Increased forest ecosystem carbon and nitrogen storage from nitrogen rich bedrock

摘要: Bioavailable nitrogen commonly limits plant growth in natural ecosystems. In the absence of humans, this essential nutrient is thought to come mainly from atmosphere through bacterial metabolism. Morford et al. present measurements concentration and isotopic composition rocks, soil leaves demonstrate that bedrock a further, hitherto-overlooked source bioavailable forests western United States. Furthermore, growing above nitrogen-rich geology store appreciably more carbon than their impoverished counterparts. The authors suggest novel pathway might be universal phenomenon. Nitrogen (N) productivity many ecosystems worldwide, thereby restricting ability terrestrial offset effects rising atmospheric CO2 emissions naturally1,2. Understanding input pathways N therefore paramount for predicting (C) storage on land, particularly temperate boreal forests3,4. Paradigms cycling limitation posit new enters solely atmosphere. Here we show comprises hitherto overlooked ecologically available forests. We report content soils forest foliage N-rich metasedimentary rocks (350–950 mg N kg−1) elevated by 50% compared with similar sites underlain N-poor igneous parent material (30–70 mg N kg−1). Natural abundance isotopes attribute difference rock-derived N: 15N/14N values rock, plants are indistinguishable lithology, marked contrast substrates. associated contain average 42% above-ground tree biomass 60% upper 30 cm rocks. Our results raise possibility may represent an important component ecosystem C elsewhere.