Relationships between soil nitrogen dynamics and natural 15N-abundance in plant foliage from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- ORNL
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
We tested the hypothesis that naturally occurring nitrogen (N) isotope ratios in foliage (from plants that do not symbiotically fix atmospheric N{sub 2}) are an indicator of soil N dynamics in forests. Replicate plots were established at eight locations ranging in elevation from 615 to 1670 m in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee, U.S.A. The locations selected ranged from N-poor (low-elevation) to N-rich (high-elevation) forest stands. Soils were sampled in June 1992; plants, forest floors, and upper mineral soils were sampled in August 1992. Net N mineralization and net nitrification potentials for surface mineral soils and organic matter layers at each site were determined by aerobic laboratory incubations. Soils and organic layers from high-elevation sites had greater net N mineralization and nitrification potentials than soils from low-elevation sites. There were significant (P {le} 0.05) differences between study sites in soil {sup 15}N abundance. Therefore, we examined correlations between measures of soil N availability and both mean foliar {delta}{sup 15}N values and mean enrichment factors ({var_epsilon}{sub p-s} = {delta}{sup 15}N{sub leaf} - {delta}{sup 15}N{sub soil}). In evergreens, maples, and ferns, mean foliar {delta}{sup 15}N values and mean enrichment factors were positively correlated with net N mineralization and net nitrification potentials in soil. The observed relationships between natural {sup 15}N abundance in plant leaves and soil N availability were explained by a simple model of soil N dynamics. The model predicts how the isotopic composition of plant N is affected by the following factors: (i) varying uptake of soil NH{sub 4}-N and NO{sub 3}-N, (ii) the isotopic composition of different soil N pools, and (iii) relative rates of soil N transformations.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 978238
- Journal Information:
- Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Journal Name: Canadian Journal of Forest Research Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 24; ISSN CJFRAR; ISSN 0045-5067
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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