Indications that long-term nitrogen loading limits carbon resources for soil microbes

• Microbial communities in the organic horizon (O-horizon) of forest soils play key roles in terrestrial nitrogen (N) cycling, but effects on them of long-term high N loading, by N deposition or experimental addition, are not fully understood. Thus, we investigated N-loading effects on soil microbial biomass N, carbon (C) and phosphorus stoichiometry, hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes, community composition (via phospholipid fatty acids, PLFA) and soil chemistry of the O-horizon in study plots of three well-studied experimental Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests in Sweden and the Czech Republic. These forests span substantial gradients in current N deposition, experimental N addition and nitrate (NO3 −) leaching. Current N deposition ranges from ∼3 kg ha−1 year−1 of N in central Sweden (Stråsan) to ∼15 kg ha−1 year−1 of N in SW Sweden (Skogaby) and Czech Republic (Čertovo). Furthermore, accumulated historical N loading during 1950–2000 (which include experimental N addition performed at Stråsan and Skogaby) ranged ∼200–∼2000 kg ha−1 of N. Across all sites and treatments, current NO3 − leaching ranged from low (∼0.1 kg ha−1 year−1 of N) at Stråsan, to high (∼15 kg ha−1 year−1 of N) at Skogaby and Čertovo. We found significantly lower C/N ratios and greater amounts of extractable inorganic N species in the forest soils’ O-horizons at the high N loading plots. Microbial biomass and basal respiration decreased under experimental N addition treatments and tended to decrease with increased N deposition. Similarly, activities of hydrolytic enzyme activity associated with N acquisition were lower, although differences in activities at specific sites with the highest and intermediate historical N deposition levels failed statistical significance. Conversely, activities of soil hydrolytic enzymes associated with C acquisition were greater in study plots exposed high N loading. PLFA profiles indicated shifts in microbial community composition induced by long-term N load, towards higher and lower relative abundance of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively (but no changes in fungal relative abundance). Taken together, our results suggest that long-term N loading of N-limited Norway spruce forests aggravates limitation of other resources, likely of C, for soil microbial communities. Although microbial variables in the soil O-horizon differed between plots exposed to low and high current N loading, microbial variables in plots that leached small amounts and large amounts of NO3 − exposed to high N load were similar. © 2017

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Mikrobiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Microbiology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Multidisciplinär geovetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Geosciences, Multidisciplinary (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Enzyme activity

Microbial biomass

Nitrogen addition

Nitrogen deposition

Nitrogen leaching

Bacteria

Biomass

Enzymes

Fatty acids

Forestry

Leaching

Microorganisms

Nitrogen

Phospholipids

Plants (botany)

Soils

Hydrolytic enzyme activities

Microbial community composition

Nitrogen additions

Phospholipid fatty acids

Statistical significance

Loading

Negibacteria

Picea abies

Posibacteria

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

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