Aridity threshold in controlling ecosystem nitrogen cycling in arid and semi-arid grasslands

Chao Wang, Xiaobo Wang, Dongwei Liu, Honghui Wu, Xiaotao Lü, Yunting Fang, Weixin Cheng, Wentao Luo, Ping Jiang, Jason Shi, Huaqun Yin, Jizhong Zhou, Xingguo Han () and Edith Bai ()
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Chao Wang: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaobo Wang: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Dongwei Liu: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Honghui Wu: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaotao Lü: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yunting Fang: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Weixin Cheng: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wentao Luo: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ping Jiang: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jason Shi: Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma
Huaqun Yin: Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma
Jizhong Zhou: Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma
Xingguo Han: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Edith Bai: State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Higher aridity and more extreme rainfall events in drylands are predicted due to climate change. Yet, it is unclear how changing precipitation regimes may affect nitrogen (N) cycling, especially in areas with extremely high aridity. Here we investigate soil N isotopic values (δ15N) along a 3,200 km aridity gradient and reveal a hump-shaped relationship between soil δ15N and aridity index (AI) with a threshold at AI=0.32. Variations of foliar δ15N, the abundance of nitrification and denitrification genes, and metabolic quotient along the gradient provide further evidence for the existence of this threshold. Data support the hypothesis that the increase of gaseous N loss is higher than the increase of net plant N accumulation with increasing AI below AI=0.32, while the opposite is favoured above this threshold. Our results highlight the importance of N-cycling microbes in extremely dry areas and suggest different controlling factors of N-cycling on either side of the threshold.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5799

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