Dataset Information

Low nitrogen retention in a Japanese cedar plantation in a suburban area, western Japan.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to evaluate nitrogen (N) leaching from Japanese cedar, the main plantation species in Japan, in response to elevated atmospheric N deposition. N leaching and possible factors, including soil nitrification, tree N uptake, and topographic steepness, were evaluated in mature (64-69 year) Japanese cedar trees planted on steep slopes (25°-40°) and neighboring Japanese oak plantations in suburban forests, which served as reference sites. N fertilization (50 kg N ha^-1 year^-1 as ammonium nitrate) was conducted to evaluate the response of N leaching to an elevated inorganic N pool in the surface soil. The soil water nitrate (NO₃^-) concentration below the rooting zone in the Japanese cedar forest (607?±?59 ?mol L^-1) was much higher than that in the Japanese oak plantations (8.7?±?8.1 ?mol L^-1) and increased immediately after fertilization, indicating high N leaching from the Japanese cedar plantations. The relatively low N uptake by Japanese cedar planted on the steep slopes could be an important contributor to the high N leaching. This study highlights the importance of vegetation composition for managing the water quality in headwater streams from forest ecosystems disturbed by atmospheric N deposition.

SUBMITTER: Yang R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7935847 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Low nitrogen retention in a Japanese cedar plantation in a suburban area, western Japan.

Yang Ru R Chiwa Masaaki M

Scientific reports 20210305 1

This study aimed to evaluate nitrogen (N) leaching from Japanese cedar, the main plantation species in Japan, in response to elevated atmospheric N deposition. N leaching and possible factors, including soil nitrification, tree N uptake, and topographic steepness, were evaluated in mature (64-69 year) Japanese cedar trees planted on steep slopes (25°-40°) and neighboring Japanese oak plantations in suburban forests, which served as reference sites. N fertilization (50 kg N ha<sup>-1</sup> year<s ...[more]

PMID: 33674701

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Project description:Tree mono-plantations are susceptible to soil nutrient impoverishment and mixed species plantations have been proposed as a way of maintaining soil fertility while enhancing biodiversity. In the Solomon Islands, mixed species plantations where teak (Tectona grandis) is inter-planted with a local tree species (Flueggea flexuosa) have been used as an alternative to teak mono-plantations and are expected to increase soil microbial diversity and modify microbial biogeochemical processes. In this study, we quantified the abundance of microbial functional genes involved in the nitrogen (N) cycle from soil samples collected in teak, flueggea, and mixed species plantations. Furthermore, we measured soil properties such as pH, total carbon (C) and total N, stable N isotope composition (?(15)N), and inorganic N pools. Soil pH and ?(15)N were higher under teak than under flueggea, which indicates that intercropping teak with flueggea may decrease bacterial activities and potential N losses. Higher C:N ratios were found under mixed species plantations than those under teak, suggesting an enhancement of N immobilization that would help preventing fast N losses. However, inorganic N pools remained unaffected by plant cover. Inter-planting teak with flueggea in mixed species plantations generally increased the relative abundance of denitrification genes and promoted the enrichment of nosZ-harboring denitrifiers. However, it reduced the abundance of bacterial amoA (ammonia monooxygenase) genes compared to teak mono-plantations. The abundance of most denitrification genes correlated with soil total N and C:N ratio, while bacterial and archeal nitrification genes correlated positively with soil NH4 (+) concentrations. Altogether, these results show that the abundance of bacterial N-cycling functional guilds vary under teak and under mixed species plantations, and that inter-planting teak with flueggea may potentially alleviate N losses associated with nitrification and denitrification and favor N retention. Mixed plantations could also allow an increase in soil C and N stocks without losing the source of income that teak trees represent for local communities.

Dataset Information

Low nitrogen retention in a Japanese cedar plantation in a suburban area, western Japan.

Publications

Low nitrogen retention in a Japanese cedar plantation in a suburban area, western Japan.

Similar Datasets

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