Effects of nitrogen enrichment on belowground communities in grassland: Relative role of soil nitrogen availability vs. soil acidification

Chen, Dima; Lan, Zhichun; Hu, Shuijin; Bai, Yongfei

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.06.028

Cited by 207 publications

(137 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…However, the addition of N can also affect other soil properties beyond its availability, especially by soil acidification and associated changes (Chen et al. , Riggs and Hobbie ) as also reported in some studies included in our meta‐analysis (e.g., Corre et al. , Cusack et al.…”

Section: Effects Of Experimental N and P Additions On Soil Microbial supporting

confidence: 70%

Nutrient limitation of soil microbial processes in tropical forests

Camenzind

Hättenschwiler

Treseder

et al. 2017

Ecological Monographs

307

183

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Abstract. Soil fungi and bacteria are the key players in the transformation and processing of carbon and nutrients in terrestrial ecosystems, yet controls on their abundance and activity are not well understood. Based on stoichiometric principles, soil microbial processes are expected to be limited by mineral nutrients, which are particularly scarce in often highly weathered tropical forest soils. Such limitation is directly relevant for the fate of soil carbon and global element cycles, but its extent and nature have never been assessed systematically across the tropical biome. Here, we address the relative importance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients in limiting soil microbial biomass and process rates in tropical forests. We conducted an in-depth literature review and a meta-analysis of the available nutrient addition experiments in tropical forests worldwide. Our synthesis showed predominant and general phosphorus limitation of a variety of microbial processes across tropical forests, and additional nitrogen limitation in tropical montane forests. The apparent widespread microbial phosphorus limitation needs to be accounted for in the understanding and prediction of biogeochemical cycles in tropical forests and their future functioning. Other mineral nutrients or carbon may modify the importance of phosphorus, but more experimental studies are urgently needed.

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Section: Effects Of Experimental N and P Additions On Soil Microbial supporting

confidence: 70%

Nutrient limitation of soil microbial processes in tropical forests

Camenzind

Hättenschwiler

Treseder

et al. 2017

Ecological Monographs

307

183

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“…N enrichment can affect soil organisms and C and N cycling by directly altering soil N availability and soil pH (Chen et al, ; Niu et al, ) and by indirectly altering plant‐related inputs to soils (Leff et al, ; Manning et al, ; Wardle, Gundale, Jäderlund, & Nilsson, ). Plant‐related inputs are common limiting factors of soil organisms and affect a wide range of soil processes (e.g., nutrient availability, C and N mineralization and fluxes of greenhouse gases; Brant, Myrold, & Sulzman, ; Keith et al, ; Eisenhauer et al, ; Kardol & De Long, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Direct and indirect effects of nitrogen enrichment on soil organisms and carbon and nitrogen mineralization in a semi‐arid grassland

et al. 2018

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Semi‐arid grasslands on the Mongolian Plateau are expected to experience high inputs of anthropogenic reactive nitrogen in this century. It remains unclear, however, how soil organisms and nutrient cycling are directly affected by N enrichment (i.e., without mediation by plant input to soil) vs. indirectly affected via changes in plant‐related inputs to soils resulting from N enrichment. To test the direct and indirect effects of N enrichment on soil organisms (bacteria, fungi and nematodes) and their associated C and N mineralization, in 2010, we designated two subplots (with plants and without plants) in every plot of a six‐level N‐enrichment experiment established in 1999 in a semi‐arid grassland. In 2014, 4 years after subplots with and without plant were established, N enrichment had substantially altered the soil bacterial, fungal and nematode community structures due to declines in biomass or abundance whether plants had been removed or not. N enrichment also reduced the diversity of these groups (except for fungi) and the soil C mineralization rate and induced a hump‐shaped response of soil N mineralization. As expected, plant removal decreased the biomass or abundance of soil organisms and C and N mineralization rates due to declines in soil substrates or food resources. Analyses of plant‐removal‐induced changes (ratios of without‐ to with‐plant subplots) showed that micro‐organisms and C and N mineralization rates were not enhanced as N enrichment increased but that nematodes were enhanced as N enrichment increased, indicating that the effects of plant removal on soil organisms and mineralization depended on trophic level and nutrient status. Surprisingly, there was no statistical interaction between N enrichment and plant removal for most variables, indicating that plant‐related inputs did not qualitatively change the effects of N enrichment on soil organisms or mineralization. Structural equation modelling confirmed that changes in soil communities and mineralization rates were more affected by the direct effects of N enrichment (via soil acidification and increased N availability) than by plant‐related indirect effects. Our results provide insight into how future changes in N deposition and vegetation may modify below‐ground communities and processes in grassland ecosystems. A http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.13226/suppinfo is available for this article.

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“…; Chen et al . ). However, we did not find any significant effects of N addition on the total soil N and soil microbial biomass N in the present study (Table S3); it is possible that plant‐available N is taken up and utilized by the plant community quickly in the studied region or N addition affected the ecological processes related to nitrogen but had no effects on total soil N or soil microbial biomass N. High Al 3+ concentrations in soils can cause oxidative stress and cell damage in earthworms (Li et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Nitrogen deposition cancels out exotic earthworm effects on plant‐feeding nematode communities

Shao

Zhang

Eisenhauer

et al. 2017

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Summary The activity and spread of exotic earthworms often are spatially correlated with N deposition because both arise from human activities. Exotic earthworms, in turn, can also greatly affect soil abiotic and biotic properties, as well as related ecological processes. Previous studies showed, for example, that earthworms can counteract the detrimental effects of plant‐feeding nematodes on plant growth. However, potential interactive effects of N deposition and exotic earthworms on ecosystems are poorly understood.We explored the changes in density of plant‐feeding nematodes in response to the presence of exotic earthworms, and whether these changes are altered by elevated N deposition in a two‐factorial field mesocosm experiment at the Heshan National Field Research Station of Forest Ecosystem, in southern China.Our results show that earthworm addition marginally significantly increased the density of exotic earthworms and significantly increased the mass of earthworm casts. The total density of plant‐feeding nematodes was not significantly affected by exotic earthworms or N deposition. However, exotic earthworms tended to increase the density of plant‐feeding nematode taxa that are less detrimental to plant growth (r‐strategists), while they significantly reduced the density of more harmful plant‐feeding nematodes (K‐strategists). Importantly, these earthworm effects were restricted to the ambient N deposition treatment, and elevated N deposition cancelled out the earthworm effect. Although exotic earthworms and N deposition interactively altered foliar N : P ratio in the target tree species, this did not result in significant changes in shoot and root biomass in the short term.Overall, our study indicates that N deposition can cancel out exotic earthworm‐induced reductions in the density of harmful plant‐feeding nematodes. These results suggest that anthropogenic N deposition can alter biotic interactions between exotic and native soil organisms with potential implications for ecosystem functioning.

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Effects of nitrogen enrichment on belowground communities in grassland: Relative role of soil nitrogen availability vs. soil acidification

Cited by 207 publications

References 44 publications

Nutrient limitation of soil microbial processes in tropical forests

Nutrient limitation of soil microbial processes in tropical forests

Direct and indirect effects of nitrogen enrichment on soil organisms and carbon and nitrogen mineralization in a semi‐arid grassland

Nitrogen deposition cancels out exotic earthworm effects on plant‐feeding nematode communities

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