Effects of Increased Nitrogen Availability on C and N Cycles in Tropical Forests: A Meta-Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Atmospheric N deposition is predicted to increase four times over its current status in tropical forests by 2030. Our ability to understand the effects of N enrichment on C and N cycles is being challenged by the large heterogeneity of the tropical forest biome. The specific response will depend on the forest's nutrient status; however, few studies of N addition appear to incorporate the nutrient status in tropical forests, possibly due to difficulties in explaining how this status is maintained. We used a meta-analysis to explore the consequences of the N enrichment on C and N cycles in tropical montane and lowland forests. We tracked changes in aboveground and belowground plant C and N and in mineral soil in response to N addition. We found an increasing trend of plant biomass in montane

SUBMITTER: Bejarano-Castillo M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4669154 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature