[Nitrogen Fraction Distributions and Impacts on Soil Nitrogen Mineralization in Different Vegetation Restorations of Karst Rocky Desertification].

In order to illuminate the impact on soil nitrogen accumulation and supply in karst rocky desertification area, the distribution characteristics of soil nitrogen pool for each class of soil aggregates and the relationship between aggregates nitrogen pool and soil nitrogen mineralization were analyzed in this study. The results showed that the content of total nitrogen, light fraction nitrogen, available nitrogen and mineral nitrogen in soil aggregates had an increasing tendency along with the descending of aggregate-size, and the highest content was occurred in < 0. 25 mm. The content of nitrogen fractions for all aggregate-classes followed in the order of abandoned land < grass land < brush land < brush-arbor land < arbor land in different sample plots. Artificial forest lands had more effects on the improvement of the soil nitrogen than honeysuckle land. In this study it also showed the nitrogen stockpiling quantity of each aggregate-size class was differed in all aggregate-size classes, in which the content of nitrogen fraction in 5-10 mm and 2-5 mm classes of soil aggregate-size were the highest. And it meant that soil nutrient mainly was stored in large size aggregates. Large size aggregates were significant to the storage of soil nutrient. For each class of soil aggregate-size, the contribution of the nitrogen stockpiling quantity of 0. 25-1 mm class to soil net nitrogen mineralization quantity was the biggest, and following >5mm and 2-5 mm classes, and the others were the smallest. With the positive vegetation succession, the weight percentage of > 5 mm aggregate-size classes was improved and the nitrogen storage of macro-aggregates also was increased. Accordingly, the capacity of soil supply mineral nitrogen and storage organic nitrogen were intensified.

[Effects of nitrogen addition on available nitrogen content and acidification in cold-temperate coniferous forest soil in the growing season].

Based on a low-level and multi-form N addition control experiment, this study took cold-temperate coniferous forest in Daxing'an Ling as the research object. After long-term and continuous nitrogen addition in situ, the available nitrogen (NH4(+) -N & NO3(-) -N) contents and pH values of the soil (0-10 cm) were measured in the early growing season (May) and the peak growing season (August) in 2010, 2012 and 2013. The results showed that, the available nitrogen in the early and peak growing seasons was mainly NH4(+) -N which accounted for over 96% of the inorganic nitrogen content, while the content of NO3(-) -N was very low. With the time extension of nitrogen addition, the effects of nitrogen addition on the NH4(+) -N content in 0-10 cm soil were more obvious in the early growing season than that in the peak growing season, and the NH4(+) -N content was mainly affected by the type of nitrogen addition. On the contrary, the NO3(-) -N content in 0-10 cm soil was higher in the peak growing season than that in the early growing season. The effect of N input was obvious on NO3(-) -N content in both early and peak growing seasons, and low nitrogen treatment tended to promote the enrichment of NO3(-) -N. As time went on, the response of NH4(+) -N and NO3(-) -N content to N addition was changed from insignificant in the early stage to significant in the late stage. N addition had a significant impact on the pH value of the 0-10 cm soil in the early and peak growing seasons. The pH values of the soil with low nitrogen treatment and the soil in the peak growing season were relatively lower. With the extension of the nitrogen addition time, the response of pH value also turned from insignificant in the early stage to significant in the late stage. Because of the long-term and continuous nitrogen addition, the 0 - 10 cm soil in this cold-temperate coniferous forest was obviously acidified.

[Morphology of soil iron oxides and its correlation with soil-forming process and forming conditions in a karst mountain].

The quantity and morphology of iron oxides are indicators of soil forming-process and forming conditions. In order to analyze the connection between soil iron oxides and soil forming conditions and degenerative process of karst ecosystem, we have chosen 14 soil profiles on the top and middle section of Jinfo Mountain, a typical karst slope in Chongqing, China. Morphology and contents of soil iron oxides were studied by using chemical selective extraction techniques. We draw conclusions: 1) total iron (Fe(t)) is mainly controlled by parent material and lithology. Significant difference of Fe(t) content exists between soils in Top Mountain (51.49 g x kg(-1), mean value from 5 profiles) and soils at the middle sector of North Slope (86.29 g x kg(-1), mean value of 9 profiles); 2) the results show low concentration of F(d) (29.16 g x kg(-1)) and low ratio of Fe(d) to Fe(t)(35.40%) in soil clay under conditions of high elevation and low temperature on Top Mountain. In contrast, the results indicate advanced weathering and soil-forming process at middle slope sites due to high temperature; this is supported by high mean values of Fe(d) (43.92 g x kg(-1)) and ratio of Fe(d)/Fe(t) in clay (60.41%); 3) long humid climatic setting and large numbers of soil organic matter on top of the mountain result in high activation degrees (F(o)/Fe(d)) and high complexation degrees (Fe(p)/Fe(d)); mean values of them are 73.51%, 17.21% respectively, which are higher than that of soils at middle slope sites (13.06%, 0.41%); 4) after degradation or deforestation of secondary forestland (pines massoniana among bushes) at middle section of the hillslope, soil free iron oxides (Fe(d)) and total iron oxides (Fe(t)) decrease as well as soil organic carbon and clay, because of progressively increasing of soil erosion. Average contents of Fe(t) and Fe(d) in clay from 2 shrub profiles are 98.25 g x kg(-1), 50.81 g x kg(-1) respectively. However, the four tillage soils we have studied reveal lower values of Fe(t) (84.52 g x kg(-1)) and Fe(d) in clay (47.86 g x kg(-1)). Soil iron oxides are reliable indicators to estimate degeneration of karst ecosystem and karst rock desertification.

[Temporal-spatial variations of total nitrogen in the degraded grassland of Three-River Headwaters region in Qinghai Province].

Based on the data of the second soil survey and field sampling in 2009 and 2010, temporal-spatial variations of total nitrogen (TN) in the degraded grassland 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm and 30-50 cm beneath the surface soil at the Three-River Headwaters region in Qinghai Province for a 30-year period (1980-2010) were evaluated using geostatistics and geographic information system (GIS). After exclusion of the outliers, the results showed a downward trend from the surface to the bottom in the mean TN values measured in the samples collected during the two periods. For the same soil layers, the average TN contents and the coefficient of variation in 1980 were higher than those in 2010. The TN contents of the two periods showed a log-normal distribution. Semivariograms analysis of the experiments indicated that the nugget effect in the same soil layer was lower in 2010 than in 1980; suggesting that the spatial distribution autocorrelation of TN in the Three-River Headwaters region in Qinghai Province was strengthened and structural factors played a more and more important role on the spatial distribution of TN. The results of ordinary kriging showed that there were regional differences in variations of the total nitrogen content. There were significant decreases in the southern, central and eastern regions, while the increase mainly occurred in the western areas.