Journal
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
Volume 16, Issue 8, Pages 2307-2321Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02082.x
Keywords
carbon turnover; enzyme activity; nitrogen deposition; peatland; substrate-induced respiration
Funding
- Macaulay Development Trust
- University of Aberdeen
- Natural Environment Research Council [ceh010023] Funding Source: researchfish
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The effects of 4 years of simulated nitrogen deposition, as nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+), on microbial carbon turnover were studied in an ombrotrophic peatland. We investigated the mineralization of simple forms of carbon using MicroResp (TM) measurements (a multiple substrate induced respiration technique) and the activities of four soil enzymes involved in the decomposition of more complex forms of carbon or in nutrient acquisition: N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG), cellobiohydrolase (CBH), acid phosphatase (AP), and phenol oxidase (PO). The potential mineralization of labile forms of carbon was significantly enhanced at the higher N additions, especially with NH4+ amendments, while potential enzyme activities involved in breakdown of more complex forms of carbon or nutrient acquisition decreased slightly (NAG and CBH) or remained unchanged (AP and PO) with N amendments. This study also showed the importance of distinguishing between NO3- and NH4+ amendments, as their impact often differed. It is possible that the limited response on potential extracellular enzyme activity is due to other factors, such as limited exposure to the added N in the deeper soil or continued suboptimal functioning of the enzymes due to the low pH, possibly via the inhibitory effect of low phenol oxidase activity.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available