Reviews and syntheses: Iron – a driver of nitrogen bioavailability in soils?

Abstract

Abstract. An adequate supply of bioavailable nitrogen (N) is critical to soil microbial communities and plants. Over the last decades, research efforts have rarely considered the importance of reactive iron (Fe) minerals in the processes that produce or consume bioavailable N in soils compared to other factors such as soil texture, pH, and organic matter (OM). However, Fe is involved in both enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions that influence the N cycle. More broadly, reactive Fe minerals restrict soil organic matter (SOM) cycling through sorption processes but also promote SOM decomposition and denitrification in anoxic conditions. By synthesizing available research, we show that Fe plays diverse roles in N bioavailability. Fe affects N bioavailability directly by acting as a sorbent, catalyst, and electron transfer agent or indirectly by promoting certain soil features, such as aggregate formation and stability, which affect N turnover processes. These roles can lead to different outcomes in terms of N bioavailability, depending on environmental conditions such as soil redox shifts during wet–dry cycles. We provide examples of Fe–N interactions and discuss the possible underlying mechanisms, which can be abiotic or microbially meditated. We also discuss how Fe participates in three complex phenomena that influence N bioavailability: priming, the Birch effect, and freeze–thaw cycles. Furthermore, we highlight how Fe–N bioavailability interactions are influenced by global change and identify methodological constraints that hinder the development of a mechanistic understanding of Fe in terms of controlling N bioavailability and highlight the areas of needed research.