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Wilcke, W.; Leimer, S.; Peters, T.; Emck, P.; Rollenbeck, R.; Trachte, K.; Valarezo, C. &amp; Bendix, J. (2013): <b>The nitrogen cycle of tropical montane forest in Ecuador turns inorganic under environmental change</b>. <i>Global Biogeochemical Cycles</i> <b>27</b>(4), 1194-1204.

Resource Description

Title: The nitrogen cycle of tropical montane forest in Ecuador turns inorganic under environmental change
FOR816dw ID: 1255
Publication Date: 2013-12-03
License and Usage Rights: FOR816 data user agreement: www.tropicalmountainforest.org/dataagreement.do
Resource Owner(s):
Individual: Wolfgang Wilcke
Contact:
Individual: Sophia Leimer
Contact:
Individual: Thorsten Peters
Contact:
Individual: Paul Emck
Contact:
Individual: Ruetger Rollenbeck
Contact:
Individual: Katja Trachte
Contact:
Individual: Carlos Valarezo
Contact:
Individual: Jörg Bendix
Contact:
Abstract:
Water-bound nitrogen (N) cycling in temperate terrestrial ecosystems of the Northern<br/> Hemisphere is today mainly inorganic because of anthropogenic release of reactive N to<br/> the environment. In little-industrialized and remote areas, in contrast, a larger part of<br/> N cycling occurs as dissolved organic N (DON). In a north Andean tropical montane forest<br/> in Ecuador, the N cycle changed markedly during 1998–2010 along with increasing<br/> N deposition and reduced soil moisture. The DON concentrations and the fractional<br/> contribution of DON to total N significantly decreased in rainfall, throughfall, and soil<br/> solutions. This inorganic turn of the N cycle was most pronounced in rainfall and became<br/> weaker along the flow path of water through the system until it disappeared in stream water.<br/> Decreasing organic contributions to N cycling were caused not only by increasing inorganic<br/> N input but also by reduced DON production and/or enhanced DON decomposition.<br/> Accelerated DON decomposition might be attributable to less waterlogging and higher<br/> nutrient availability. Significantly increasing NO3-N concentrations and NO3-N/NH4-N<br/> concentration ratios in throughfall and litter leachate below the thick organic layers indicated<br/> increasing nitrification. In mineral soil solutions, in contrast, NH4-N concentrations increased and NO3-N/NH4-N concentration ratios decreased significantly, suggesting increasing net ammonification. Our results demonstrate that the remote tropical montane forests on the rim of the Amazon basin experienced a pronounced change of the N cycle in only one decade. This change likely parallels a similar change which followed industrialization in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere more than a century ago.
Keywords:
| climate change | nitrification | N deposition | terrestrial N cycling | dissolved organic N |
Literature type specific fields:
ARTICLE
Journal: Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Volume: 27
Issue: 4
Page Range: 1194-1204
Publisher: Wiley
Publication Place: Hoboken, NJ, USA
ISSN: 1944-9224
Metadata Provider:
Individual: Wolfgang Wilcke
Contact:
Online Distribution:
Download File: http://www.tropicalmountainforest.org/publications.do?citid=1255


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