Publication
Title
Nitrogen biogeochemistry of a mature Scots pine forest subjected to high nitrogen loads
Author
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) biogeochemistry of a mature Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stand subjected to an average total atmospheric N deposition of 48 kg ha−1 year−1 was studied during the period 19922007. The annual amount of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in throughfall (TF) averaged 34 kg ha−1 year−1 over the 16-year monitoring period. The throughfall fluxes contained also considerable amounts of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) (58.5 kg N ha−1 year−1), which should be incorporated in the estimate of N flux using throughfall collectors. Throughfall DIN fluxes declined at a rate of −0.9 kg N ha−1 year−1, mainly due to the decreasing TF fluxes of ammonium (NH4), which accounted for 70% to TF DIN. The decrease in TF DIN was accompanied by a decrease in DIN leaching in the seepage water (−1.6 kg N ha−1 year−1), which occurred exclusively as nitrate (NO3 −). Nitrate losses in the leachate of the forest floor (LFH) equalled the TF NO3 − delivered to the LFH-layer. On the contrary, about half of the TF NH4 + was retained within the LFH-layer. Approximately 60% of the TF DIN fluxes were leached indicating that N inputs were far in excess of the N requirements of the forest. For DON, losses were only substantial from the LFH-layer, but no DON was leached in the seepage water. Despite the high N losses through nitrate leaching and NO x emission, the forest was still accumulating N, especially in the aggrading LFH-layer. The forest stand, on the contrary, was found to be a poor N sink.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Biogeochemistry. - Dordrecht, 1984, currens
Publication
Dordrecht : Nijhoff/Junk , 2008
ISSN
0168-2563 [print]
1573-515X [online]
DOI
10.1007/S10533-008-9280-X
Volume/pages
91 :2/3 (2008) , p. 201-222
ISI
000262503700007
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 09.02.2009
Last edited 25.05.2022
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