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Effects of Lithology on Asymbiotic N2 Fixation in Subtropical Secondary Forests, Southwest China

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Abstract

Asymbiotic N2 fixation (ANF) is a major nitrogen (N) input pathway to terrestrial ecosystems. However, there is considerable uncertainty about how lithology affects ANF. Here, we measured ANF rates in soil, litter, and moss in forests underlain by limestone (limestone forest), dolomite (dolomite forest), and clasolite (clasolite forest), respectively, in southwest China. Effects of lithology on soil ANF rate varied seasonally. The rate was highest in the dolomite forest during the wet season, but was highest in the limestone forest during the dry season. The overall soil ANF rate was significantly higher in the limestone forest than in the clasolite forest. Litter ANF rate was significantly higher in the limestone forest and dolomite forest than in the clasolite forest regardless of season. There was no significant difference in moss ANF rate among the three types of forests in both seasons. The annual N2 fixation rate was highest in the limestone forest (1.72 ± 0.27 kg N ha−1 y−1) but lowest in the clasolite forest (0.70 ± 0.08 kg N ha−1 y−1). In the wet season, the variation of ANF rates was best explained by soil nitrate and available iron for soil, and by litter N and calcium content for litter. In the dry season, the variation of ANF rates was best explained by soil water content, ammonia and total phosphorus for soil, and by litter water content and calcium content for litter. No strong explanatory variables were identified for ANF in moss during the wet or dry season. Our findings suggest that lithology significantly affected ANF in soil and litter, but not in moss, and hence should be considered in Earth system models to facilitate better prediction of N inputs via biological N2 fixation under global change.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41877094, 42007086), Guangxi Bagui Scholarship Program to Dejun Li, Special Foundation for Science and Technology Base and Talents in Guangxi Province of China (GuikeAD20297037).

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Author notes

  1. D.L. designed the study; Z.W., X.S., H.C., K.X. performed the research and analyzed the data; Z.W., D.L. and K.W. wrote the original manuscript; all authors participated in editing the manuscript.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, 410125, Hunan, China

    Zhenchuan Wang, Dejun Li, Kongcao Xiao & Kelin Wang

  2. Key Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources Use in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of Education, Nanning Normal University, Nanning, 530001, Guangxi, China

    Zhenchuan Wang

  3. Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang, 547100, Guangxi, China

    Zhenchuan Wang, Dejun Li, Kongcao Xiao & Kelin Wang

  4. Guangxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Intelligent Simulation, Nanning Normal University, Nanning, 530001, Guangxi, China

    Zhenchuan Wang

  5. State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, Guangdong, China

    Xibin Sun & Hao Chen

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  1. Zhenchuan Wang
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Correspondence to Dejun Li.

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Wang, Z., Li, D., Sun, X. et al. Effects of Lithology on Asymbiotic N2 Fixation in Subtropical Secondary Forests, Southwest China. Ecosystems 26, 1173–1182 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-023-00824-6

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