Effects of Soil Moisture on Nitrogen Mineralization in a Typical 10-Year Floodplain Wetland

• DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.955-959.1216
• Publication Date: 2014-06-18T06:49:40Z
• Authors: Zhao Qin Gao; Jun Hong Bai; Di Chen; Qing Qing Zhao; Jun Jing Wang; Qiong Qiong Lu; Xiao Fei Ye
• Keywords: 15. Life on land; 01 natural sciences; 6. Clean water; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Soil profiles from 0 to 80 cm depth were collected and a 14-day incubation experiment at three soil moisture levels (initial moisture, water holding capacity, and flooding) was carried out at 25°C in the dark to reveal the effects of soil moisture on nitrogen mineralization rates in a 10-yr floodplain wetland. Our results showed that nitrogen mineralization rates decreased with depth along soil profiles and the maximal nitrogen mineralization rates appeared at the 10-20cm soil layer. The nitrogen mineralization rates were higher under flooding treatment compared to another two soil moisture treatments. Nitrogen mineralization rates in the top 20cm soils exhibited an increasing tendency with increasing soil moisture. Additionally, nitrogen mineralization rates were significantly correlated with electrical conductivity, total soluble salt, and salinity under three soil moisture treatments.