title: Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Litter Decomposition and CO2 Release: Considering Changes in Litter Quantity.
abstract: This study aims to evaluate the impacts of changes in litter quantity under simulated N deposition on litter decomposition, CO2 release, and soil C loss potential in a larch plantation in Northeast China. We conducted a laboratory incubation experiment using soil and litter collected from control and N addition (100 kg ha-1 year-1 for 10 years) plots. Different quantities of litter (0, 1, 2 and 4 g) were placed on 150 g soils collected from the same plots and incubated in microcosms for 270 days. We found that increased litter input strongly stimulated litter decomposition rate and CO2 release in both control and N fertilization microcosms, though reduced soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and dissolved inorganic N (DIN) concentration. Carbon input (C loss from litter decomposition) and carbon output (the cumulative C loss due to respiration) elevated with increasing litter input in both control and N fertilization microcosms. However, soil C loss potentials (C output-C input) reduced by 62% in control microcosms and 111% in N fertilization microcosms when litter addition increased from 1 g to 4 g, respectively. Our results indicated that increased litter input had a potential to suppress soil organic C loss especially for N addition plots.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Chao
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Ya-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: De-Hui
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D002681:China; D016468:Forestry; D006801:Humans; D028221:Larix / Q000737:chemistry; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D014197:Trees / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen