Effect of nitrogen addition on decomposition of Calamagrostis angustifolia litters from freshwater marshes of Northeast China

Wetland ecosystems store a large amount of organic carbon (C) in soils, due to the slow decomposition rates of plant litter and soil organic matter. Increased nitrogen (N) availability induced by human activities and global warming may accelerate litter decomposition and affect soil organic C dynamics in wetlands. In the present study, we investigated the effect of N addition on decomposition of Calamagrostis angustifolia litters from freshwater marshes in the Sanjiang Plain of Northeast China under field and laboratory conditions. First, we assessed the changes in initial litter chemical composition and subsequent decomposition following three years of N addition at the rate of 24 g N m−2 year−1 under field conditions. Our results showed that N addition increased litter N concentration and decreased C/N ratio, and thus stimulated litter decomposition. Secondly, we examined the effect of increased N availability (0, 25, 50 and 100 mg N g−1 litter) on litter decomposition under laboratory conditions. Increased exterior N availability also enhanced microbial respiration and increased litter mass loss under both waterlogging and non-waterlogging conditions. In addition, waterlogging conditions inhibited microbial respiration and suppressed litter mass loss. These findings demonstrated that N addition increased litter decomposition rates through improved litter quality and enhanced microbial activity in freshwater marshes of Northeast China. This implies that increased N availability accelerates litter decomposition rates, and thus may cause substantial losses of soil C and diminish and even reverse the C sink function of wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain of Northeast China.

► N addition improved litter quality and increased litter decomposition.
► Increased N availability enhanced microbial activity and litter decomposition.
► Waterlogging conditions inhibited microbial activity and suppressed litter decay.