摘要
Nitrate (NO-3) and nitrite (NO2-) leaching threatens groundwater quality.Soil C:N ratio,i.e.,the ratio of soil organic carbon to total nitrogen,affects mineralization,nitrification,and denitrification;however,its mechanism for driving soil NO-3and NO-2accumulation and leaching remains unclear.Here,a field investigation in a fluvo-aquic soil and a soil column experiment were performed to explore the relationships between soil C:N ratio and soil NO-3and NO-2leaching in three soil layers (0–20,20–40,and 40–60 cm) under heavy rainfall (rainfall rate>25 mm d-1).The field investigation results showed that both soil NO-3-N and NO-2-N contents decreased exponentially (P<0.001) with increasing soil C:N ratio in each soil layer.Furthermore,negative exponential relationships (P<0.001) were found between soil C:N ratio and both NO-3-N and NO-2-N concentrations in soil solution in each soil layer under heavy rainfall.The soil column divided into three layers was leached with simulated heavy rainfall;the results confirmed negative exponential relationships (P<0.05) between soil C:N ratio and both NO-3-N and NO-2-N concentrations in the leachate from each soil layer.A total of 18 soil samples obtained from three depths at six field sites during the rainy season were used to elucidate the microbial mechanisms induced by soil C:N ratio using high-throughput sequencing and real-time polymerase chain reaction.High abundances of ammonifying bacteria (Flavobacterium,Bacillu,and Pseudomonas),ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (Nitrosospira),and nirS/K gene were observed when soil C:N was low,concomitant with low abundances of NO-2-oxidizing bacteria (Nitrospira) and narG gene.Partial least squares path modeling showed that the high NO-3and NO-2levels at low soil C:N ratio might be attributed to the inhibition of NO-3reduction (i.e.,low narG gene) and NO-2oxidation (i.e.,low Nitrospira) and thus the accumulation of soil NO-3and NO-2,respectively.Therefore,the leaching of NO-2and NO-3in low C:N soils requires more attention during the rainy season.
基金
funded by the National Key Research and Development Project of China (No. 2016YFD0800100-04)。
