Summary 1We examined the relationships among soil N dynamics, soil chemistry and leaf litter quality in 28 forest stands dominated by conifers, woody broad-leaf deciduous species or broad-leaf evergreens. Potential net N mineralization, net nitrification and microbial biomass N were used as indicators of soil N dynamics; pH, organic C, total N, exchangeable cations and extractable P as indicators of soil chemistry and N concentration, lignin concentration, C : N ratio and lignin : N ratio in senescent leaves as indicators of leaf litter quality. N dynamics were assessed in two consecutive years with contrasting precipitation. 2 Net N mineralization was lower in stands of the three conifers and one of three broadleaf evergreen species than in stands of the other six broad-leaf species (40-77 vs. 87-250 mg N kg − 1 after 16-week incubations) and higher in the wetter year. 3 The proportion of N nitrified was high beneath most species regardless of mineralization rates, soil N fertility and leaf litter quality, and was significantly higher for the wetter year. Ammonium was the predominant form of N in three sites affected by seasonal waterlogging and in two sites the predominant form changed from ammonium in the drier year to nitrate during the wetter year, probably due to differences in soil texture affecting soil moisture. 4 Net N mineralization was linearly related to microbial biomass N, implying that the microbial activity per biomass unit was quite similar beneath all species. Constant microbial biomass during the wetter year suggested that as mineralization/nitrification increased, there was a higher potential risk of N losses. 5 Although the litter lignin : N ratio allowed differentiation of soil N dynamics between broad-leaf species and conifers, its constant value (23-28) in all broad-leaf species made it a poor predictor of the differences found within this group. Across all sites and between broad-leaf species, soil N dynamics were best explained by a combination of leaf litter lignin and soil chemistry indicators, particularly soil total N for net N mineralization and net nitrification, and soil organic C for microbial biomass N.

We analyzed leaf traits related to carbon-fixation, nutrient conservation strategies, and decomposability and their relationships with potential N-mineralization and microbial N in soil in 19 species of 5 dominant life forms growing in 40 sites across a regional humidity gradient in northern Patagonia. We hypothesized that (1) the shifting of species and life forms across the humidity gradient is related to a shifting in traits of green and senesced leaves with some overlapping among life forms, and (2) leaf traits associated with litter decomposition are related to the potential dynamics of soil-N across the humidity gradient. LMA in green leaves and P-resorption efficiency decreased with humidity while concentrations of lignin and total phenolics in green and senesced leaves and P concentration in senesced leaves increased with humidity. Soil C and N concentrations were positively correlated to humidity. Increasing soil N concentration was related to increasing rates of absolute (per unit soil mass) potential net N-mineralization and microbial-N flush. Relative (per unit N mass) potential net N-mineralization and microbial-N flush decreased with soil N and were inversely correlated to lignin concentration and C/N ratio in senesced leaves. We found overlapping in N concentration and C/N ratio in green and senesced leaves, P concentration in green leaves, and N resorption among species and life forms across the humidity gradient. We concluded that (1) leaf traits related to carbon fixation and the decomposition pathway significantly varied with humidity and were not overlapped between plant life forms from dry and humid habitats, (2) the largest overlapping among species and plant life forms across the gradient occurred in those leaf traits related to N conservation in the plant, and (3) life forms from humid habitats produce more recalcitrant litter that induce lower rates of relative potential net N mineralization (per unit N) than those of dry habitats.

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