Fate of nitrogen-15-labeled fertilizer nitrogen in revegetated Cretaceous coal spoils

Journal Article · · J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5687879

Reeder, J D

Western wheatgrass (Agropyron smithii L.) was grown in a greenhouse study on two Cretaceous coal spoils and a topsoil to describe the short-term behavior of several levels of added /sup 15/N-labeled (NH/sub 4/)/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ (0, 60, 120, and 240 mg N kg/sup -1/ soil). Recovery and distribution of fertilizer N was measured at harvest in the soil materials and in the harvested tops, roots, crowns, and rhizomes of the western wheatgrass. Fertilizer N uptake by plants grown in the topsoil increased significantly with increasing fertilizer rate, but a significant increase in above ground biomass did not occur with the 240 mg N kg/sup -1/ treatment. In contrast, above ground biomass on the two spoils increased significantly with the addition of 60 mg N kg/sup -1/, but additional increases in plant biomass with higher fertilizer rates did not occur, and a significant decrease in plant biomass occurred with the 240 mg N kg/sup -1/ treatment. Significantly lower water holding capacities and cation exchange capacities resulted in significantly higher NH/sub 4//sup +/ concentrations in solution in the spoil materials as compared with the topsoil. Thus, suppressed seedling emergence and establishment in the spoil materials was attributed to NH/sub 3/ toxicity and/or phytotoxicity due to NO/sub 2//sup -/ accumulation in the spoil. Substantial fractions of added fertilizer N (65-72%) were immobilized by the plants and into soil organic matter in the topsoil, and only at the highest fertilizer rate did fertilizer N accumulate in mineral form. Under field conditions, this immobilized N should be available for recycling and plant uptake in subsequent years and thus help reestablish a functional N-cycling ecosystem. In comparison, percent recovery of added N decreased in plant biomass and increased in NO/sub 3//sup -/ form in the two spoils as the rate of fertilizer application increased.

• Research Organization: USDA-ARS, Fort Collins, CO
• OSTI ID: 5687879
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 14:1; ISSN JEVQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510500 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ABSORPTION
AMMONIA
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AMMONIUM SULFATES
CEREALS
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
FERTILIZERS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GRASS
GROWTH
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LIGHT NUCLEI
MESOZOIC ERA
MINING
NITRATES
NITROGEN 15
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN CYCLE
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NITROGEN ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
REVEGETATION
ROOT ABSORPTION
SEEDLINGS
SOILS
SPOIL BANKS
STABLE ISOTOPES
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE MINING
TOXICITY
UPTAKE
USES
WHEAT