Plant and Microbial Carbon Are Important Drivers of Free‐Living Nitrogen Fixation in Tropical Forest Soils: A New Discovery of Carbon‐Driven Nitrogen Input
Abstract Nitrogen (N) availability limits plant growth and soil carbon (C) sequestration in N‐limited ecosystems, however, plant and soil C feedback on the free‐living nitrogen fixation (FLNF) process is poorly understood. Moreover, whether this feedback is influenced by initial N availability in le...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2024-10-01
|
| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111238 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Abstract Nitrogen (N) availability limits plant growth and soil carbon (C) sequestration in N‐limited ecosystems, however, plant and soil C feedback on the free‐living nitrogen fixation (FLNF) process is poorly understood. Moreover, whether this feedback is influenced by initial N availability in leguminous and non‐leguminous forest soils has not been clarified. Here, we found that the addition of plant‐ and microbial‐derived C significantly enhanced soil nitrogenase activity (13∼28%) and that microbial‐derived C had a more positive impact. These positive effects were attributed to the direct C‐energy supply (0.49∼0.84) rather than variations in soil microbial activity (−0.01∼0.21) and substrate resources (−0.45∼0.27). Long‐term N addition did not inhibit FLNF. C addition promoted FLNF in soils of the two forests, but the response rate was higher in the leguminous forest soils. Our study reveals that increased soil C availability can drive FLNF in tropical forests, enhancing our understanding of the soil C‐N coupling mechanism. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |