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Nitrogen cycling in a Venezuelan tropical seasonally flooded forest: soil nitrogen mineralization and nitrification

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Barrios E.  and
Herrera R.
Barrios E.
Affiliation:
Centro de Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales, Institute Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Apdo. 21827, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela
Herrera R.
Affiliation:
Centro de Ecología y Ciencias Ambientales, Institute Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), Apdo. 21827, Caracas 1020A, Venezuela
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Abstract

Seasonally flooded forests represent a transition between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The Mapire river, a tributary of the Orinoco river, floods its surrounding forests during the wet season (May–December). The soils are very acid and the total nitrogen concentration (0.1%) is only half that found in nearby soils flooded by Orinoco waters. Ammonium-nitrogen predominates in the soil during the flooded period while nitrate-nitrogen concentrations are higher in the dry period. Wide fluctuations in the inorganic nitrogen fractions did not considerably affect the annual course of soil nitrogen.

The predominance of mineralization versus nitrification (56 and 5 μg soil month−1 respectively) and possibly the synchronization of nitrogen availability with plant demand could be considered as nitrogen conserving mechanisms.

In synchrony with the hydrologic cycle, the seasonally flooded forest studied shows a nitrogencycle where inputs and accumulation are maximized when the system is under minimum stress (dry season). During flooding, the system enters a period of dormancy making minimal use of nutrient and energy to avoid or tolerate anaerobiosis.

Keywords

nitrificationOrinoco basinseasonally inundated soilssoil nitrogen mineralizationtropical seasonally flooded forestVenezuela
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 10 , Issue 3 , August 1994 , pp. 399 - 416
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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