Abstract:
Objective Litter decomposition is a crucial pathway for nutrient return in forest ecosystems. This study aimed to explore how nitrogen (N) deposition affects the decomposition of Chinese fir litter, thereby providing a better understanding of the response mechanisms of nutrient cycling in Chinese fir ecosystems to global change.
Method Based on leaf litter from a 15-year-old Chinese fir plantation, three N forms were applied: nitrate N (NaNO3), ammonium N (NH4Cl), and organic N (CO(NH2)2). Four N addition levels were established: low-N (N1, 50 kg N·hm−2·a−1), medium-N (N2, 100 kg N·hm−2·a−1), high-N (N3, 200 kg N·hm−2·a−1), and the control (CK, 0 kg N·hm−2·a−1). A field decomposition experiment of Chinese fir leaf litter under different forms of N deposition was conducted by using the nylon mesh bag method. The dry mass remaining and the release dynamics of carbon (C), N, and phosphorus (P) during litter decomposition were measured.
Results Under different nitrogen deposition treatments, low-N addition promoted the leaf litter decomposition, whereas medium-N and high-N additions inhibited decomposition. Under nitrate and organic N deposition, the litter decomposition rate (K) were ranked in the following order: KN1> KCK> KN2> KN3, whereas under ammonium N deposition, the change pattern as follows: KN1> KCK> KN3> KN2. Under low-N treatment, the turnover periods for leaf litter under nitrate N, ammonium N, and organic N deposition were shortened by 1.40%, 6.59%, and 5.61%, respectively, compared with CK. Under all the N deposition treatment, the C exhibited a net release pattern, while P exhibited a release-enrichment pattern N deposition transformed the net release pattern of N into a leaching-enrichment-release pattern. After 360 days of decomposition, under nitrate N and ammonium N deposition, the low-N treatment increased C release rate by 25.98% and 10.88%, respectively, compared to the CK, while N release rates increased by 30.35% and 0.92%, respectively. In contrast, both medium-N and high-N treatments inhibited C and N release. Organic N deposition had no significant effect on C release, but inhibited N release. During the early decomposition stage, all N deposition treatments promoted P release from leaf litter, whereas P release was significantly inhibited during the late decomposition stage.
Conclusion Short-term low-concentration N deposition significantly promoted the decomposition and nutrient release of Chinese fir leaf litter, whereas higher levels of N deposition exerted a pronounced inhibitory effect. As N deposition intensifies, P is likely to become a key limiting factor controlling the decomposition of Chinese fir leaf litter.