Changes in Soil Substrate and Microbial Properties Associated with Permafrost Thaw Reduce Nitrogen Mineralization

Xue Yang; Xiaoying Jin; Sizhong Yang; Huijun Jin; Hongwei Wang; Xiaoying Li; Ruixia He; Junfeng Wang; Zhizhong Sun; Hanbo Yun

doi:10.3390/f14102060

Forests (Oct 2023)

Changes in Soil Substrate and Microbial Properties Associated with Permafrost Thaw Reduce Nitrogen Mineralization

Xue Yang,
Xiaoying Jin,
Sizhong Yang,
Huijun Jin,
Hongwei Wang,
Xiaoying Li,
Ruixia He,
Junfeng Wang,
Zhizhong Sun,
Hanbo Yun

Affiliations

Xue Yang: School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, Permafrost Institute, China-Russia Joint Laboratory of Cold Regions Engineering and Environment, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Xiaoying Jin: School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, Permafrost Institute, China-Russia Joint Laboratory of Cold Regions Engineering and Environment, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Sizhong Yang: Cryosphere Research Station on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Huijun Jin: School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, Permafrost Institute, China-Russia Joint Laboratory of Cold Regions Engineering and Environment, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Hongwei Wang: School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, Permafrost Institute, China-Russia Joint Laboratory of Cold Regions Engineering and Environment, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
Xiaoying Li: Scientific Observation and Research Station of Permafrost and Cold-Regions Environment in the Da Xing’anling Mountains, Northeast China, Natural Resources Institute of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150036, China
Ruixia He: State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Junfeng Wang: State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Zhizhong Sun: State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Hanbo Yun: State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/f14102060
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 14, no. 10
p. 2060

Abstract

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Anticipated permafrost thaw in upcoming decades may exert significant impacts on forest soil nitrogen (N) dynamics. The rate of soil N mineralization (Nmin) plays a crucial role in determining soil N availability. Nevertheless, our understanding remains limited regarding how biotic and abiotic factors influence the Nmin of forest soil in response to permafrost thaw. In this study, we investigated the implications of permafrost thaw on Nmin within a hemiboreal forest based on a field investigation along the degree of permafrost thaw, having monitored permafrost conditions for eight years. The results indicate that permafrost thaw markedly decreased Nmin values. Furthermore, Nmin demonstrated positive associations with soil substrates (namely, soil organic carbon and soil total nitrogen), microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, and soil moisture content. The decline in Nmin due to permafrost thaw was primarily attributed to the diminished quality and quantity of soil substrates rather than alterations in plant community composition. Collectively, our results underscore the pivotal role of soil substrate and microbial biomass in guiding forest soil N transformations in the face of climate-induced permafrost thaw.

Published in Forests

ISSN: 1999-4907 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Botany: Plant ecology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/

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