Stable nitrogen isotope patterns of trees and soils altered by long-term nitrogen and phosphorus addition to a lowland tropical rainforest

Foliar nitrogen (N) isotope ratios (δ¹⁵N) are used as a proxy for N-cycling processes, including the “openness” of the N cycle and the use of distinct N sources, but there is little experimental support for such proxies in lowland tropical forest. To address this, we examined the δ¹⁵N values of soluble soil N and canopy foliage of four tree species after 13 years of factorial N and P addition to a mature lowland rainforest. We hypothesized that N addition would lead to ¹⁵N-enriched soil N forms due to fractionating losses, whereas P addition would reduce N losses as the plants and microbes adjusted their stoichiometric demands. Chronic N addition increased the concentration and δ¹⁵N value of soil nitrate and δ¹⁵N in live and senesced leaves in two of four tree species, but did not affect ammonium or dissolved organic N. Phosphorus addition significantly increased foliar δ¹⁵N in one tree species and elicited significant N × P interactions in two others due to a reduction in foliar δ¹⁵N enrichment under N and P co-addition. Isotope mixing models indicated that three of four tree species increased their use of nitrate relative to ammonium following N addition, supporting the expectation that tropical trees use the most available form of mineral N. Previous observations that anthropogenic N deposition in this tropical region have led to increasing foliar δ¹⁵N values over decadal time-scales is now mechanistically linked to greater usage of ¹⁵N-enriched nitrate.