Yu L, Mulder J, Zhu J, Zhang X, Wang Z, Dörsch P. Denitrification as a major regional nitrogen sink in subtropical forest catchments: Evidence from multi-site dual nitrate isotopes.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019;
25:1765-1778. [PMID:
30776171 DOI:
10.1111/gcb.14596]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Increasing nitrogen (N) deposition in subtropical forests in south China causes N saturation, associated with significant nitrate (NO3- ) leaching. Strong N attenuation may occur in groundwater discharge zones hydrologically connected to well-drained hillslopes, as has been shown for the subtropical headwater catchment "TieShanPing", where dual NO3- isotopes indicated that groundwater discharge zones act as an important N sink and hotspot for denitrification. Here, we present a regional study reporting inorganic N fluxes over two years together with dual NO3- isotope signatures obtained in two summer campaigns from seven forested catchments in China, representing a gradient in climate and atmospheric N input. In all catchments, fluxes of dissolved inorganic N indicated efficient conversion of NH4+ to NO3- on well-drained hillslopes, and subsequent interflow of NO3- over the argic B-horizons to groundwater discharge zones. Depletion of 15 N- and 18 O-NO3- on hillslopes suggested nitrification as the main source of NO3- . In all catchments, except one of the northern sites, which had low N deposition rates, NO3- attenuation by denitrification occurred in groundwater discharge zones, as indicated by simultaneous 15 N and 18 O enrichment in residual NO3- . By contrast to the southern sites, the northern catchments lack continuous and well-developed groundwater discharge zones, explaining less efficient N removal. Using a model based on 15 NO3- signatures, we estimated denitrification fluxes from 2.4 to 21.7 kg N ha-1 year-1 for the southern sites, accounting for more than half of the observed N removal. Across the southern catchments, estimated denitrification scaled proportionally with N deposition. Together, this indicates that N removal by denitrification is an important component of the N budget of southern Chinese forests and that natural NO3- attenuation may increase with increasing N input, thus partly counteracting further aggravation of N contamination of surface waters in the region.
Collapse