The effects of nitrogen addition on dissolved carbon in boreal forest soils of northeastern China

Understanding the effects of nitrogen (N) addition on dissolved carbon in boreal forest soils is essential for accurate evaluation of regional carbon balances. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different levels and types of N addition on soil dissolved carbon concentration in a cold-temperate coniferous forest through an in-situ fertilization experiment. Simulated atmospheric N addition was applied in a factorial experiment with N addition level (control, 10, 20 and 40 kg of N ha(-1)yr(-1)) and N type (NH4Cl, KNO3 and NH4NO3) treatments. The experiment was conducted over the 2010 growing season (May-September) at the Kailaqi farm of Genhe Forestry Bureau, located in the northern Great Xin'an mountain range, northern China. Monthly N addition treatments were applied in three replicate plots per treatment (n = 36), and measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) were derived from monthly sampling of the organic and mineral soil horizons. There was a significant effect of N type, with the combined N source (NH4NO3) producing significantly higher DOC than the control (ambient addition) or the NH4Cl treatment in both the organic and mineral layers. The N addition treatment increased DIC in the organic layer at the low levels only, while N type did not have a significant effect. There was a significant interaction of the month and the N level treatment, as low level N addition tended to increase the content of soil DOC while high level N tended to inhibit soil DOC content, with these trends being most pronounced in the middle of the growing season. These results elucidate the importance of the type and timing of N additions to the dynamics of soil carbon pools.