Substantial contribution of tree canopy nitrifiers to nitrogen fluxes in European forests
Human activities have greatly increased the reactive nitrogen in the biosphere, thus profoundly altering global nitrogen cycling. The large increase in nitrogen deposition over the past few decades has led to eutrophication in natural ecosystems, with negative effects on forest health and biodiversity. Recent studies, however, have reported oligotrophication in forest ecosystems, constraining their capacity as carbon sinks. Here we demonstrate the widespread biological transformation of atmospheric reactive nitrogen in the canopies of European forests by combining nitrogen deposition quantification with measurements of the stable isotopes in nitrate and molecular analyses across ten forests through August–October 2016. We estimate that up to 80% of the nitrate reaching the soil via throughfall was derived from canopy nitrification, equivalent to a flux of up to 5.76 kg N ha−1 yr−1. We also document the presence of autotrophic nitrifiers on foliar surfaces throughout European forests. Canopy nitrification thus consumes deposited ammonium and increases nitrate inputs to the soil. The results of this study highlight widespread canopy nitrification in European forests and its important contribution to forest nitrogen cycling.
Details
| Number of pages | 7 |
|---|---|
| Volume | 17 |
| Magazine issue | 2 |
| Pages (to-from) | 130-136 |
| Type | A1: Web of Science-article |
| Category | Research |
| Magazine | Nature Geoscience |
| Language | English |
Bibtex
@misc{112b9056-9b63-40bd-af3e-bb60892ec060,
title = "Substantial contribution of tree canopy nitrifiers to nitrogen fluxes in European forests",
abstract = "Human activities have greatly increased the reactive nitrogen in the biosphere, thus profoundly altering global nitrogen cycling. The large increase in nitrogen deposition over the past few decades has led to eutrophication in natural ecosystems, with negative effects on forest health and biodiversity. Recent studies, however, have reported oligotrophication in forest ecosystems, constraining their capacity as carbon sinks. Here we demonstrate the widespread biological transformation of atmospheric reactive nitrogen in the canopies of European forests by combining nitrogen deposition quantification with measurements of the stable isotopes in nitrate and molecular analyses across ten forests through August–October 2016. We estimate that up to 80% of the nitrate reaching the soil via throughfall was derived from canopy nitrification, equivalent to a flux of up to 5.76 kg N ha−1 yr−1. We also document the presence of autotrophic nitrifiers on foliar surfaces throughout European forests. Canopy nitrification thus consumes deposited ammonium and increases nitrate inputs to the soil. The results of this study highlight widespread canopy nitrification in European forests and its important contribution to forest nitrogen cycling.",
author = "Rossella Guerrieri and Joan Cáliz and Stefania Mattana and Anna Barceló and Marco Candela and David Elustondo and Heike Fortmann and Sofie Hellsten and Nils Koenig and Antti-Jussi Lindroos and Giorgio Matteucci and Päivi Merilä and Greg Michalski and Manuel Nicolas and Anne Thimonier and Silvia Turroni and Elena Vanguelova and Arne Verstraeten and Peter Waldner and Mirai Watanabe and Emilio O. Casamayor and Josep Peñuelas and Maurizio Mencuccini",
year = "2024",
month = feb,
day = "08",
doi = "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-023-01364-3",
language = "English",
publisher = "Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek",
address = "Belgium,
type = "Other"
}
Authors
Rossella GuerrieriJoan Cáliz
Stefania Mattana
Anna Barceló
Marco Candela
David Elustondo
Heike Fortmann
Sofie Hellsten
Nils Koenig
Antti-Jussi Lindroos
Giorgio Matteucci
Päivi Merilä
Greg Michalski
Manuel Nicolas
Anne Thimonier
Silvia Turroni
Elena Vanguelova
Arne Verstraeten
Peter Waldner
Mirai Watanabe
Emilio O. Casamayor
Josep Peñuelas
Maurizio Mencuccini