Land-use types modulating the response of soil nitrogen mineralization
to temperature and moisture
- Yang Rong,
- Shiyang Chen,
- Wenzhi Zhao,
- Shujun Song,
- Xiaojun Li
Yang Rong
Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering
Corresponding Author:[email protected]
Author ProfileShiyang Chen
Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering
Author ProfileWenzhi Zhao
Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering
Author ProfileShujun Song
Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering
Author ProfileXiaojun Li
Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering
Author ProfileAbstract
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Understanding soil nitrogen (N) processes and their response to climate
change across diverse land-use types is crucial for bolstering the
ecosystem functionality and stability, and also vital for refining land
management strategies, especially as oasis expansion and land
development practices become more frequent and widespread in dryland
regions. We conducted a field soil sample collection and laboratory
incubation experiment to examine the response of soil nitrogen
mineralization to temperature and moisture across four land-use types in
a typical dryland area of northwestern China. The mean values of soil
net nitrification, ammonification, and mineralization rates across all
treatments were 1.27 (0.43–3.01), –0.24 (–0.60–0.58), and 1.03
(–0.10–2.88 ) mg N kg -1 day -1,
respectively. Notably, an increase in temperature and moisture
substantially enhanced soil net nitrification rates by 3.7–104.2% and
26.0–72.0%, respectively. Conversely, the net ammonification rate
declined, ranging from 30.0 to 94.4% with temperature changes and 10.7
to 137.5% with moisture variations. Among the land-use types examined,
Poplar shelterbelt forests exhibited the highest soil N mineralization
rate, followed by reclaimed farmlands, Gobi desert grasslands, and
artificial sand-fixing shrubs. Notably, land-use changes significantly
modulated the sensitivity of soil N mineralization rate to temperature
and moisture. Specifically, its responses to temperature and moisture
were strong in poplar shelterbelt forests and reclaimed farmlands but
weak in Gobi desert grasslands and artificial sand-fixing shrubs. This
study underscores the pivotal role of substrate quantity in determining
the response of soil N mineralization rates to temperature and moisture
fluctuations. Therefore, we posit that resilient ecosystems that respond
positively to environmental perturbations, particularly variations in
temperature and moisture, are more likely to enhance productivity by
modulating soil N available. In contrast vulnerable ecosystems that
consistently maintain a low soil N levels, regardless of environmental
fluctuations, may face constraints in their development and improvement
potential.18 Sep 2024Submitted to Land Degradation & Development 19 Sep 2024Submission Checks Completed
19 Sep 2024Assigned to Editor
21 Sep 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
21 Sep 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned