Abstract
BackgroundThe hydrological cycle is an important way of transportation and reallocation of reactive nitrogen (N) in forest ecosystems. However, under a high level of atmospheric N deposition, the N distribution and cycling through water flows in forest ecosystems especially in bamboo ecosystems are not well understood.Methodology/Principal FindingsIn order to investigate N fluxes through water flows in a Pleioblastus amarus bamboo forest, event rainfall/snowfall (precipitation, PP), throughfall (TF), stemflow (SF), surface runoff (SR), forest floor leachate (FFL), soil water at the depth of 40 cm (SW1) and 100 cm (SW2) were collected and measured through the whole year of 2009. Nitrogen distribution in different pools in this ecosystem was also measured. Mean N pools in vegetation and soil (0–1 m) were 351.7 and 7752.8 kg ha−1. Open field nitrogen deposition at the study site was 113.8 kg N ha−1 yr−1, which was one of the highest in the world. N-NH4 +, N-NO3 − and dissolved organic N (DON) accounted for 54%, 22% and 24% of total wet N deposition. Net canopy accumulated of N occurred with N-NO3 − and DON but not N-NH4 +. The flux of total dissolved N (TDN) to the forest floor was greater than that in open field precipitation by 17.7 kg N ha−1 yr−1, due to capture of dry and cloudwater deposition net of canopy uptake. There were significant negative exponential relationships between monthly water flow depths and monthly mean TDN concentrations in PP, TF, SR, FFL and SW1.Conclusions/SignificanceThe open field nitrogen deposition through precipitation is very high over the world, which is the main way of reactive N input in this bamboo ecosystem. The water exchange and N consume mainly occurred in the litter floor layer and topsoil layer, where most of fine roots of bamboo distributed.
Highlights
Nitrogen (N) is a fundamental element for living organisms, and the global N cycle has been strongly influenced by human activity
The water exchange and N consume mainly occurred in the litter floor layer and topsoil layer, where most of fine roots of bamboo distributed
The total N in vegetation was 351.7614.6 kg N ha21, and the vast majority (85%) of the vegetation N pool was aboveground
Summary
Nitrogen (N) is a fundamental element for living organisms, and the global N cycle has been strongly influenced by human activity. Large amounts of NOx and NH3 emitted into the atmosphere can be converted into a series of compounds and deposited in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (N deposition) [2]. It is predicted that emissions of NOx and NH3 with consequent N deposition will increase considerably in the 21st century, especially in East and South Asia. The hydrological cycle is an important way of transportation and reallocation of reactive nitrogen (N) in forest ecosystems. Under a high level of atmospheric N deposition, the N distribution and cycling through water flows in forest ecosystems especially in bamboo ecosystems are not well understood
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