Fate of airborne nitrogen in heathland ecosystems a - 15N tracer study

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

In the present study, we analyze the fate of airborne nitrogen in heathland ecosystems (NW Germany) by means of a 15N tracer experiment. Our objective was to quantify N sequestration and N allocation patterns in an ecosystem that is naturally limited by N, but that has been exposed to airborne N inputs exceeding critical loads for more than 3 decades. We hypothesized that the system has a tendency towards N saturation, which should be indicated by low N sequestration and high N leaching. We analyzed 15N partitioning (aboveground biomass and soil horizons) and investigated 15N leaching over 2 years following a 15N tracer pulse addition. 15N tracer recovery was 90% and 76% in the first and second year, respectively. Contrary to our expectations, more than 99% of the tracer recovered was sequestered in the biomass and soil, while leaching losses were <0.05% after 2 years. Mosses were the most important short-term sink for 15N (64% recovery in the first year), followed by the organic layer. In the second year, the moss layer developed from a sink to a source (23% losses), and soil compartments were the most important sink (gains of 11.2% in the second year). Low 15N recovery in the current year's shoots of Calluna vulgaris (<2%) indicated minor availability of 15N tracer sequestered in the organic layer. N partitioning patterns showed that the investigated heaths still have conservative N cycling, even after several decades of high N loads. This finding is mainly attributable to the high immobilization capacities for N of podzols in soil compartments. In the long term, the podzol A- and B-horizons in particular may immobilize considerable amounts of incoming N. Since N compounds of these horizons are not readily bio-available, podzols have a high potential to withdraw airborne N from the system's N cycle.

Original languageEnglish
JournalGlobal Change Biology
Volume17
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)1549-1559
Number of pages11
ISSN1354-1013
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 04.2011

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Aktivierungskonzeptionen nach Handels- und Steuerrecht sowie nach IFRS
  2. Der modifizierte Körperleib als Ausdrucksraum in der Sozialen Arbeit
  3. Grundsatzfragen und Paradoxien für die Netzwerkarbeit in BBS futur 2.0
  4. Die Ordnungen des Anderen und das Problem des Eigenen und des Fremden
  5. Analyse menschlicher Fehler in gefahrengeneigten Industrieunternehmen
  6. Auf der Suche nach verschobenen Ausdrucksformen der Demokratiepolitik
  7. Religion und Säkularismus im antimuslimischen Rassismus der Gegenwart
  8. Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement mit einer Sustainability Balanced Scorecard
  9. Thermal behavior of short fiber reinforced AlSi12CuMgNi piston alloys
  10. Teachers’ Well-Being and Associated Factors during the COVID-19 Pandemic
  11. The role of sense of ownership in rural community mini-grid management
  12. Crossing borders - constitutional development and internationalisation
  13. A morte da utopia e sua ressurreição: apontamentos sobre Stefan Andres.
  14. Sparkassen-Beteiligungsgesellschaften eröffnen sich neue Marktchancen
  15. Armutssensibilität – eine Leerstelle in der Religionslehrkräftebildung
  16. Efficient Order Picking Methods in Robotic Mobile Fulfillment Systems
  17. Deterministic Pod Repositioning in Robotic Mobile Fulfillment Systems
  18. RAWSim-O: A Simulation Framework for Robotic Mobile Fulfillment Systems
  19. Price Gouging at the Pump? The Lerner Index and the German Fuel Market
  20. Consumer Preferences for Local Food: Testing an Extended Norm Taxonomy
  21. Beeinflusst umweltbewusstes Marketing das Reiseverhalten der Zukunft ?
  22. Enhanced granular medium-based tube and hollow profile press hardening
  23. The Rise and Fall of Electricity Distribution Cooperatives in Germany
  24. Measurement invariance in a grid-based measure of academic self-concept
  25. Sustainable Supply Chain Management and Inter-Organizational Resources: