Dissolved Organic Nitrogen Concentrations and Ratios of Dissolved Organic Carbon to Dissolved Organic Nitrogen in Throughfall and Soil Waters in Norway Spruce and Scots Pine Forest Stands Throughout Norway

Abstract

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) plays an important ecological role in forest ecosystems, and its concentration is related to that of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). We investigated DON concentrations and ratios of DOC to DON in throughfall and soil waters in 16 Norway spruce and two Scots pine forest stands sampled at weekly intervals between 1996 and 2006. The stands are all included in the ICP Forests Level II monitoring program and are located throughout Norway. DON concentrations were significantly and positively related to DOC concentrations in throughfall (r2 = 0.72, p < 0.0001) and soil water at 5, 15, and 40 cm (r2 = 0.86, 0.32, and 0.84 and p < 0.0001, 0.04, and <0.0001, respectively). At most sites, the annual median DOC/DON ratio in throughfall ranged from 20.3 to 55.5, which is lower than values in soil water, which ranged from 24.5 to 81.3, gradually decreasing with soil depth. DON concentrations varied seasonally in throughfall at many plots and in soil water at 5-cm depth at one plot only, with higher values in the growing season, but there was no noticeable seasonality at greater depth. The ratios of DOC/DON in soil water were significantly positively related to the C/N ratio in soil at the same depth. Above-ground litter input was the main factor having a significant, negative relationship to DOC/DON in soil water at all depths studied. This might reflect the effect of site conditions on both DOC/DON ratios and litter quantity.