Atmospheric N2 Fixation Research Articles

Effect of synthetic pyrethroid insecticides on N2-fixation and its mineralization in tea soil

Microorganisms degrade a great variety of chemical substances including pesticide residues in soil. By virtue of low persistence and broad-spectrum efficacy, pyrethroid insecticides are sometimes used in tea garden to combat insect pests but the residual effects of these chemicals on microbial activities in soil have rarely been studied. The present experiment has been conducted under laboratory conditions to investigate the effect of four synthetic pyrethroid insecticides, viz. cypermethrin, deltamethrin, fenvalerate and permethrin at their field application rates (225, 200, 225, 210 g a.i. ha−1, respectively), on growth and activities of microorganisms in relation to non-symbiotic N2-fixation and N mineralization in a tea garden soil of the Himalayan terai (at the lower base) region of West Bengal, India. Application of insecticides, in general, decreased growth and activities of ammonifying and nitrifying bacteria but increased proliferations of non-symbiotic N2-fixing bacteria, resulting in greater fixation of atmospheric N2, more so with permethrin (7.8%) followed by cypermethrin (5.2%). Most of the insecticides had a deleterious effect on the accumulation of oxidizable organic C and total N, more pronounced with fenvalerate and permethrin. The availability of exchangeable NH4+ was also significantly reduced, more prominently with fenvalerate (15.6%) followed by deltamethrin (11.2%), while permethrin followed by cypermethrin accentuated greater accumulation of soluble NO3− in soil. Therefore, the effects of synthetic pyrethroid insecticides on microbial activities in relation to non-symbiotic N2-fixation and its mineralization in tea soil of West Bengal can not be generalized, rather in most cases the effects were inclined more towards detrimental than a few stimulative one.

Gorse is a 'facultative' N2 fixer

Many legumes reduce their atmospheric N2 fixation per unit biomass in response to increased soil N availability but there are reports that some maintain a constant rate of N2 fixation per unit biomass regardless of soil N levels. These different responses to soil N availability have been described, respectively, as 'facultative' and 'obligate' N2 fixation strategies. Views in the literature differ if gorse is a facultative or obligate N2 fixer. Here, firstly, the proportion of N derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) was assessed for mature gorse plants mainly in hedges bordering intensive agricultural land at different sites in the Selwyn district, Canterbury, New Zealand using the 15N natural abundance technique. Secondly, the effect of nitrate (NO3 -) supply on %Ndfa was determined for gorse seedlings under glasshouse conditions using 15NO3 -. Under field conditions, values ranged from 14.7-88.0 %Ndfa. In the glasshouse, %Ndfa values decreased from 97 when no N was supplied to 24 %Ndfa when N supply was increased to the equivalent of 200 kg N/ha. It is concluded that gorse shows a facultative N2 fixation strategy. Keywords: legume, nitrate, 15N natural abundance, nitrate reductase activity, gorse, Ulex europaeus

Symbiotic N 2 -Fixation Estimated by the (15) N Tracer Technique and Growth of Pueraria phaseoloides (Roxb.) Benth. Inoculated with Bradyrhizobium Strain in Field Conditions.

This field experiment was established in Eastern Cameroon to examine the effect of selected rhizobial inoculation on N2-fixation and growth of Pueraria phaseoloides. Treatments consisted of noninoculated and Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense S3-4-inoculated Pueraria with three replications each. Ipomoea batatas as a non-N2-fixing reference was interspersed in each Pueraria plot. All the twelve plots received 2 gN/m2 of 15N ammonium sulfate 10% atom excess. At harvest, dry matter yields and the nitrogen derived from atmospheric N2-fixation (%Ndfa) of inoculated Pueraria were significantly (P < 0.05) higher (81% and 10.83%, resp.) than those of noninoculated Pueraria. The inoculation enhanced nodule dry weight 2.44-fold. Consequently, the harvested N significantly (P < 0.05) increased by 83% in inoculated Pueraria, resulting from the increase in N2-fixation and soil N uptake. A loss of 55 to 60% of the N fertilizer was reported, and 36 to 40% of it was immobilized in soil. Here, we demonstrated that both N2-fixing potential of P. phaseoloides and soil N uptake are improved through field inoculations using efficient bradyrhizobial species. In practice, the inoculation contributes to maximize N input in soils by the cover crop's biomass and represent a good strategy to improve soil fertility for subsequent cultivation.

Effect of bacterial root symbiosis and urea as source of nitrogen on performance of soybean plants grown hydroponically for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSSs).

Soybean is traditionally grown in soil, where root symbiosis with Bradyrhizobium japonicum can supply nitrogen (N), by means of bacterial fixation of atmospheric N2. Nitrogen fertilizers inhibit N-fixing bacteria. However, urea is profitably used in soybean cultivation in soil, where urease enzymes of telluric microbes catalyze the hydrolysis to ammonium, which has a lighter inhibitory effect compared to nitrate. Previous researches demonstrated that soybean can be grown hydroponically with recirculating complete nitrate-based nutrient solutions. In Space, urea derived from crew urine could be used as N source, with positive effects in resource procurement and waste recycling. However, whether the plants are able to use urea as the sole source of N and its effect on root symbiosis with B. japonicum is still unclear in hydroponics. We compared the effect of two N sources, nitrate and urea, on plant growth and physiology, and seed yield and quality of soybean grown in closed-loop Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) in growth chamber, with or without inoculation with B. japonicum. Urea limited plant growth and seed yield compared to nitrate by determining nutrient deficiency, due to its low utilization efficiency in the early developmental stages, and reduced nutrients uptake (K, Ca, and Mg) throughout the whole growing cycle. Root inoculation with B. japonicum did not improve plant performance, regardless of the N source. Specifically, nodulation increased under fertigation with urea compared to nitrate, but this effect did not result in higher leaf N content and better biomass and seed production. Urea was not suitable as sole N source for soybean in closed-loop NFT. However, the ability to use urea increased from young to adult plants, suggesting the possibility to apply it during reproductive phase or in combination with nitrate in earlier developmental stages. Root symbiosis did not contribute significantly to N nutrition and did not enhance the plant ability to use urea, possibly because of ineffective infection process and nodule functioning in hydroponics.

Diversifying crop rotations with pulses enhances system productivity.

Agriculture in rainfed dry areas is often challenged by inadequate water and nutrient supplies. Summerfallowing has been used to conserve rainwater and promote the release of nitrogen via the N mineralization of soil organic matter. However, summerfallowing leaves land without any crops planted for one entire growing season, creating lost production opportunity. Additionally, summerfallowing has serious environmental consequences. It is unknown whether alternative systems can be developed to retain the beneficial features of summerfallowing with little or no environmental impact. Here, we show that diversifying cropping systems with pulse crops can enhance soil water conservation, improve soil N availability, and increase system productivity. A 3-yr cropping sequence study, repeated for five cycles in Saskatchewan from 2005 to 2011, shows that both pulse- and summerfallow-based systems enhances soil N availability, but the pulse system employs biological fixation of atmospheric N2, whereas the summerfallow-system relies on ‘mining’ soil N with depleting soil organic matter. In a 3-yr cropping cycle, the pulse system increased total grain production by 35.5%, improved protein yield by 50.9%, and enhanced fertilizer-N use efficiency by 33.0% over the summerfallow system. Diversifying cropping systems with pulses can serve as an effective alternative to summerfallowing in rainfed dry areas.

Diversification of Nitrogen Sources in Various Tundra Vegetation Types in the High Arctic.

Low nitrogen availability in the high Arctic represents a major constraint for plant growth, which limits the tundra capacity for carbon retention and determines tundra vegetation types. The limited terrestrial nitrogen (N) pool in the tundra is augmented significantly by nesting seabirds, such as the planktivorous Little Auk (Alle alle). Therefore, N delivered by these birds may significantly influence the N cycling in the tundra locally and the carbon budget more globally. Moreover, should these birds experience substantial negative environmental pressure associated with climate change, this will adversely influence the tundra N-budget. Hence, assessment of bird-originated N-input to the tundra is important for understanding biological cycles in polar regions. This study analyzed the stable nitrogen composition of the three main N-sources in the High Arctic and in numerous plants that access different N-pools in ten tundra vegetation types in an experimental catchment in Hornsund (Svalbard). The percentage of the total tundra N-pool provided by birds, ranged from 0–21% in Patterned-ground tundra to 100% in Ornithocoprophilous tundra. The total N-pool utilized by tundra plants in the studied catchment was built in 36% by birds, 38% by atmospheric deposition, and 26% by atmospheric N2-fixation. The stable nitrogen isotope mixing mass balance, in contrast to direct methods that measure actual deposition, indicates the ratio between the actual N-loads acquired by plants from different N-sources. Our results enhance our understanding of the importance of different N-sources in the Arctic tundra and the used methodological approach can be applied elsewhere.

Importance of salt fingering for new nitrogen supply in the oligotrophic ocean.

The input of new nitrogen into the euphotic zone constrains the export of organic carbon to the deep ocean and thereby the biologically mediated long-term CO2 exchange between the ocean and atmosphere. In low-latitude open-ocean regions, turbulence-driven nitrate diffusion from the ocean's interior and biological fixation of atmospheric N2 are the main sources of new nitrogen for phytoplankton productivity. With measurements across the tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, we show that nitrate diffusion (171±190 μmol m−2 d−1) dominates over N2 fixation (9.0±9.4 μmol m−2 d−1) at the time of sampling. Nitrate diffusion mediated by salt fingers is responsible for ca. 20% of the new nitrogen supply in several provinces of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Our results indicate that salt finger diffusion should be considered in present and future ocean nitrogen budgets, as it could supply globally 0.23–1.00 Tmol N yr−1 to the euphotic zone.

Effect of nitrogen fertilization on yield, N content, and nitrogen fixation of alfalfa and smooth bromegrass grown alone or in mixture in greenhouse pots

Planting grass and legume mixtures on improved grasslands has the potential advantage of realizing both higher yields and lower environmental pollution by optimizing the balance between applied N fertilizer and the natural process of legume biological nitrogen fixation. However, the optimal level of N fertilization for grass-legume mixtures, to obtain the highest yield, quality, and contribution of N2 fixation, varies with species. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to study the temporal dynamics of N2 fixation of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) grown alone and in mixture with smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) in response to the addition of fertilizer N. Three levels of N (0, 75, and 150 kg ha−1) were examined using 15N-labeled urea to evaluate N2 fixation via the 15N isotope dilution method. Treatments were designated N0 (0.001 g per pot), N75 (1.07 g per pot) and N150 (2.14 g per pot). Alfalfa grown alone did not benefit from the addition of fertilizer N; dry matter was not significantly increased. In contrast, dry weight and N content of smooth bromegrass grown alone was increased significantly by N application. When grown as a mixture, smooth bromegrass biomass was increased significantly by N application, resulted in a decrease in alfalfa biomass. In addition, individual alfalfa plant dry weight (shoots+roots) was significantly lower in the mixture than when grown alone at all N levels. Smooth bromegrass shoot and root dry weight were significantly higher when grown with alfalfa than when grown alone, regardless of N application level. When grown alone, alfalfa's N2 fixation was reduced with N fertilization (R2=0.9376, P=0.0057). When grown in a mixture with smooth bromegrass, with 75 kg ha−1 of N fertilizer, the percentage of atmospheric N2 fixation contribution to total N in alfalfa (%Ndfa) had a maximum of 84.07 and 83.05% in the 2nd and 3rd harvests, respectively. Total 3-harvest %Ndfa was higher when alfalfa was grown in a mixture than when grown alone (shoots: |t|=3.39, P=0.0096; root: |t|=3.57, P=0.0073). We believe this was due to smooth bromegrass being better able to absorb available soil N (due to its fibrous root system), resulting in lower soil N availability and allowing alfalfa to develop an effective N2 fixing symbiosis prior to the 1st harvest. Once soil N levels were depleted, alfalfa was able to fix N2, resulting in the majority of its tissue N being derived from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in the 2nd and 3rd harvests. When grown in a mixture, with added N, alfalfa established an effective symbiosis earlier than when grown alone; in monoculture BNF did not contribute a significant portion of plant N in the N75 and N150 treatments, whereas in the mixture, BNF contributed 17.90 and 16.28% for these treatments respectively. Alfalfa has a higher BNF efficiency when grown in a mixture, initiating BNF earlier, and having higher N2 fixation due to less inhibition by soil-available N. For the greatest N-use-efficiency and sustainable production, grass-legume mixtures are recommended for improving grasslands, using a moderate amount of N fertilizer (75 kg N ha−1) to provide optimum benefits.

The Importance of the Microbial N Cycle in Soil for Crop Plant Nutrition.

Nitrogen is crucial for living cells, and prior to the introduction of mineral N fertilizer, fixation of atmospheric N2 by diverse prokaryotes was the primary source of N in all ecosystems. Microorganisms drive the N cycle starting with N2 fixation to ammonia, through nitrification in which ammonia is oxidized to nitrate and denitrification where nitrate is reduced to N2 to complete the cycle, or partially reduced to generate the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. Traditionally, agriculture has relied on rotations that exploited N fixed by symbiotic rhizobia in leguminous plants, and recycled wastes and manures that microbial activity mineralized to release ammonia or nitrate. Mineral N fertilizer provided by the Haber-Bosch process has become essential for modern agriculture to increase crop yields and replace N removed from the system at harvest. However, with the increasing global population and problems caused by unintended N wastage and pollution, more sustainable ways of managing the N cycle in soil and utilizing biological N2 fixation have become imperative. This review describes the biological N cycle and details the steps and organisms involved. The effects of various agricultural practices that exploit fixation, retard nitrification, and reduce denitrification are presented, together with strategies that minimize inorganic fertilizer applications and curtail losses. The development and implementation of new technologies together with rediscovering traditional practices are discussed to speculate how the grand challenge of feeding the world sustainably can be met.

Nitrate source identification in the Baltic Sea using its isotopic ratios in combination with a Bayesian isotope mixing model

Abstract. Nitrate (NO3−) is the major nutrient responsible for coastal eutrophication worldwide and its production is related to intensive food production and fossil-fuel combustion. In the Baltic Sea NO3− inputs have increased 4-fold over recent decades and now remain constantly high. NO3− source identification is therefore an important consideration in environmental management strategies. In this study focusing on the Baltic Sea, we used a method to estimate the proportional contributions of NO3− from atmospheric deposition, N2 fixation, and runoff from pristine soils as well as from agricultural land. Our approach combines data on the dual isotopes of NO3− (δ15N-NO3− and δ18O-NO3−) in winter surface waters with a Bayesian isotope mixing model (Stable Isotope Analysis in R, SIAR). Based on data gathered from 47 sampling locations over the entire Baltic Sea, the majority of the NO3− in the southern Baltic was shown to derive from runoff from agricultural land (33–100%), whereas in the northern Baltic, i.e. the Gulf of Bothnia, NO3− originates from nitrification in pristine soils (34–100%). Atmospheric deposition accounts for only a small percentage of NO3− levels in the Baltic Sea, except for contributions from northern rivers, where the levels of atmospheric NO3− are higher. An additional important source in the central Baltic Sea is N2 fixation by diazotrophs, which contributes 49–65% of the overall NO3− pool at this site. The results obtained with this method are in good agreement with source estimates based upon δ15N values in sediments and a three-dimensional ecosystem model, ERGOM. We suggest that this approach can be easily modified to determine NO3− sources in other marginal seas or larger near-coastal areas where NO3− is abundant in winter surface waters when fractionation processes are minor.

N-fixing trees in restoration plantings: Effects on nitrogen supply and soil microbial communities

Mixed-species restoration tree plantings are being established increasingly, contributing to mitigate climate change and restore ecosystems. Including nitrogen (N)-fixing tree species may increase carbon (C) sequestration in mixed-species plantings, as these species may substantially increase soil C beneath them. We need to better understand the role of N-fixers in mixed-species plantings to potentially maximize soil C sequestration in these systems. Here, we present a field-based study that asked two specific questions related to the inclusion of N-fixing trees in a mixed-species planting: 1) Do non-N-fixing trees have access to N derived from fixation of atmospheric N2 by neighbouring N-fixing trees? 2) Do soil microbial communities differ under N-fixing trees and non-N-fixing trees in a mixed-species restoration planting? We sampled leaves from the crowns, and litter and soils beneath the crowns of two N-fixing and two non-N-fixing tree species that dominated the planting. Using the 15N natural abundance method, we found indications that fixed atmospheric N was utilized by the non-N-fixing trees, most likely through tight root connections or organic forms of N from the litter layer, rather than through the decomposition of N-fixers litter. While the two N-fixing tree species that were studied appeared to fix atmospheric N, they were substantially different in terms of C and N addition to the soil, as well as microbial community composition beneath them. This shows that the effect of N-fixing tree species on soil carbon sequestration is species-specific, cannot be generalized and requires planting trails to determine if there will be benefits to carbon sequestration.

Increasing occurrence of the benthic filamentous cyanobacteriumLyngbya wollei: a symptom of freshwater ecosystem degradation

AbstractThe filamentous cyanobacterium Lyngbya wollei (Farlow ex Gomont) comb. nov. forms dark green to black mats on the bottom of rivers and lakes. Benthic mats often remain inconspicuous until they float to the surface because of trapped gas bubbles or until high winds and wave action dislodge and wash mats ashore. Mats induce dark, anoxic conditions conducive to nutrient mineralization, atmospheric N2 fixation, and heterotrophic metabolism. Lyngbya wollei has been found historically in southeastern USA, but genetically similar subgroups have been proliferating more recently in the Laurentian Great Lakes and the St Lawrence River. This taxon is found under contrasting environmental conditions, including very clear, thermally and chemically stable, and heavily mineralized Florida Springs and turbid, high dissolved organic C, and seasonally variable conditions, influenced by agricultural tributaries in the St Lawrence River. Lyngbya wollei produces a number of unique saxitoxins and volatile organic compo...

Methanotrophy induces nitrogen fixation during peatland development.

Nitrogen (N) accumulation rates in peatland ecosystems indicate significant biological atmospheric N2 fixation associated with Sphagnum mosses. Here, we show that the linkage between methanotrophic carbon cycling and N2 fixation may constitute an important mechanism in the rapid accumulation of N during the primary succession of peatlands. In our experimental stable isotope enrichment study, previously overlooked methane-induced N2 fixation explained more than one-third of the new N input in the younger peatland stages, where the highest N2 fixation rates and highest methane oxidation activities co-occurred in the water-submerged moss vegetation.

Biological soil crusts promote N accumulation in response to dew events in dryland soils

Dew is an important source of water in drylands, particularly for biological soil crusts (BSCs), which are soil communities dominated by lichens, mosses and cyanobacteria that are prevalent in these environments and play important roles in nutrient cycling. While BSCs can retain and use water from dew, the effects of dew events on the cycling of nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in BSC-dominated ecosystems are largely unknown. We conducted an experiment to evaluate the effects of BSCs and dew on N and C cycling; intact soil cores from either bare ground or BSC-dominated microsites were incubated over 14 days under control and artificial dew addition treatments. A positive increment in the amount of total available N and phenols was observed in response to dew events under BSCs. We also found an increase in the concentration of dissolved organic N, as well as in the pentoses:hexoses ratio, under BSCs, suggesting that dew promoted an increase in the decomposition of organic matter at this microsite. The increase in the amount of available N commonly observed under BSCs has been traditionally associated with the fixation of atmospheric N2 by BSC-forming cyanobacteria and cyanolichens. Our results provide a complementary explanation for such an increase: the stimulation of microbial activity of the microorganisms associated with BSCs by dew inputs. These effects of dew may have important implications for nutrient cycling in drylands, where dew events are common and BSCs cover large areas.

Biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystems of the Caatinga Biome

The biogeochemical cycles of C, N, P and water, the impacts of land use in the stocks and flows of these elements and how they can affect the structure and functioning of Caatinga were reviewed. About half of this biome is still covered by native secondary vegetation. Soils are deficient in nutrients, especially N and P. Average concentrations of total soil P and C in the top layer (0-20 cm) are 196 mg kg(-1) and 9.3 g kg(-1), corresponding to C stocks around 23 Mg ha(-1). Aboveground biomass of native vegetation varies from 30 to 50 Mg ha(-1), and average root biomass from 3 to 12 Mg ha(-1). Average annual productivities and biomass accumulation in different land use systems vary from 1 to 7 Mg ha(-1) year(-1). Biological atmospheric N2 fixation is estimated to vary from 3 to 11 kg N ha(-1) year-1 and 21 to 26 kg N ha(-1) year(-1) in mature and secondary Caatinga, respectively. The main processes responsible for nutrient and water losses are fire, soil erosion, runoff and harvest of crops and animal products. Projected climate changes in the future point to higher temperatures and rainfall decreases. In face of the high intrinsic variability, actions to increase sustainability should improve resilience and stability of the ecosystems. Land use systems based on perennial species, as opposed to annual species, may be more stable and resilient, thus more adequate to face future potential increases in climate variability. Long-term studies to investigate the potential of the native biodiversity or adapted exotic species to design sustainable land use systems should be encouraged.

N2 Fixation in Feather Mosses is a Sensitive Indicator of N Deposition in Boreal Forests

Nitrogen (N) fixation in the feather moss–cyanobacteria association represents a major N source in boreal forests which experience low levels of N deposition; however, little is known about the effects of anthropogenic N inputs on the rate of fixation of atmospheric N2 in mosses and the succeeding effects on soil nutrient concentrations and microbial community composition. We collected soil samples and moss shoots of Pleurozium schreberi at six distances along busy and remote roads in northern Sweden to assess the influence of road-derived N inputs on N2 fixation in moss, soil nutrient concentrations and microbial communities. Soil nutrients were similar between busy and remote roads; N2 fixation was higher in mosses along the remote roads than along the busy roads and increased with increasing distance from busy roads up to rates of N2 fixation similar to remote roads. Throughfall N was higher in sites adjacent to the busy roads but showed no distance effect. Soil microbial phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) composition exhibited a weak pattern regarding road type. Concentrations of bacterial and total PLFAs decreased with increasing distance from busy roads, whereas fungal PLFAs showed no distance effect. Our results show that N2 fixation in feather mosses is highly affected by N deposition, here derived from roads in northern Sweden. Moreover, as other measured factors showed only weak differences between the road types, atmospheric N2 fixation in feather mosses represents a highly sensitive indicator for increased N loads to natural systems.

Intercropping Caragana arborescens with Salix miyabeana to Satisfy Nitrogen Demand and Maximize Growth

Willow shows great promise as a biomass crop and is now used worldwide. However, willow is a nutrient and water demanding plant that often requires the use of nitrogen (N) fertilizer to maximize growth on poor soils. The intercropping of Salix miyabeana with the atmospheric N2-fixing Caragana arborescens on poor soils of the Canadian Prairies could provide a portion of the N demand of the willow. The main objectives were to: (1) determine the yield potential, N nutrition and water use efficiency (WUE) of willow and Caragana grown in pure and mixed plantations across a range of soil productivity and (2) assess the extent of atmospheric N2-fixation by the Caragana within the first rotation in central Saskatchewan. We found large differences in willow yields, foliar N and WUE across the sites. The willow yields (1.24 to 15.6 t dry matter ha−1 over 4 years) were low compared to northeastern North American values and reflect the short and dry summers of the region. The yields were positively correlated to foliar N (ranging between 14.3 and 32.4 mg g−1), whereas higher WUE (expressed as δ13C) were not positively correlated to water availability but to higher yields. Caragana N2-fixation (measured using 15N isotope dilution) was not active at the most productive site but up to 60% of the foliar N was of atmospheric origin at the two other sites. Willow growth increased with Caragana proportions at the least productive site, which is typical of the benefits of N2-fixing plants on the growth of other plants on poor soils. At the most productive site, Caragana decreased the growth of willow early on due to competition for resources, but willow eventually shaded Caragana to a point of significant canopy decline and dieback. It is therefore more appropriate to intercrop the two species on less productive soils as Caragana is more likely to add N to the system via N2-fixation and is less likely to be shaded out by willow.

Nitrogen Inputs by Associative Cyanobacteria across a Low Arctic Tundra Landscape

Available soil N is a key factor limiting plant productivity in most low arctic terrestrial ecosystems. Atmospheric N2-fixation by cyanobacteria is often the primary source of newly fixed N in these nutrient-poor environments. We examined temporal and spatial variation in N2-fixation by the principal cyanobacterial associations (biological soil crusts, Sphagnum spp. associations, and Stereocaulon paschale) in a wide range of ecosystems within a Canadian low arctic tundra landscape, and estimated N input via N2-fixation over the growing season using a microclimatically driven model. Moisture and temperature were the main environmental factors influencing N2-fixation. In general, N2-fixation rates were largest at the height of the growing season, although each N2-fixing association had distinct seasonal patterns due to ecosystem differences in microclimatic conditions. Ecosystem types differed strongly in N2-fixation rates with the highest N input (10.89 kg ha−1 yr−1) occurring in low-lying Wet Sedge Meadow and the lowest N input (0.73 kg ha−1 yr−1) in Xerophytic Herb Tundra on upper esker slopes. Total growing season (3 June–13 September) N2-fixation input from measured components across a carefully mapped landscape study area (26.7 km2) was estimated at 0.68 kg ha−1 yr−1, which is approximately twice the estimated average N input via wet deposition. Although biological N2-fixation input rates were small compared to internal soil N cycling rates, our data suggest that cyanobacterial associations may play an important role in determining patterns of plant productivity across low arctic tundra landscapes.

On bromine, nitrogen oxides and ozone depletion in the tropospheric plume of Erebus volcano (Antarctica)

Since the discovery of bromine oxide (BrO) in volcanic emissions, there has been speculation concerning its role in chemical evolution and notably ozone depletion in volcanic plumes. We report the first measurements using Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) of BrO in the tropospheric plume of the persistently degassing Erebus volcano (Antarctica). These are the first observations pertaining to emissions from an alkaline phonolitic magma. The observed BrO/SO2 ratio of 2.5 x 10-4 is similar to that measured at andesitic arc volcanoes. The high abundance of BrO is consistent with high abundances of F and Cl relative to sulfur in the Erebus plume. Our estimations of HBr flux and BrO production rate suggest that reactive bromine chemistry can explain a 35% loss of tropospheric O3 observed in the Erebus plume at approximately 30 km from source (Oppenheimer et al., 2010). Erebus also has a permanent lava lake, which could result in generation of NOx by thermal fixation of atmospheric N2 at the hot lava surface. Any NOx emission could play a potent role in reactive bromine chemistry. However, the presence of NO2 could not be detected in the plume, about 400 m above the lake, in our DOAS observations of 2005. Nor could we reproduce spectroscopic retrievals that reportedly identified NO2 in DOAS observations from 2003 made of the Erebus plume (Oppenheimer et al., 2005). Based on the NO2 detection limit of our analysis, we can state an upper limit of the NO2/SO2 ratio of ≤ 0.012, an order of magnitude lower than previously reported. Our new result supports a rapid oxidation of NOx in the young plume and is more consistent with measurements of NOy species measured using an instrumented aircraft flying in the plume. Model simulations, tuned for Erebus, were performed to reproduce the BrO/SO2 observed in the young plume and to investigate the impact of NOx emissions at source on the subsequent formation of BrO in the plume. They support our hypothesis of rapid conversion of NOx to NOy in the vicinity of the lava lake. This study thus places new constraints on the interaction between reactive nitrogen and bromine species in volcanic plumes, and its effects on ozone.

B value and isotopic fractionation in N2 fixation by chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and faba bean (Vicia faba L.)

A prerequisite for the calculation of the proportion of a legume’s nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) using the 15N natural abundance technique (NA) is the determination of the B value (δ15N value for a legume when completely dependent on N2 fixation for growth). With this objective, Kabuli-type chickpea seeds were inoculated with Mesorhizobium ciceri, strain ISC-6, and an indigenous strain mixture (ISM) from the Guadalquivir Valley (southern Spain); and mayor-equina-type faba bean seeds were inoculated with Rhizobium leguminosarum strain ISL-19. Both legumes were grown in perlite with an N-free nutrient solution and in a growth chamber; uninoculated plants were also grown under the same conditions. Samples of the inoculated plants were collected at full flowering and maturity, analyzing total N and 15N content of the nodules, root, shoot and seeds. The seeds sown and uninoculated plants at wilting were also analyzed. The uninoculated chickpea and faba bean plants showed strong 15N discrimination in the remobilization of reserve proteins from the cotyledons to the shoot. Only 52% of the 15N from the chickpea seed and 46% from the faba bean seed were translocated to the shoot. The Bwhole plant value for both inoculated species (−1.44‰ in chickpea and −1.33‰ in faba bean) demonstrated the existence of a significant isotopic discrimination of N in the fixation of atmospheric N2. The Bshoot value did not show significant differences between full flowering and seed maturity for either species, which allowed field sampling to be performed for the calculation of %Ndfa between both growth stages. Each species presented different 15N discrimination for the different parts analyzed. In chickpea, strong discrimination was observed between the nodules (+3.11‰) and the rest of the plant (−1.67‰); this discrimination was less pronounced in faba bean and always with negative values between the underground parts (nodules and root, with a mean value of −0.75‰) and the shoot (−1.71‰). The Bshoot value obtained was −1.80‰ in chickpea and −1.71‰ in faba bean. However, given the importance of the amount of seed N in chickpea and faba bean, seed 15N contribution should be considered in the calculation of the Bshoot value using a mass balance model which considers 50% of this amount. In this case, the adjusted Bshoot values would increase to −2.05‰ and −1.89‰ in chickpea and faba bean, respectively.