Measurements of nitrogen mineralization potential in wetland soils

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2015

Abstract

Ammonification, or the mineralization of organic N, in wetland soils regulates the bioavailability of N in both soils and the overlying water column. Several environmental factors including temperature, O2 availability, microbial activity, and limiting nutrients influence the rates of organic N mineralization, leading to variability among wetland environments. In this chapter, we describe two analytical methods that provide measures of the N mineralization potential in wetland soils. The method described for measuring potentially mineralizable N utilizes 10-d anaerobic incubations to determine the relative increase in N availability from ammonification over time. A second method to measure substrate-induced N mineralization removes rate-limiting controls on mineralization by providing a readily hydrolyzable substrate and rapidly captures the relative activity of the portion of the microbial pool responsible for N mineralization. Methods are described from reagent preparation through incubations, extractions, and calculations.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Methods in Biogeochemistry of Wetlands

First Page

465

Last Page

472

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