Journal article

Publication year: 2024

Pages: 2786-2797

Journal: Environmental Science & Technology

Volume number: 58

Issue number: 6

ISSN: 0013-936X

eISSN: 1520-5851

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c08104

Publisher: American Chemical Society

Abstract: 
Understanding the underlying mechanisms of soil microbial nitrogen (N) utilization under land use change is critical to evaluating soil N availability or limitation and its environmental consequences. A combination of soil gross N production and ecoenzymatic stoichiometry provides a promising avenue for nutrient limitation assessment in soil microbial metabolism. Gross N production via N-15 tracing and ecoenzymatic stoichiometry through the vector and threshold element ratio (Vector-TER) model were quantified to evaluate the soil microbial N limitation in response to land use changes. We used tropical soil samples from a natural forest ecosystem and three managed ecosystems (paddy, rubber, and eucalyptus sites). Soil extracellular enzyme activities were significantly lower in managed ecosystems than in a natural forest. The Vector-TER model results indicated microbial carbon (C) and N limitations in the natural forest soil, and land use change from the natural forest to managed ecosystems increased the soil microbial N limitation. The soil microbial N limitation was positively related to gross N mineralization (GNM) and nitrification (GN) rates. The decrease in microbial biomass C and N as well as hydrolyzable ammonium N in managed ecosystems led to the decrease in N-acquiring enzymes, inhibiting GNM and GN rates and ultimately increasing the microbial N limitation. Soil GNM was also positively correlated with leucine aminopeptidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase. The results highlight that converting tropical natural forests to managed ecosystems can increase the soil microbial N limitation through reducing the soil microbial biomass and gross N production.

Harvard Citation style: Zhu, Q., Liu, L., Liu, J., Wan, Y., Yang, R., Mou, J., et al. (2024) Land Use Change from Natural Tropical Forests to Managed Ecosystems Reduces Gross Nitrogen Production Rates and Increases the Soil Microbial Nitrogen Limitation, Environmental Science & Technology, 58(6), pp. 2786-2797. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c08104

APA Citation style: Zhu, Q., Liu, L., Liu, J., Wan, Y., Yang, R., Mou, J., He, Q., Tang, S., Dan, X., Wu, Y., Zhu, T., Meng, L., Elrys, A., Müller, C., & Zhang, J. (2024). Land Use Change from Natural Tropical Forests to Managed Ecosystems Reduces Gross Nitrogen Production Rates and Increases the Soil Microbial Nitrogen Limitation. Environmental Science & Technology. 58(6), 2786-2797. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c08104