This study aimed to understand the mechanisms of the variations in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools and examine the possibility of differentiating the burning effects from seasonal and pre-existed N limitations in a native suburban forest ecosystem influenced by prescribed burning in subtropical Australia.
Materials and methodsSoil and litterfall samples were collected from two study sites from 1 to 23 months since last burnt. Soil labile C and N pools, soil C and N isotopic compositions (δ13C and δ15N), litterfall mass production (LM), and litterfall total C, total N, δ13C and δ15N were analysed. In-situ gas exchange measurements were also conducted during dry and wet seasons for Eucalyptus baileyana and E. planchoniana.
Results and discussionThe results indicated that labile C and N pools increased within the first few months after burning, with no correlations with climatic factors. Therefore, it was possible that the increase was due to the burning-induced factors such as the incorporation of ashes into the soil. The highest values of soil and litterfall δ15N, observed when the study was commenced at the experimental sites, and their high correlations with climatic factors were indicative of long-term N and water limitation. The 13C signals showed that soil N concentrations and climatic factors were also two of the main factors controlling litterfall and foliage properties mainly through the changes in photosynthetic capacity and stomatal conductance.
ConclusionsLong-term soil N availabilities and climatic factors were the two of the main driving factors of C and N cycling in the studied forest sites. Further studies are needed to compare soil and litterfall properties before and after burning to profoundly understand the effects of prescribed burning on soil labile C and N variations.
相似文献Biochar has agronomic potential but currently is too expensive for widespread adoption. New methodologies are emerging to reduce the cost such as enriching biochar with nutrients that match crops and soil requirements. However, the effects of biochar-based fertilisers on plant yield and soil nutrient availability have not been widely examined. This study investigated the effects of a novel organo-mineral biochar fertiliser in comparison to organic and commercial biochar fertiliser on ginger (Zingiber officinale Canton).
Materials and methodsThere were four treatments: (1) commercial organic fertiliser (5 t ha?1), as the control; (2) commercial biochar-based fertiliser (5 t ha?1); (3) organo-mineral biochar fertiliser at low rate (3 t ha?1); and (4) organo-mineral biochar fertiliser at high rate (7.5 t ha?1). A replicated pot trial was established with black dermosol soil and ten replicate pots for each treatment. Ginger was planted and grown for 30 weeks. Plant growth, biomass, foliar nutrients and water extractable soil nutrients including phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) were examined.
Results and discussionHigh rate organo-mineral biochar fertiliser increased soil P and K availability at week 30 (harvest) after planting, compared to all other treatments and low rate organo-mineral biochar fertiliser performed similarly to the organic control for P and K. High rate organo-mineral biochar fertiliser increased total foliar nutrient content at week 30 in P, K and Ca compared to commercial biochar fertiliser. High rate organo-mineral biochar fertiliser improved the commercial value of ginger (+?36%) due to a shift in the proportion of higher grade rhizomes. Low rate organo-mineral biochar fertiliser plants displayed similar yield, total dry and aboveground biomass to commercial organic fertiliser. Commercial biochar fertiliser had significantly lower biomass measures compared with other treatments as the rate applied had lower nutrient concentrations.
ConclusionsOur results show organo-mineral biochar fertilisers could be substituted for commercial organic fertilisers at low rates to maintain similar yield or applied at high rates to increase commercial value where economically feasible.
相似文献Purpose
The main objective of this study was to examine the potential of using hyperspectral image analysis for prediction of total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN) and their isotope composition (δ13C and δ15N) in forest leaf litterfall samples.Materials and methods
Hyperspectral images were captured from ground litterfall samples of a natural forest in the spectral range of 400–1700 nm. A partial least-square regression model (PLSR) was used to correlate the relative reflectance spectra with TC, TN, δ13C and δ15N in the litterfall samples. The most important wavelengths were selected using β coefficient, and the final models were developed using the most important wavelengths. The models were, then, tested using an external validation set.Results and discussion
The results showed that the data of TC and δ13C could not be fitted to the PLSR model, possibly due to small variations observed in the TC and δ13C data. The model, however, was fitted well to TN and δ15N. The cross-validation R2 cv of the models for TN and δ15N were 0.74 and 0.67 with the RMSEcv of 0.53% and 1.07‰, respectively. The external validation R2 ex of the prediction was 0.64 and 0.67, and the RMSEex was 0.53% and 1.19 ‰, for TN and δ15N, respectively. The ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) of the predictions was 1.48 and 1.53, respectively, for TN and δ15N, showing that the models were reliable for the prediction of TN and δ15N in new forest leaf litterfall samples.Conclusions
The PLSR model was not successful in predicting TC and δ13C in forest leaf litterfall samples using hyperspectral data. The predictions of TN and δ15N values in the external litterfall samples were reliable, and PLSR can be used for future prediction.Purpose
This study aimed to assess the effects of biochar on improving nitrogen (N) pools in mine spoil and examine the effects of elevated CO2 on soil carbon (C) storage.Materials and methods
The experiment consisted of three plant species (Austrostipa ramossissima, Dichelachne micrantha, and Lomandra longifolia) planted in the N-poor mine spoil with application of biochar produced at three temperatures (650, 750, and 850 °C) under both ambient (400 μL L?1) and elevated (700 μL L?1) CO2. We assessed mine spoil total C and N concentrations and stable C and N isotope compositions (δ13C and δ15N), as well as hot water extractable organic C (HWEOC) and total N (HWETN) concentrations.Results and discussion
Soil total N significantly increased following biochar application across all species. Elevated CO2 induced soil C loss for A. ramossissima and D. micrantha without biochar application and D. micrantha with the application of biochar produced at 750 °C. In contrast, elevated CO2 exhibited no significant effect on soil total C for A. littoralis, D. micrantha, or L. longifolia under any other biochar treatments.Conclusions
Biochar application is a promising means to improve N retention and thus, reduce environmentally harmful N fluxes in mine spoil. However, elevated CO2 exhibited no significant effects on increasing soil total C, which indicated that mine spoil has limited potential to store rising atmospheric CO2.Purpose
It is anticipated that global climate change will increase the frequency of wildfires in native forests of eastern Australia. Understorey legumes such as Acacia species play an important role in maintaining ecosystem nitrogen (N) balance through biological N fixation (BNF). This is particularly important in Australian native forests with soils of low nutrient status and frequent disturbance of the nutrient cycles by fires. This study aimed to examine 15N enrichment and 15N natural abundance techniques in terms of their utilisation for evaluation of N2 fixation of understorey acacias and determine the relationship between species ecophysiological traits and N2 fixation. 相似文献Purpose
There is considerable interest in finding a cost-effective method of site preparation that effectively controls weeds during planting and further reduces the need for recurring herbicide applications. In this study, two weed control methods, herbicide and scalping, were examined. Both methods may have implications for soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics and nitrogen (N) which could consequently affect plant survival and vegetation establishment. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of SOM, carbon (C) and N pools under site manipulation practices and the associated early plant survival and growth in tropical Australia. 相似文献Sustainable management of riparian zone soils is required to ensure the health of natural ecosystems and maintenance of soil nitrogen (N) pools and soil N cycling. However, the effect of revegetation type and age on soil N pools remains poorly understood.
Materials and methodsThis study compiled data from published articles to understand the effects of revegetation types and age on soil total N (TN) and soil inorganic N (NH4+-N, and NO3?-N) using a meta-analysis. We extracted 645 observations from 52 published scientific articles.
Results and discussionThe revegetation of riparian zones led to a significant increase of soil TN (mean effect size: 11.5%; 95% CI: 3.1% and 20.6%). Woodland increased soil TN significantly by 14.0%, which was associated with the presence of N fixing species and high litter inputs. Soil NH4+-N concentration significantly increased (mean effect size: 20.1%; 95% CI: 15.1% and 25.4%), whereas a significant decrease in soil NO3?-N (mean effect size: ? 21.5%; 95% CI: ? 15.0% and ? 27.5%) was observed. Of the revegetation types considered in this paper, NO3?-N concentration in soil followed the order: grassland < shrubland < woodland, suggesting that woodland might be more efficient in soil NO3?-N retention than grassland. The high plant N uptake and accelerated NO3?-N leaching in grassland could be related to the decreased soil NO3?-N in grassland compared with other revegetation types. Revegetation significantly decreased soil moisture by (mean effect size: ? 7.9%; 95% CI: ? 3.3% and ? 12.2%) compared with the control, which might be associated with the selection of exotic species as dominant vegetation in the riparian zone. Soil TN increased in revegetation ages between 10 and 40 years following revegetation and was related to increased soil organic carbon inputs within those ages following the establishment.
ConclusionsThis study provides insight into influence of different vegetation types and age on soil N pools and soil moisture. This study also highlights the importance of revegetation in riparian zones to increase soil TN.
相似文献