Spatial variation in soil nitrogen content along aridity gradients in the northwest desert region in China

doi:10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2023.00121

Journal of Desert Research ›› 2024, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (3): 259-268.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2023.00121

Spatial variation in soil nitrogen content along aridity gradients in the northwest desert region in China

Wei Hang¹^,²^,⁴(), Yongxing Lu¹^,²^,⁴, Hao Guo¹^,²^,⁴, Xing Guo¹^,²^,⁴, Shihang Zhang¹^,²^,⁴, Yuanming Zhang¹^,²^,³, Xiaobing Zhou¹^,²^,³()

^1.State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology /, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography，Chinese Academy of Sciences，Urumqi 830011，China
^2.Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography，Chinese Academy of Sciences，Urumqi 830011，China
^3.Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation and Application in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography，Chinese Academy of Sciences，Urumqi 830011，China
^4.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences，Beijing 100049，China

Received:2023-11-07 Revised:2023-12-29 Online:2024-05-20 Published:2024-06-11
Contact: Xiaobing Zhou

Abstract

Abstract:

Dryland area is substantial， and the drylands exhibit great sensitivity to global climate change. Nitrogen， which composed of various nitrogen forms， is generally considered the second most limiting resource in desert ecosystems. However， it remains unclear how different levels of aridity affect the spatial distribution of soil nitrogen. Based on data of inorganic nitrogen， organic nitrogen， and total nitrogen from 54 sampling points in the northwest desert region of China， and coupled with climate and environmental data， we explored the spatial variations in nitrogen components under different levels of aridity and the driving factors. Our results indicated a distinct aridity threshold （0.87） for the spatial variations in soil nitrogen along the aridity gradient， meaning an abrupt change in response to aridity. Near the threshold， soil total nitrogen， organic nitrogen content， and the ratio of organic to inorganic nitrogen exhibited rapid increases， while nitrate nitrogen content showed a rapid decrease. Before and after the aridity threshold， both total nitrogen and organic nitrogen content significantly decreased with increasing aridity. In the 0-10 cm soil layer， soil total nitrogen and organic nitrogen content gradually increased with soil depth. The increase in aridity directly or indirectly affected the spatial variation oin nitrogen components through soil water content （SWC）， electrical conductivity （EC）， and pH. The study revealed the impacts of aridity on soil nitrogen balance， which are beneficial for prediction on the response of soil nutrients to environmental changes in drylands， and provide crucial support for making scientifically effective environmental decisions.

Key words: drought threshold, northwest desert region, nitrogen content, driving factors, soil layer

CLC Number:

S153

Wei Hang, Yongxing Lu, Hao Guo, Xing Guo, Shihang Zhang, Yuanming Zhang, Xiaobing Zhou. Spatial variation in soil nitrogen content along aridity gradients in the northwest desert region in China[J]. Journal of Desert Research, 2024, 44(3): 259-268.

Figures/Tables 7

Fig.1 Geographical distribution of sampling sites along the aridity gradient in the northwest desert region of China

Table 1 Nitrogen content and soil physicochemical properties in the Northwest Desert Region

深度 /cm	参数	平均值 /（mg·kg^-1）	标准差 /（mg·kg^-1）	变异系数 /（mg·kg^-1）	最小值 /（mg·kg^-1）	最大值 /（mg·kg^-1）	pH	电导率 /（μS·cm^-1）	土壤含水率 /%
0~2	TN	43.25	22.21	0.51	4.00	108.00	5.9~9.1	31~509	0.029~1.713
	NH $4 +$ -N	7.62	4.53	0.59	1.00	29.00
	NO $3 -$ -N	7.99	4.06	0.51	0.35	22.23
	IN	15.38	6.12	0.40	1.45	34.38
	ON	30.17	20.71	0.69	2.08	94.55
2~5	TN	50.91	40.80	0.80	5.00	222.00	5.7~9.5	23~44	0.029~11.889
	NH $4 +$ -N	9.74	14.63	1.50	1.00	107.00
	NO $3 -$ -N	5.83	2.86	0.49	0.10	13.23
	IN	15.09	13.63	0.90	2.35	116.03
	ON	38.17	35.48	0.93	0.50	203.15
5~10	TN	50.65	41.59	0.82	7.00	253.00	5.6~9.8	23~384	0.053~13.161
	NH $4 +$ -N	7.65	8.02	1.05	1.00	59.00
	NO $3 -$ -N	5.90	3.15	0.53	0.13	17.10
	IN	14.49	15.19	1.05	2.65	66.05
	ON	38.22	34.66	0.91	0.08	206.05

Table 1 Nitrogen content and soil physicochemical properties in the Northwest Desert Region

深度 /cm	参数	平均值 /（mg·kg^-1）	标准差 /（mg·kg^-1）	变异系数 /（mg·kg^-1）	最小值 /（mg·kg^-1）	最大值 /（mg·kg^-1）	pH	电导率 /（μS·cm^-1）	土壤含水率 /%
0~2	TN	43.25	22.21	0.51	4.00	108.00	5.9~9.1	31~509	0.029~1.713
	NH $4 +$ -N	7.62	4.53	0.59	1.00	29.00
	NO $3 -$ -N	7.99	4.06	0.51	0.35	22.23
	IN	15.38	6.12	0.40	1.45	34.38
	ON	30.17	20.71	0.69	2.08	94.55
2~5	TN	50.91	40.80	0.80	5.00	222.00	5.7~9.5	23~44	0.029~11.889
	NH $4 +$ -N	9.74	14.63	1.50	1.00	107.00
	NO $3 -$ -N	5.83	2.86	0.49	0.10	13.23
	IN	15.09	13.63	0.90	2.35	116.03
	ON	38.17	35.48	0.93	0.50	203.15
5~10	TN	50.65	41.59	0.82	7.00	253.00	5.6~9.8	23~384	0.053~13.161
	NH $4 +$ -N	7.65	8.02	1.05	1.00	59.00
	NO $3 -$ -N	5.90	3.15	0.53	0.13	17.10
	IN	14.49	15.19	1.05	2.65	66.05
	ON	38.22	34.66	0.91	0.08	206.05

Fig.2 Characteristics of nitrogen content distribution under different soil depths

Fig.3 Relationship between environmental factors and soil nitrogen content

Fig.4 Response model of total nitrogen，ammonium，nitrate nitrogen and their ratio to drought index and soil depths

Fig.5 Response model of inorganic， organic nitrogen and their ratio to drought index and soil depths

Fig.6 Results of SEMs analysis of the effect of environmental factors on soil nitrogen content

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Spatial variation in soil nitrogen content along aridity gradients in the northwest desert region in China

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