Effect of nitrogen addition on DOC leaching and chemical exchanges on canopy leaves in Guangdong Province, China

Abstract

The impact of nitrogen (N) deposition on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fractions in throughfall is not well understood. We performed a laboratory experiment and compared DOC leaching from canopy leaves after dipping leaves in pure water (control) and NH₄NO₃ solution (N-treatment) for 18 h. Net changes of DOC, NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ⁻, SO₄ ²⁻, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and H⁺ contents after dipping leaves were determined by comparing solutions with and without leaves. We recorded no differences of DOC leaching between control and N-treatment, implying that N deposition had minor impacts on canopy DOC production. This confirmed that previous experiments testing the effects of N addition on DOC dynamics without considering the effects of the canopy reaction successfully described the real situation. We also confirmed the previously-reported canopy exchange process in spite of a high background N deposition at our study site. N-treatment significantly increased base cation leaching, especially K⁺, and the increase was positively correlated with foliar NH₄ ⁺ retention. Net leaching of H⁺ and SO₄ ²⁻ was not affected by the N-treatment.

Keywords

Canopy exchange / Dissolved organic carbon / Nitrogen deposition / Throughfall

References

[1] Aber J, McDowell W, Nadelhoffer K, Magill A, Berntson G, Kamakea M, McNulty S, Currie W, Rustad L, Fernandez I. Nitrogen saturation in temperate forest ecosystems—hypotheses revisited. Bioscience, 1998, 48: 921-934.

[2] Adriaenssens S, Staelens J, Wuyts K, Samson R, Verheyen K, Boeckx P. Retention of dissolved inorganic nitrogen by foliage and twigs of four temperate tree species. Ecosystems, 2012, 15: 1093-1107.

[3] Adriaenssens S, Staelens J, Baeten L, Verstraeten A, Boeckx P, Samson R, Verheyen K. Influence of canopy budget model approaches on atmospheric deposition estimates to forests. Biogeochemistry, 2013, 116: 215-229.

[4] Arisci S, Rogora M, Marchetto A, Dichiaro F. The role of forest type in the variability of DOC in atmospheric deposition at forest plots in Italy. Environ Monit Assess, 2012, 184: 3415-3425.

[5] Bowden R, Geballe G, Bowden W. Foliar uptake of 15 N from simulated cloud water by red spruce (Picea rubens) seedlings. Can J For Res, 1988, 19: 382-386.

[6] Boxman AW, Peters RCJH, Roelofs JGM. Long term changes in atmospheric N and S throughfall deposition and effects on soil solution chemistry in a Scots pine forest in the Netherlands. Environ Pollut, 2008, 156: 1252-1259.

[7] Currie WS, Aber JD, McDowell WH, Boone RD, Magill AH. Vertical transport of dissolved organic C and N under long-term N amendments in pine and hardwood forests. Biogeochemistry, 1996, 35: 471-505.

[8] Draaijers GPJ, Erisman JW, Van Leeuwen NFM, Römer FG, Te Winkel BH, Veltkamp AC, Vermeulen AT, Wyers GP. The impact of canopy exchange on differences observed between atmospheric deposition and throughfall fluxes. Atmos Environ, 1997, 31: 387-397.

[9] Garten CT, Hanson PJ. Foliar retention of 15N-nitrate and 15N-ammonium by red maple (Acer rubrum) and white oak (Quercus alba) leaves from simulated rain. Environm Exp Bot, 1990, 30(3): 333-342.

[10] Galloway JN, Townsend AR, Erisman JW, Bekunda M, Cai Z, Freney JR, Martinelli LA, Seitzinger SP, Sutton MA. Transformation of the nitrogen cycle: recent trends, questions, and potential solutions. Science, 2008, 320: 889-892.

[11] Hall SJ, Matson PA. Nitrogen oxide emissions after nitrogen additions in tropical forests. Nature, 1999, 400: 152.

[12] Hall SJ, Asner GP, Kitayama K. Substrate, climate, and land use controls over soil N dynamics and N-oxide emissions in Borneo. Biogeochemistry, 2004, 70: 27-58.

[13] Janssens IA, Dieleman W, Luyssaert S, Subke JA, Reichstein M, Ceulemans R, Ciais P, Dolman AJ, Grace J, Matteucci G, Papale D, Piao SK, Schulze ED, Tang J, Law BE. Reduction of forest soil respiration in response to nitrogen deposition. Nat Geosci, 2010, 3: 315-322.

[14] Koshimizu Y. A forcasting methof for occurrence of rice leaf blast with AMeDAS data. Bull Tohoku Natl Agric Exp Stn, 1988, 78: 67-121.

[15] le Mellec A, Gerold G, Michalzik B. Insect herbivory, organic matter deposition and effects on belowground organic matter fluxes in a central European oak forest. Plant Soil, 2011, 342: 393-403.

[16] Lindberg SE, Garten CT. Sources of sulphur in forest canopy throughfall. Nature, 1988, 336: 148-151.

[17] Lovett GM. Johnson DW, Lindberg SE. Atmospheric deposition and canopy interactions of nitrogen. Atmospheric deposition and forest nutrient cycling. Ecological Studies 91, 1992, New York: Springer 152 166

[18] Lu X, Mo J, Gilliam FS, Zhou G, Fang Y. Effects of experimental nitrogen additions on plant diversity in an old-growth tropical forest. Glob Chang Biol, 2010, 16: 2688-2700.

[19] Lu X, Gilliam F, Yu G, Li L, Mao Q, Chen H, Mo J. Long-term nitrogen addition decreases carbon leaching in a nitrogen-rich forest ecosystem to Cryosphere. Biogeoscience, 2013, 10: 3931-3941.

[20] Lu X, Mao Q, Gilliam FS, Luo Y, Mo J. Nitrogen deposition contributes to soil acidification in tropical ecosystems. Glob Chang Biol, 2014, 20: 3790-3801.

[21] Michalzik B, Kalbitz K, Park JH, Solinger S, Matzner E. Fluxes and concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen—a synthesis for temperate forests. Biogeochemistry, 2001, 52: 173-205.

[22] Mo J, Zhang W, Zhu W, Gundersen P, Fang Y, Li D, Wang H. Nitrogen addition reduces soil respiration in a mature tropical forest in southern China. Glob Chang Biol, 2008, 14: 403-412.

[23] Mori T, Imai N, Yokoyama D, Mukai M, Kiyatama K. Effects of selective logging and application of phosphorus and nitrogen on fluxes of CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O in lowland tropical rainforests of Borneo. J Trop For Sci, 2017, 29: 248-256.

[24] Peuke AD, Jeschke WD, Dietz KJ, Schreiber L, Hartung W. Foliar application of nitrate or ammonium as sole nitrogen supply in Ricinus communis I. Carbon and nitrogen uptake and flows. New Phytol, 1998, 138: 675-687.

[25] Pregitzer KS, Zak DR, Burton AJ, Ashby JA, Macdonald NW. Chronic nitrate additions dramatically increase the export of carbon and nitrogen from northern hardwood ecosystems. Biogeochemistry, 2004, 68: 179-197.

[26] Puckett L. Time- and pH-dependent leaching of ions from deciduous and coniferous foliage. Can J For Res, 1990, 20: 1779-1785.

[27] Schrijver A, Geudens G, Augusto L, Staelens J, Mertens J, Wuyts K, Gielis L, Verheyen K. The effect of forest type on throughfall deposition and seepage flux a review. Oecologia, 2007, 153: 663-674.

[28] Solinger S, Kalbitz K, Matzner E. Controls on the dynamics of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in a Central European deciduous forest. Biogeochemistry, 2001, 55: 327-349.

[29] Sparks JP. Ecological ramifications of the direct foliar uptake of nitrogen. Oecologia, 2009, 159: 1-13.

[30] Stachurski A, Zimka JR. Atmospheric input of elements to forest ecosystems: a method of estimation using artificial foliage placed above rain collectors. Environ Pollut, 2000, 110: 345-356.

[31] Stachurski A, Zimka JR. Atmospheric deposition and ionic interactions within a beech canopy in the Karkonosze Mountains. Environ Pollut, 2002, 118: 75-87.

[32] Tukey HB. The leaching of substances from plants. Annu Rev Plant Physiol, 1970, 21: 305-324.

[33] Turner BL, Yavitt JB, Harms KE, Garcia MN, Romero TE, Wright SJ. Seasonal changes and treatment effects on soil inorganic nutrients following a decade of fertilizer addition in a lowland tropical forest. Soil Sci Soc Am J, 2012, 77: 1357-1369.

[34] Tyree MT, Scherbatskoy TD, Tabor CA. Leaf cuticles behave as asymmetric membranes: evidence from the measurement of diffusion potentials. Plant Physiol, 1990, 92: 103-109.

[35] Ukonmaanaho L, Starr M, Lindroos A, Nieminen T. Long-term changes in acidity and DOC in throughfall and soil water in Finnish forests. Environ Monit Assess, 2014, 186: 7733-7752.

[36] Umana N, Wanek W. Large canopy exchange fluxes of inorganic and organic nitrogen and preferential retention of nitrogen by epiphytes in a tropical lowland rainforest. Ecosystems, 2010, 13: 367-381.

[37] Vandenbruwane J, De Schrijver A, Wuyts K, Moeskops B, Verheyen K, De Neve S. Patterns of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen fluxes in deciduous and coniferous forests under historic high nitrogen deposition. Biogeosciences, 2009, 6: 2743-2758.

[38] Wanek W, Hofmann J, Feller IC. Canopy interactions of rainfall in an off-shore mangrove ecosystem dominated by Rhizophora mangle (Belize). J Hydrol, 2007, 345: 70-79.

[39] Watanabe K, Kohzu A, Suda W, Yamamura S, Takamatsu T, Takenaka A, Koshikawa MK, Hayashi S, Watanabe M. Microbial nitrification in throughfall of a Japanese cedar associated with archaea from the tree canopy. Springerplus, 2016, 5: 1596.

[40] Wu Y, Clarke N, Mulder J. Dissolved organic nitrogen concentrations and ratios of dissolved organic carbon to dissolved organic nitrogen in throughfall and soil waters in Norway Spruce and scots pine forest stands throughout Norway. Water Air Soil Pollut, 2010, 210: 171-186.

[41] Zhang W, Mo J, Yu G, Fang Y, Li D, Lu X, Wang H. Emissions of nitrous oxide from three tropical forests in Southern China in response to simulated nitrogen deposition. Plant Soil, 2008, 306: 221-236.

[42] Zhang W, Zhu X, Luo Y, Rafique R, Chen H, Huang J, Mo J. Responses of nitrous oxide emissions to nitrogen and phosphorus additions in two tropical plantations with N-fixing vs. non-N-fixing tree species. Biogeosci Discuss, 2014, 11: 1413-1442.

[43] Zhang W, Shen W, Zhu S, Wan S, Luo Y, Yan J, Wang K, Liu L, Dai H, Li P, Dai K, Zhang W, Liu Z, Wang F, Kuang Y, Li Z, Lin Y, Rao X, Li J, Zou B, Cai X, Mo J, Zhao P, Ye Q, Huang J, Shenglei Fu. CAN canopy addition of nitrogen better illustrate the effect of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on forest ecosystem?. Sci Rep, 2015, 5: 11245.

[44] Zheng M, Chen H, Li D, Zhu X, Zhang W, Fu S, Mo J. Biological nitrogen fixation and its response to nitrogen input in two mature tropical plantations with and without legume trees. Biol Fertil Soils, 2016, 52(5): 665-674.