2025/03/24 by Pauline Sophie Rummel, Anthony Imoudu Oyeogbe, Haitao Wang +2 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology #Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics #Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s00374-025-01909-1
openalex publication_date 2025/03/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Abstract Denitrification is the key process leading to production and loss of nitrogen gases from soils. Its main drivers are N availability and soil water content, but interactions with other elements, such as carbon and phosphorus, can also influence N 2 O formation. So far, robust information on the effects of P and the historical context of P addition on N 2 O sources remains limited. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a mesocosm chamber experiment using isotopic approaches to investigate N transformations and N 2 O sources following P fertilizer addition in soils with varying histories of P fertilization (low and high P). Differences in long-term fertilization affected C, N, and P availability as well as microbial community composition and nutrient cycling processes. Initially, microbes in both soils were C-limited with slightly higher C availability and microbial respiration in high P soils. Low P availability in low P soil did not restrict denitrification. In contrast, long-term P-unfertilized soil had higher N 2 O losses compared to high P soil, which were further stimulated with P addition. Glucose addition alleviated C limitation and strongly promoted microbial growth and respiration, but did not affect N 2 O emissions among treatments. Bacterial denitrification and nitrifier denitrification were the main N 2 O forming processes, while dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) contributed to NO 3 − reduction, but only slightly to N 2 O formation.