Plant trait diversity buffers variability in denitrification potential over changes in season and soil conditions.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Denitrification is an important ecosystem service that removes nitrogen (N) from N-polluted watersheds, buffering soil, stream, and river water quality from excess N by returning N to the atmosphere before it reaches lakes or oceans and leads to eutrophication. The denitrification enzyme activity (DEA) assay is widely used for measuring denitrification potential. Because DEA is a function of enzyme levels in soils, most ecologists studying denitrification have assumed that DEA is less sensitive to ambient levels of nitrate (NO(3)(-)) and soil carbon and thus, less variable over time than field measurements. In addition, plant diversity has been shown to have strong effects on microbial communities and belowground processes and could potentially alter the functional capac

SUBMITTER: McGill BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2908287 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature