Abiotic factors regulating nitrogen transformations in the organic layer of acid forest soils: moisture and pH

The relationships between nitrogen transformations and moisture and pH in coniferous forest litter were determined using laboratory incubation experiments. A linear relation between gravimetric moisture content and nitrification was found within the whole studied range of moisture conditions (10-290% ODW). Net nitrogen mineralization increased linearly with moisture content up to 140% ODW. At higher moisture contents, net mineralization was found to be independent of moisture. Relative nitrification was found to be a linear function of moisture content. The dependence of the CO₂ production rates on moisture in the coniferous litter decreased from low to high moisture availability. Due to a nearly linear relationship between gravimetric moisture content and log-(water potential) within the investigated moisture range, the same type of relationships were found with this latter parameter as well. The relationship between nitrogen transformations and pH was studied by means of the addition of different amounts of HC1 and NaOH during short incubation experiments (1 week). Nitrification was found to be a negative linear function of the H-ion concentration within the range of 0.04 (pH 4.40) and 0.36 (pH 3.45) mmol H-ion L⁻¹. At a higher H-ion concentration and thus at a lower pH than 3.45, no nitrate was produced any more. No relationship between net mineralization and pH was found.