Nitrogen oxide emissions after nitrogen additions in tropical forests

摘要: Industrial development and agricultural intensification are projected to increase in the humid tropics over next few decades1, increasing emissions, transport deposition of nitrogen-containing compounds2. Most studies consequences enhanced nitrogen have been performed temperate ecosystems which biological processes limited by supply; they indicate that added is retained up decades before losses as oxides or nitrate (NO3−) begin3,4,5. We measured soil emissions two gases important atmosphere, nitrous oxide (N2O) nitric (NO), after experimental additions tropical rainforests Hawai'i. Growth one forests was nitrogen; other, abundant growth phosphorus, more characteristic most forests6. Here we show phosphorus-limited forest lost than nitrogen-limited forest, it equally large amounts first-time chronic, long-term additions. This seems be naturally ‘nitrogen saturated’7; perhaps other may not retain much anthropogenic do northern latitudes.