Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Soil Microbial Biomass: A Meta-Analysis

Chen He, Yunze Ruan () and Zhongjun Jia ()
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Chen He: Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
Yunze Ruan: Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan University, Sanya 572025, China
Zhongjun Jia: State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-17

Abstract: Most studies about the effects of N addition on soil microbial biomass evaluate soil microbial and physicochemical characteristics using single-test methods, and these studies have not been integrated and analyzed to comprehensively assess the impact of N fertilization on soil microbial biomass. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis to analyze the results of 86 studies characterizing how soil microbial biomass C (MBC), N (MBN), and P (MBP) pools respond to exogenous N addition across multiple land use types. We found that low N addition (5–50 kg/hm 2 ) rates significantly affect soil microbial biomass, mainly by increasing MBC but also by decreasing MBP and significantly increasing MBC/MBP. N addition affects soil physicochemical properties, significantly reducing pH and significantly increasing the soil dissolved organic N and inorganic N content. Our analysis also revealed that the effects of N application vary across ecosystems. N addition significantly decreases MBP and total P in planted forests but does not significantly affect soil microbial biomass in grasslands. In farmland soil, N addition significantly increases total P, NH 4 + , NO 3 − , MBN, and MBP but significantly decreases pH. Although N addition can strongly influence soil microbial biomass, its effects are modulated by ecosystem type. The addition of N can negatively affect MBC, MBN, and MBP in natural forest ecosystems, thereby altering global ecosystem balance.

Keywords: N; soil; microbial biomass; ecosystem; meta-analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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