Nitrogen mineralization and assimilation at millimeter scales

John B. Cliff; Peter J. Bottomley; Daniel J. Gaspar; David D. Myrold

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2006.10.005

Nitrogen mineralization and assimilation at millimeter scales

John B. Cliff, Peter J. Bottomley, Daniel J. Gaspar, David D. Myrold

Applied Materials Analysis

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13 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study used inoculated, artificial soil microcosms containing sand, clay, cellulose, and localized "hotspots" of highly labile, organic N-containing dead bacteria to study N mineralization and assimilation at millimeter scales. Labeling with ¹⁵NH₄⁺ along with measurement of its assimilation into microbial biomass at the bulk scale allowed estimation of gross rates of ammonification and N assimilation using isotope dilution. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) analyses of transects of organic-¹⁵N across Si wafers in contact with the microcosms indicated strong gradients of ¹⁵NH₄⁺ assimilation as a function of proximity to the hotspots that were not apparent using bulk analyses. This combination of bulk and ToF-SIMS analyses represents a powerful approach to explore the physical and biochemical factors that affect N process heterogeneities in soils.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	823-826
Number of pages	4
Journal	Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Volume	39
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2006.10.005
State	Published - Mar 2007

Funding

This research was supported by a grant from the Soils and Soil Biology program of USDA National Research Initiative. A portion of the research described in this paper was performed in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a national scientific user facility sponsored by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research and located at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. We thank Matt Pohl for laboratory assistance and Vanessa Bailey for review comments.

Keywords

Ammonification
Immobilization
Isotope dilution
Nitrogen
SIMS
Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

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10.1016/j.soilbio.2006.10.005

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abstract = "This study used inoculated, artificial soil microcosms containing sand, clay, cellulose, and localized {"}hotspots{"} of highly labile, organic N-containing dead bacteria to study N mineralization and assimilation at millimeter scales. Labeling with 15NH4+ along with measurement of its assimilation into microbial biomass at the bulk scale allowed estimation of gross rates of ammonification and N assimilation using isotope dilution. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) analyses of transects of organic-15N across Si wafers in contact with the microcosms indicated strong gradients of 15NH4+ assimilation as a function of proximity to the hotspots that were not apparent using bulk analyses. This combination of bulk and ToF-SIMS analyses represents a powerful approach to explore the physical and biochemical factors that affect N process heterogeneities in soils.",

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AU - Bottomley, Peter J.

AU - Gaspar, Daniel J.

AU - Myrold, David D.

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AB - This study used inoculated, artificial soil microcosms containing sand, clay, cellulose, and localized "hotspots" of highly labile, organic N-containing dead bacteria to study N mineralization and assimilation at millimeter scales. Labeling with 15NH4+ along with measurement of its assimilation into microbial biomass at the bulk scale allowed estimation of gross rates of ammonification and N assimilation using isotope dilution. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) analyses of transects of organic-15N across Si wafers in contact with the microcosms indicated strong gradients of 15NH4+ assimilation as a function of proximity to the hotspots that were not apparent using bulk analyses. This combination of bulk and ToF-SIMS analyses represents a powerful approach to explore the physical and biochemical factors that affect N process heterogeneities in soils.

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KW - Immobilization

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KW - Nitrogen

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Nitrogen mineralization and assimilation at millimeter scales

Abstract

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Keywords

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