Environmental changes in biodiversity hotspot ecosystems of
South Ecuador: RESPonse and feedback effECTs (FOR2730)

Abstract:

The globally increasing reactive N richness affects even remote ecosystems such as the tropical montane forests in Ecuador. We tested whether the δ15N values of total dissolved N (TDN), measured directly in solution with a TOC‐IRMS, can be used to help elucidate N sources and sinks along the water path and thus might be suitable for ecosystem monitoring. From 2013 to 2016, the δ15N values of TDN in bulk deposition showed the most pronounced temporal variation of all ecosystem solutions (δ15N values: 1.9–5.9‰). In throughfall (TF), TDN was on average 15N‐depleted (-1.8 ± s.d. 0.4‰) relative to rainfall (3.4 ± 0.9‰), resulting from net retention of isotopically heavy N, mainly as NH4+. Simultaneously, N‐isotopically light NO3‐N and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) with a δ15N value between NO3‐N and NH4‐N were leached from the canopy (leaves: -3.5 ± 0.5‰). The increasing δ15N values in the order, TF < stemflow (SF, 0.1 ± 0.6‰) < litter leachate (LL, 1.3 ± 0.7‰) concurred with an increasing DON contribution to TDN reflecting the δ15N value of the organic layer (1.9 ± 0.9‰). The lower δ15N value of the mineral soil solution at the 0.15 m soil depth (SS15, -1.5 ± 0.3‰) than in LL can be explained by the retention of DON and NH4+ and the addition of NO3- from mineralization and nitrification. The increasing δ15N values in the order, SS15 < SS30 (-0.6 ± 0.2‰) < streamflow (ST, 0.5 ± 0.6‰) suggested gaseous N losses because of increasing denitrification. There was no seasonality of the δ15N values. Our results demonstrate that the δ15N values of TDN in ecosystem solutions help identify N sources and sinks in forest ecosystems.

Abstract:

Knowledge of the fate of deposited N in the possibly N-limited, highly biodiverse north Andean forests is important because of the possible effects of N inputs on plant performance and species composition. We analyzed concentrations and fluxes of NO3?N, NH4?N and dissolved organic N (DON) in rainfall, throughfall, litter leachate, mineral soil solutions (0.15?0.30 m depths) and stream water in a montane forest in Ecuador during four consecutive quarters and used the natural 15N abundance in NO3 during the passage of rain water through the ecosystem and bulk d15N values in soil to detect N transformations. Depletion of 15N in NO3 and increased NO3 fluxes during the passage through the canopy and the organic layer indicated nitrification in these compartments. During leaching from the organic layer to mineral soil and stream, NO3 concentrations progressively decreased and were enriched in 15N but did not reach the d15N values of solid phase organic matter (d15N = 5.6?6.7%). This suggested a combination of nitrification and denitrification in mineral soil. In the wettest quarter, the d15N value of NO3 in litter leachate was smaller (d15N = -1.58%) than in the other quarters (d15N = -9.38 ± SE 0.46%) probably because of reduced mineralization and associated fractionation against 15N. Nitrogen isotope fractionation of NO3 between litter leachate and stream water was smaller in the wettest period than in the other periods probably because of a higher rate of denitrification and continuous dilution by isotopically lighter NO3-N from throughfall and nitrification in the organic layer during the wettest period. The stable N isotope composition of NO3 gave valuable indications of N transformations during the passage of water through the forest ecosystem from rainfall to the stream.