Abstract
Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition could affect various ecological processes in forest ecosystems, including plant litter decomposition and nutrient cycling. However, the mechanism of underlying litter decomposition and nutrient cycling of Cinnamomum migao under N deposition remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted a simulated N deposition experiment including four onsite treatments to assess the effects of N input on C. migao leaf litter decomposition, nutrient release, and soil enzyme activity. The results showed that simulated N deposition significantly increased the amount of total residual mass and lignin and cellulose, decreased the decomposition rate, and suppressed net nutrient release. N input increased C, N, and P ratios as decomposition progressed, and the proportion of mass remaining was positively correlated with the proportions of lignin and cellulose remaining at the later stage of decomposition. The differences in soil enzyme activity were primarily due to enzyme type and sampling time. We conclude that simulated N deposition significantly suppressed the leaf litter decomposition of C. migao by mainly altering the chemical properties and suppressing the decomposition of the organic matter in leaf litter. Lignin might have played an important role in the loss of leaf litter biomass at the later stage of decomposition.
Highlights
Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition could affect various ecological processes in forest ecosystems, including plant litter decomposition and nutrient cycling
After 1 year of N deposition treatments, the proportions of mass remaining in low nitrogen (LN), medium nitrogen (MN), and high nitrogen (HN) treatments were 16.93%, 22.98%, and 30.73% higher, respectively, than that in the control treatment (Table 1)
The results showed that after 1 year of decomposition, the C/N and C/P ratios in the LN, MN, and HN treatments increased by 0.32% (P < 0.05), 5.24% (P < 0.05), and 8.35% (P < 0.05) and 3.13% (P < 0.05), 7.45% (P < 0.05), and 27.47% (P < 0.05), respectively, compared with those in the control treatment (Table 1)
Summary
Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition could affect various ecological processes in forest ecosystems, including plant litter decomposition and nutrient cycling. We conducted a simulated N deposition experiment including four onsite treatments to assess the effects of N input on C. migao leaf litter decomposition, nutrient release, and soil enzyme activity. Leaf litter forms a link between soil and vegetation[5,6,7], and its decomposition is an important process that maintains ecosystem productivity and soil fertility[8,9,10] It plays a key role in maintaining the global carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) balance[11,12]. Regarding higher C/N ratio litter, N input at the initial stage of decomposition can increase the N concentration of litter; this in turn promotes decomposition by reducing the C/N ratio[30,31,32]. N input may have a negative influence on organic matter decomposition and effect litter decomposition by producing substantial amounts of residue[34]
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