Low nitrogen retention in a Japanese cedar plantation in a suburban area, western Japan
Abstract This study aimed to evaluate nitrogen (N) leaching from Japanese cedar, the main plantation species in Japan, in response to elevated atmospheric N deposition. N leaching and possible factors, including soil nitrification, tree N uptake, and topographic steepness, were evaluated in mature (...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | article |
| Language: | EN |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doaj.org/article/d783e31a546b495bba9368197e374d2d |
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| Summary: | Abstract This study aimed to evaluate nitrogen (N) leaching from Japanese cedar, the main plantation species in Japan, in response to elevated atmospheric N deposition. N leaching and possible factors, including soil nitrification, tree N uptake, and topographic steepness, were evaluated in mature (64–69 year) Japanese cedar trees planted on steep slopes (25°–40°) and neighboring Japanese oak plantations in suburban forests, which served as reference sites. N fertilization (50 kg N ha−1 year−1 as ammonium nitrate) was conducted to evaluate the response of N leaching to an elevated inorganic N pool in the surface soil. The soil water nitrate (NO3 −) concentration below the rooting zone in the Japanese cedar forest (607 ± 59 μmol L−1) was much higher than that in the Japanese oak plantations (8.7 ± 8.1 μmol L−1) and increased immediately after fertilization, indicating high N leaching from the Japanese cedar plantations. The relatively low N uptake by Japanese cedar planted on the steep slopes could be an important contributor to the high N leaching. This study highlights the importance of vegetation composition for managing the water quality in headwater streams from forest ecosystems disturbed by atmospheric N deposition. |
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