the current-voltage curves show obvious hysteresis behaviors at low temperatures.These hysteresis behaviors are reproducible and the ratio of the high/low resistance can be greater than 104.

Biochemical changes during composting of coir pith waste as influenced by different agro industrial wastes

Coir pith, a byproduct of coconut husk is difficult to decompose due to its high lignin and cellulose content. In this study, coir pith was composted with different agro industrial by products such as cow dung, vegetable market waste, poultry waste and microbial consortium. The different treatment combinations used in the present study were Control, T1 (Coir pith + Cow dung + Vegetable market waste + Poultry waste + mixed microbial culture (Trichoderma viridae + Pleurotus sajar caju), T2 (Coir pith + Vegetable market waste + Poultry waste + Tank slit + Mixed microbial culture) and T3 (Coir pith + Cow dung + poultry waste + tank slit + mixed microbial culture). At the end of 12th week, in the treatment T1, C: N ratio of 21.8:1 was observed in the composted coir pith sample. Highest P content of 0.47% and K content of 1.2% and the least Cellulose and Lignin contents of 22.8% and 10.03% were recorded in the T1 treatment after a composting period of 12 weeks. Highest pH of 7.4 was observed in the treatment T3, this was followed by T1 (7.2) treatment.

Soil Organic C:N vs. Water-Extractable Organic C:N

Traditionally, soil-testing laboratories have used a variety of methods to determine soil organic matter, yet they lack a practical method to predict potential N mineralization/immobilization from soil organic matter. Soils with high micro-bial activity may experience N immobilization (or reduced net N mineralization), and this issue remains unresolved in how to predict these conditions of net mineralization or net immobilization. Prediction may become possible with the use of a more sensitive method to determine soil C:N ratios stemming from the water-extractable C and N pools that can be readily adapted by both commercial and university soil testing labs. Soil microbial activity is highly related to soil organic C and N, as well as to water-extractable organic C (WEOC) and water-extractable organic N (WEON). The relationship between soil respiration and WEOC and WEON is stronger than between respiration and soil organic C (SOC) and total organic N (TON). We explored the relationship between soil organic C:N and water-extractable organic C:N, as well as their relationship to soil microbial activity as measured by the flush of CO2 following rewetting of dried soil. In 50 different soils, the relationship between soil microbial activity and water-extractable organic C:N was much stronger than for soil organic C: N. We concluded that the water-extractable organic C:N was a more sensitive measurement of the soil substrate which drives soil microbial activity. We also suggest that a water-extractable organic C:N level > 20 be used as a practical threshold to separate those soils that may have immobilized N with high microbial activity.

Decomposition of <i>Eucalyptus sp.</i>and <i>Pinus taeda</i>Harvest Residues under Controlled Temperature and Moisture Conditions

Background: Following the harvest of Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden, Eucalyptus globulus Labill, Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden and Pinus taeda L. forests, an important proportion of the aerial biomass is left to decompose on the site. The decomposition process is known to alter the dynamics of nutrients in the soil, particularly N, which is essential for the growth of the next turn of the plantation. The decomposition of E. grandis, E. globulus, E. dunnii and P. taeda harvest residues (leaves/needles, twigs and bark) was studied, following individual incubation of each residue type for 6 months under controlled temperature and humidity. Net N mineralization was also determined. Chemical characteristics of the residues were tested to identify those that affect the rate of decomposition and N release. Results: The highest decomposition rates were found for Eucalyptus leaves and P. taeda needles, but the proportion of C respired by P. taeda needles was lower than that of Eucalyptus leaves. No differences among species were found in the amount of CO2 produced during incubation of twigs. The lowest decomposition rates corresponded to Eucalyptus bark. Although C loss was related to many residue characteristics, the closest relationship was observed with their C:N ratio. Higher amounts of mineral N were produced by decomposition of E. grandis and E. dunnii leaves than P. taeda needles and E. globulus leaves. Bark decomposition produced N immobilization, irrespective of the species, and for twigs, this was also true, except for P. taeda. The net N mineralization by decomposition of Eucalyptus residues was highly correlated with their total N content and the C:N and lignin:N ratios. Conclusion: The total N content and the C:N ratio of residues can be used to satisfactorily assess the decomposition and net N mineralization potential of different residues types, avoiding the need to conduct more complex determinations.