The Nitrogen Cycle of a Cool-Temperate Deciduous Broad-Leaved Forest

Abstract

The nitrogen (N) cycle, a major biogeochemical cycle in forest ecosystems, notably affects ecosystem multifunctionality. However, the magnitude and role of organic N and the snow season remain uncertain in this cycle. We assessed the N flux and pool data of a temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest to clarify N cycle processes. The results showed that the most important component of the N pool was the soil N pool. The N demand of the site amounted to 139.4 kg N ha−1 year−1 and was divided into tree production (83.8%) and bamboo production (16.2%). We clarified that retranslocation (37.4%), mineralization at a soil depth of 0–5 cm (15.3%), litter leachate (4.6%), throughfall (2.3%), and canopy uptake (0.5%) provided 60.1% of the N demand. In terms of soil at 0–5 cm in depth, the net mineralization rate during the snow season contributed to 30% of the annual mineralization. We concluded that the study site was not N-saturated as a result of a positive N input–output flux budget. More than half of the total N was accounted for by dissolved organic N flowing through several pathways, indicating that organic N plays a vital role in the cycle. The mineralization rate in the soil layer during the snow season is an important link in the N cycle.