Factors limiting denitrification in soils from mature and disturbed southeastern hardwood forests

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · For. Sci.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6551856

Davidson, E A; Swank, W T

The relative importance of O/sub 2/, NO/sub 3//sup -/, organic carbon, and acidity on denitrification was studied in a full 2/sup 6/ factorial experiment. Soils were collected from two forested watersheds (WS) and at two slope positions. Combinations of four incubation treatments (with and without H/sub 2/O flooding, NO/sub 3//sup -/ amendment, glucose amendment, and at approx. pH 5 or approx. pH 6) were applied in a full factorial design. An ANOVA of N/sub 2/O production during 24-hr aerobic incubations under 10 kPa acetylene revealed that all main effects were significant. Flooding with H/sub 2/O increased N/sub 2/O production by three orders of magnitude in disturbed WS soils exhibiting high ambient NO/sub 3//sup -/. Both flooding and NO/sub 3//sup -/ amendment were necessary to increase N/sub 2/O production in reference WS soils exhibiting low ambient NO/sub 3//sup -/. Glucose amendment increased N/sub 2/O production in the mineral soil sampled at 6-15 cm depth more than in the 0-6 cm sample. C-limitation occurs with increasing soil depth. Although acid treatment had a minor inhibitory effect on denitrification rates, acid forest soils apparently support denitrifier populations capable of appreciable NO/sub 3//sup -/ reduction.

• Research Organization: North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh
• OSTI ID: 6551856
• Journal Information: For. Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: For. Sci.; (United States) Vol. 33:1; ISSN FOSCA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DENITRIFICATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
FORESTS
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN CYCLE
NONMETALS
ORGANIC MATTER
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
SOILS
WATERSHEDS