Carbon and nitrogen turnover in response to warming and nitrogen addition during early stages of forest litter decomposition—an incubation experiment

Purpose Little is known about the interactive effects of temperature, nitrogen (N) supply, litter quality, and decomposition time on the turnover of carbon (C) and N of forest litter. The objective of this study was to investigate the interactive effects of warming, N addition and tree species on the turnover of C and N during the early decomposition stage of litters in a temperate forest. Materials and methods A 12-week laboratory incubation experiment was carried out. The leaf litters including two types of broadleaf litters ( Quercus mongolica and Tilia amurensis ), a needle litter ( Pinus koraiensis ), and a mixed litter of them were collected from a broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest ecosystem in northeastern China in September 2009. Nine treatments were conducted using three temperatures (15, 25, and 35 °C) combined with three doses of N addition (equal to 0, 75, and 150 kg · ha −1 a −1 , respectively, as NH 4 NO 3 ). Results and discussion After 12 weeks of incubation, the mass loss ranged between 12 and 35 %. The broadleaf litters had greater mass loss and cumulative CO 2 –C emission than the needle litter. Temperature and N availability interacted to affect litter mass loss and decomposition rate. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON) concentrations in litter leachate varied widely with litter types. DOC increased significantly with increased temperature but decreased significantly with increased N availability. DON increased significantly with increased N availability but showed a higher level at the moderate decomposition temperature. The amounts of CO 2 and N 2 O emission were significantly higher at 25 °C than those at 15 and 35 °C, and were significantly increased by the N addition. Conclusions The present study indicated relatively intricate temperature and N addition effects on C and N cycling during early stages of litter decomposition, implying that future increases in temperature and N deposition will directly affect C and N cycling in broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest ecosystem, and may indirectly influence the ecosystem composition, productivity, and functioning in NE China. It is, therefore, important to understand the interactive effects of biotic and abiotic factors on litter decomposition in field conditions in order to assess and predict future ecosystem responses to environmental changes in NE China.