Soil nitrogen accretion along a floodplain terrace chronosequence in northwest Alaska: Influence of the nitrogen-fixing shrub Shepherdia canadensis

Rhoades, C.; Binkley, D.; Oskarsson, H.; Stottlemyer, R.

Abstract:

Nitrogen enters terrestrial ecosystems through multiple pathways during primary succession. We measured accumulation of total soil nitrogen and changes in inorganic nitrogen (N) pools across a 300-y sequence of river terraces in northwest Alaska and assessed the contribution of the nitrogen-fixing shrub Shepherdia canadensis. Our work compared 5 stages of floodplain succession, progressing from a sparsely vegetated silt cap to dense shrubby vegetation, balsam poplar-dominated (Populus balsamifera) and white spruce-dominated (Picea glauca) mixed forests, and old-growth white spruce forest. Total soil N (0-30 cm depth) increased throughout the age sequence, initially by 2.4 g N??m-2??y-1 during the first 120 y of terrace development, then by 1.6 g N??m-2??y-1 during the subsequent 2 centuries. Labile soil N, measured by anaerobic incubation, increased most rapidly during the first 85 y of terrace formation, then remained relatively constant during further terrace development. on recently formed terraces, Shepherdia shrubs enriched soil N pools several-fold compared to soil beneath Salix spp. shrubs or intercanopy sites. Total and labile soil N accretion was proportional to Shepherdia cover during the first century of terrace development, and mineral soil ?? 15N content indicated that newly formed river terrace receive substantial N through N-fixation. About half the 600 g total N??m-2 accumulated across the river terrace chronosequence occurred during the 120 y when S. canadensis was dominant. Sediment deposited by periodic flooding continued to add N to terrace soils after the decline in Shepherdia abundance and may have contributed 25% of the total N found in the floodplain terrace soils.

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Article

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70000345

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Rhoades, C.; Binkley, D.; Oskarsson, H.; Stottlemyer, R.

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230

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English

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Ecoscience

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Soil nitrogen accretion along a floodplain terrace chronosequence in northwest Alaska: Influence of the nitrogen-fixing shrub Shepherdia canadensis; 2008; Article; Journal; Ecoscience; Rhoades, C.; Binkley, D.; Oskarsson, H.; Stottlemyer, R.