Combined effects of biochar and biogas slurry on soil nitrogen transformation rates and N2O emission in a subtropical poplar plantation
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Combined effects of biochar and biogas slurry on soil nitrogen transformation rates and N2O emission in a subtropical poplar plantation. / Liao, Xiaolin; Mao, Shuxia; Chen, Yajuan; Zhang, Jinbo; Müller, Christoph; Malghani, Saadatullah.
In: Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 848, 157766, 2022.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Combined effects of biochar and biogas slurry on soil nitrogen transformation rates and N2O emission in a subtropical poplar plantation
AU - Liao, Xiaolin
AU - Mao, Shuxia
AU - Chen, Yajuan
AU - Zhang, Jinbo
AU - Müller, Christoph
AU - Malghani, Saadatullah
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - It has been widely accepted that biochar has a great potential of mitigating soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission. However, the underlying mechanism about how biochar affects nitrogen transformation and the pathways of soil N2O production is under discussion. A 15N-tracer incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the short-term effects of biochar on soil N transformation rates and source partitioning of N2O emissions in soils from a poplar plantation system. A two-factor experimental design was adopted using biogas digestate slurry and biochar as soil amendments. In total, there were 12 treatments, including three rates of biochar: B0 (control), B2 (80 t ha−1), and B3 (120 t ha−1), and four rates of biogas digestate slurry: C (0 m3 ha−1), L (125 m3 ha−1), M (250 m3 ha−1), and H (375 m3 ha−1). We observed significantly lower rates of net nitrification (Nn) and mineralization (Mn) in biochar-treated soils. The 15N tracer analysis revealed a significant decrease in gross autotrophic (ONH4), heterotrophic nitrification (ONrec), and mineralization (MNorg) rates while an increase in gross immobilization (INH4 and INO3) rates in biochar amended soils. When biogas slurry was applied, biochar only significantly reduced ONH4 except in the moderate slurry treatment. Regardless of the slurry application, biochar consistently suppressed N2O emission by 58–89 %, and nitrification was the dominant pathway accounting contributing >90 % to cumulative N2O emissions. Moreover, soil cumulative N2O emissions significantly negatively correlated with soil ammonium contents and positively with MNorg, Mn, and Nn, showing that biochar decreased N2O emission via a reducing effect on nitrification rates and associated N2O emissions. Our results also highlight that application of N fertilizer greatly influence the biochar's impacts on soil N transformation rates and N2O emission, calling for further studies on their interactions to develop mitigate options and to improve N use efficiency.
AB - It has been widely accepted that biochar has a great potential of mitigating soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission. However, the underlying mechanism about how biochar affects nitrogen transformation and the pathways of soil N2O production is under discussion. A 15N-tracer incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the short-term effects of biochar on soil N transformation rates and source partitioning of N2O emissions in soils from a poplar plantation system. A two-factor experimental design was adopted using biogas digestate slurry and biochar as soil amendments. In total, there were 12 treatments, including three rates of biochar: B0 (control), B2 (80 t ha−1), and B3 (120 t ha−1), and four rates of biogas digestate slurry: C (0 m3 ha−1), L (125 m3 ha−1), M (250 m3 ha−1), and H (375 m3 ha−1). We observed significantly lower rates of net nitrification (Nn) and mineralization (Mn) in biochar-treated soils. The 15N tracer analysis revealed a significant decrease in gross autotrophic (ONH4), heterotrophic nitrification (ONrec), and mineralization (MNorg) rates while an increase in gross immobilization (INH4 and INO3) rates in biochar amended soils. When biogas slurry was applied, biochar only significantly reduced ONH4 except in the moderate slurry treatment. Regardless of the slurry application, biochar consistently suppressed N2O emission by 58–89 %, and nitrification was the dominant pathway accounting contributing >90 % to cumulative N2O emissions. Moreover, soil cumulative N2O emissions significantly negatively correlated with soil ammonium contents and positively with MNorg, Mn, and Nn, showing that biochar decreased N2O emission via a reducing effect on nitrification rates and associated N2O emissions. Our results also highlight that application of N fertilizer greatly influence the biochar's impacts on soil N transformation rates and N2O emission, calling for further studies on their interactions to develop mitigate options and to improve N use efficiency.
KW - N tracer
KW - Biochar
KW - N transformation rate
KW - NO emission
KW - Poplar plantation
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157766
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157766
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 35926635
AN - SCOPUS:85135812014
VL - 848
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
SN - 0048-9697
M1 - 157766
ER -
ID: 330882382