Effect of vole bioturbation on N2O, NO, NH3, CH4 and CO2 fluxes of slurry fertilized and non-fertilized montane grassland soils in Southern Germany

Abstract

Populations of rodents such as common vole (Microtus arvalis) can develop impressive soil bioturbation activities in grasslands. These burrowing and nesting activities highly impact soil physicochemical properties as well as vegetation coverage and diversity. Managed grasslands in livestock production regions receive significant amounts of slurry, commonly at high loads at the beginning of the vegetation period. However, nothing is known how the combination of vole bioturbation and slurry application may affect the fluxes of C and N trace gases from grasslands. Here we report on an in-situ experiment and supporting laboratory incubations carried out during the period March to May 2020 comparing C (CH4, CO2) and N (N2O, NO, NH3) trace gas fluxes from Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens dominated montane grasslands with and without vole bioturbation and with and without slurry application, whereby, with regard to the latter, we further differentiated between acidified and non-acidified slurry. Vole bioturbation significantly (p < 0.05) increased soil NO and NH3 emissions, while N2O fluxes were only significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced in vole affected grassland patches following slurry application (+17%). Effects of vole bioturbation on CH4 fluxes were non-significant, while slurry application significantly reduced CH4 uptake. Compared to applications of non-acidified slurry, application of acidified slurry significantly (p < 0.05) reduced NH3 volatilization by approx. 38% and 50%, for vole and non-vole affected grassland patches, respectively. A significant effect of acidified slurry application on soil NO emissions was only observed for vole affected grassland patches. Significant (p < 0.05) reductions in aboveground net primary productivity and reduced plant N uptake are likely the main mechanisms explaining the stimulation of gaseous N losses following slurry application. Long-term measurements are needed to better understand effects of vole bioturbation on grassland soil C and N cycling and ecosystem GHG balance.