Sinks for nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems: A meta-analysis of 15N tracer field studies

P. H. Templer; M. C. Mack; F. S. Chapin; L. M. Christenson; J. E. Compton; H. D. Crook; W. S. Currie; C. J. Curtis; D. B. Dail; C. M. D'Antonio; B. A. Emmett; H. E. Epstein; C. L. Goodale; P. Gundersen; S. E. Hobbie; K. Holland; D. U. Hooper; B. A. Hungate; S. Lamontagne; K. J. Nadelhoffer; C. W. Osenberg; S. S. Perakis; P. Schleppi; J. Schimel; I. K. Schmidt; M. Sommerkorn; J. Spoelstra; A. Tietema; W. W. Wessel; D. R. Zak

doi:10.1890/11-1146.1

Sinks for nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems: A meta-analysis of ¹⁵N tracer field studies

P. H. Templer, M. C. Mack, F. S. Chapin, L. M. Christenson, J. E. Compton, H. D. Crook, W. S. Currie, C. J. Curtis, D. B. Dail, C. M. D'Antonio, B. A. Emmett, H. E. Epstein, C. L. Goodale, P. Gundersen, S. E. Hobbie, K. Holland, D. U. Hooper, B. A. Hungate, S. Lamontagne, K. J. NadelhofferC. W. Osenberg, S. S. Perakis, P. Schleppi, J. Schimel, I. K. Schmidt, M. Sommerkorn, J. Spoelstra, A. Tietema, W. W. Wessel, D. R. Zak

Biological Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

205 Scopus citations

Abstract

Effects of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition and the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to store carbon (C) depend in part on the amount of N retained in the system and its partitioning among plant and soil pools. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies at 48 sites across four continents that used enriched ¹⁵N isotope tracers in order to synthesize information about total ecosystem N retention (i.e., total ecosystem ¹⁵N recovery in plant and soil pools) across natural systems and N partitioning among ecosystem pools. The greatest recoveries of ecosystem ¹⁵N tracer occurred in shrublands (mean, 89.5%) and wetlands (84.8%) followed by forests (74.9%) and grasslands (51.8%). In the short term (<1 week after ¹⁵N tracer application), total ecosystem ¹⁵N recovery was negatively correlated with fine-root and soil ¹⁵N natural abundance, and organic soil C and N concentration but was positively correlated with mean annual temperature and mineral soil C:N. In the longer term (3-18 months after ¹⁵N tracer application), total ecosystem ¹⁵N retention was negatively correlated with foliar natural-abundance ¹⁵N but was positively correlated with mineral soil C and N concentration and C: N, showing that plant and soil natural-abundance ¹⁵N and soil C:N are good indicators of total ecosystem N retention. Foliar N concentration was not significantly related to ecosystem ¹⁵N tracer recovery, suggesting that plant N status is not a good predictor of total ecosystem N retention. Because the largest ecosystem sinks for ¹⁵N tracer were below ground in forests, shrublands, and grasslands, we conclude that growth enhancement and potential for increased C storage in aboveground biomass from atmospheric N deposition is likely to be modest in these ecosystems. Total ecosystem ¹⁵N recovery decreased with N fertilization, with an apparent threshold fertilization rate of 46 kg N·ha^-1·yr ^-1 above which most ecosystems showed net losses of applied 15N tracer in response to N fertilizer addition.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1816-1829
Number of pages	14
Journal	Ecology
Volume	93
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1890/11-1146.1
State	Published - Aug 2012

Keywords

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition
Carbon storage
Data synthesis
Meta-analysis
Nitrogen retention and loss
Stable isotopes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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10.1890/11-1146.1

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Templer, P. H., Mack, M. C., Chapin, F. S., Christenson, L. M., Compton, J. E., Crook, H. D., Currie, W. S., Curtis, C. J., Dail, D. B., D'Antonio, C. M., Emmett, B. A., Epstein, H. E., Goodale, C. L., Gundersen, P., Hobbie, S. E., Holland, K., Hooper, D. U., Hungate, B. A., Lamontagne, S., ... Zak, D. R. (2012). Sinks for nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems: A meta-analysis of ¹⁵N tracer field studies. Ecology, 93(8), 1816-1829. https://doi.org/10.1890/11-1146.1

Templer, PH, Mack, MC, Chapin, FS, Christenson, LM, Compton, JE, Crook, HD, Currie, WS, Curtis, CJ, Dail, DB, D'Antonio, CM, Emmett, BA, Epstein, HE, Goodale, CL, Gundersen, P, Hobbie, SE, Holland, K, Hooper, DU, Hungate, BA, Lamontagne, S, Nadelhoffer, KJ, Osenberg, CW, Perakis, SS, Schleppi, P, Schimel, J, Schmidt, IK, Sommerkorn, M, Spoelstra, J, Tietema, A, Wessel, WW & Zak, DR 2012, 'Sinks for nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems: A meta-analysis of ¹⁵N tracer field studies', Ecology, vol. 93, no. 8, pp. 1816-1829. https://doi.org/10.1890/11-1146.1

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title = "Sinks for nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems: A meta-analysis of 15N tracer field studies",

abstract = "Effects of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition and the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to store carbon (C) depend in part on the amount of N retained in the system and its partitioning among plant and soil pools. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies at 48 sites across four continents that used enriched 15N isotope tracers in order to synthesize information about total ecosystem N retention (i.e., total ecosystem 15N recovery in plant and soil pools) across natural systems and N partitioning among ecosystem pools. The greatest recoveries of ecosystem 15N tracer occurred in shrublands (mean, 89.5%) and wetlands (84.8%) followed by forests (74.9%) and grasslands (51.8%). In the short term (<1 week after 15N tracer application), total ecosystem 15N recovery was negatively correlated with fine-root and soil 15N natural abundance, and organic soil C and N concentration but was positively correlated with mean annual temperature and mineral soil C:N. In the longer term (3-18 months after 15N tracer application), total ecosystem 15N retention was negatively correlated with foliar natural-abundance 15N but was positively correlated with mineral soil C and N concentration and C: N, showing that plant and soil natural-abundance 15N and soil C:N are good indicators of total ecosystem N retention. Foliar N concentration was not significantly related to ecosystem 15N tracer recovery, suggesting that plant N status is not a good predictor of total ecosystem N retention. Because the largest ecosystem sinks for 15N tracer were below ground in forests, shrublands, and grasslands, we conclude that growth enhancement and potential for increased C storage in aboveground biomass from atmospheric N deposition is likely to be modest in these ecosystems. Total ecosystem 15N recovery decreased with N fertilization, with an apparent threshold fertilization rate of 46 kg N·ha-1·yr -1 above which most ecosystems showed net losses of applied 15N tracer in response to N fertilizer addition.",

keywords = "Atmospheric nitrogen deposition, Carbon storage, Data synthesis, Meta-analysis, Nitrogen retention and loss, Stable isotopes",

author = "Templer, {P. H.} and Mack, {M. C.} and Chapin, {F. S.} and Christenson, {L. M.} and Compton, {J. E.} and Crook, {H. D.} and Currie, {W. S.} and Curtis, {C. J.} and Dail, {D. B.} and D'Antonio, {C. M.} and Emmett, {B. A.} and Epstein, {H. E.} and Goodale, {C. L.} and P. Gundersen and Hobbie, {S. E.} and K. Holland and Hooper, {D. U.} and Hungate, {B. A.} and S. Lamontagne and Nadelhoffer, {K. J.} and Osenberg, {C. W.} and Perakis, {S. S.} and P. Schleppi and J. Schimel and Schmidt, {I. K.} and M. Sommerkorn and J. Spoelstra and A. Tietema and Wessel, {W. W.} and Zak, {D. R.}",

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doi = "10.1890/11-1146.1",

language = "English (US)",

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T1 - Sinks for nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems

T2 - A meta-analysis of 15N tracer field studies

AU - Templer, P. H.

AU - Mack, M. C.

AU - Chapin, F. S.

AU - Christenson, L. M.

AU - Compton, J. E.

AU - Crook, H. D.

AU - Currie, W. S.

AU - Curtis, C. J.

AU - Dail, D. B.

AU - D'Antonio, C. M.

AU - Emmett, B. A.

AU - Epstein, H. E.

AU - Goodale, C. L.

AU - Gundersen, P.

AU - Hobbie, S. E.

AU - Holland, K.

AU - Hooper, D. U.

AU - Hungate, B. A.

AU - Lamontagne, S.

AU - Nadelhoffer, K. J.

AU - Osenberg, C. W.

AU - Perakis, S. S.

AU - Schleppi, P.

AU - Schimel, J.

AU - Schmidt, I. K.

AU - Sommerkorn, M.

AU - Spoelstra, J.

AU - Tietema, A.

AU - Wessel, W. W.

AU - Zak, D. R.

PY - 2012/8

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N2 - Effects of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition and the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to store carbon (C) depend in part on the amount of N retained in the system and its partitioning among plant and soil pools. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies at 48 sites across four continents that used enriched 15N isotope tracers in order to synthesize information about total ecosystem N retention (i.e., total ecosystem 15N recovery in plant and soil pools) across natural systems and N partitioning among ecosystem pools. The greatest recoveries of ecosystem 15N tracer occurred in shrublands (mean, 89.5%) and wetlands (84.8%) followed by forests (74.9%) and grasslands (51.8%). In the short term (<1 week after 15N tracer application), total ecosystem 15N recovery was negatively correlated with fine-root and soil 15N natural abundance, and organic soil C and N concentration but was positively correlated with mean annual temperature and mineral soil C:N. In the longer term (3-18 months after 15N tracer application), total ecosystem 15N retention was negatively correlated with foliar natural-abundance 15N but was positively correlated with mineral soil C and N concentration and C: N, showing that plant and soil natural-abundance 15N and soil C:N are good indicators of total ecosystem N retention. Foliar N concentration was not significantly related to ecosystem 15N tracer recovery, suggesting that plant N status is not a good predictor of total ecosystem N retention. Because the largest ecosystem sinks for 15N tracer were below ground in forests, shrublands, and grasslands, we conclude that growth enhancement and potential for increased C storage in aboveground biomass from atmospheric N deposition is likely to be modest in these ecosystems. Total ecosystem 15N recovery decreased with N fertilization, with an apparent threshold fertilization rate of 46 kg N·ha-1·yr -1 above which most ecosystems showed net losses of applied 15N tracer in response to N fertilizer addition.

AB - Effects of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition and the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to store carbon (C) depend in part on the amount of N retained in the system and its partitioning among plant and soil pools. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies at 48 sites across four continents that used enriched 15N isotope tracers in order to synthesize information about total ecosystem N retention (i.e., total ecosystem 15N recovery in plant and soil pools) across natural systems and N partitioning among ecosystem pools. The greatest recoveries of ecosystem 15N tracer occurred in shrublands (mean, 89.5%) and wetlands (84.8%) followed by forests (74.9%) and grasslands (51.8%). In the short term (<1 week after 15N tracer application), total ecosystem 15N recovery was negatively correlated with fine-root and soil 15N natural abundance, and organic soil C and N concentration but was positively correlated with mean annual temperature and mineral soil C:N. In the longer term (3-18 months after 15N tracer application), total ecosystem 15N retention was negatively correlated with foliar natural-abundance 15N but was positively correlated with mineral soil C and N concentration and C: N, showing that plant and soil natural-abundance 15N and soil C:N are good indicators of total ecosystem N retention. Foliar N concentration was not significantly related to ecosystem 15N tracer recovery, suggesting that plant N status is not a good predictor of total ecosystem N retention. Because the largest ecosystem sinks for 15N tracer were below ground in forests, shrublands, and grasslands, we conclude that growth enhancement and potential for increased C storage in aboveground biomass from atmospheric N deposition is likely to be modest in these ecosystems. Total ecosystem 15N recovery decreased with N fertilization, with an apparent threshold fertilization rate of 46 kg N·ha-1·yr -1 above which most ecosystems showed net losses of applied 15N tracer in response to N fertilizer addition.

KW - Atmospheric nitrogen deposition

KW - Carbon storage

KW - Data synthesis

KW - Meta-analysis

KW - Nitrogen retention and loss

KW - Stable isotopes

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JO - Ecology

JF - Ecology

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ER -

Sinks for nitrogen inputs in terrestrial ecosystems: A meta-analysis of ¹⁵N tracer field studies

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Appendix A. Site characteristics and experimental design for 15N tracer studies included in the meta-analysis.

Appendix A. Site characteristics and experimental design for 15N tracer studies included in the meta-analysis.