Elevated CO2, but not defoliation, enhances N cycling and increases short-term soil N immobilization regardless of N addition in a semiarid grassland

Elevated CO2 and defoliation effects on nitrogen (N) cycling in rangeland soils remain poorly understood. Here we tested whether effects of elevated CO2 (720 μl L−1) and defoliation (clipping to 2.5 cm height) on N cycling depended on soil N availability (addition of 1 vs. 11 g N m−2) in intact mesocosms extracted from a semiarid grassland. Mesocosms were kept inside growth chambers for one growing season, and the experiment was repeated the next year. We added 15N (1 g m−2) to all mesocosms at the start of the growing season. We measured total N and 15N in plant, soil inorganic, microbial and soil organic pools at different times of the growing season. We combined the plant, soil inorganic, and microbial N pools into one pool (PIM-N pool) to separate biotic + inorganic from abiotic N residing in soil organic matter (SOM). With the 15N measurements we were then able to calculate transfer rates of N from the active PIM-N pool into SOM (soil N immobilization) and vice versa (soil N mobilization) throughout the growing season. We observed significant interactive effects of elevated CO2 with N addition and defoliation with N addition on soil N mobilization and immobilization. However, no interactive effects were observed for net transfer rates. Net N transfer from the PIM-N pool into SOM increased under elevated CO2, but was unaffected by defoliation. Elevated CO2 and defoliation effects on the net transfer of N into SOM may not depend on soil N availability in semiarid grasslands, but may depend on the balance of root litter production affecting soil N immobilization and root exudation affecting soil N mobilization. We observed no interactive effects of elevated CO2 with defoliation. We conclude that elevated CO2, but not defoliation, may limit plant productivity in the long-term through increased soil N immobilization.

► Elevated CO2 and defoliation effects on N cycling in rangeland soils are ambiguous.
► We tested elevated CO2 and defoliation effects on N cycling at low and high soil N.
► Rates of N mobilization and immobilization were independent of soil N availability.
► Elevated CO2 increased N immobilization more than N mobilization.
► Both N mobilization and immobilization slowed with defoliation with no net change.