[Dynamics of soil inorganic nitrogen in middle mountain moist evergreen broadleaf forest under different disturbance...

The effects of three different intensities of disturbance on soil NH4(+)-N and NO3(-).N contents were studied in three community types (primary Lithocarpus xylocarpus forest, secondary oak forest, and tea plantation, which represent three different intensities of disturbance). The results showed that the contents of inorganic nitrogen in soil (0-15 cm) of three community types had marked differences. Soil organic matter and total nitrogen decreased, while C/N ratio increased, with the increasing intensity of the disturbance. Simultaneously, the potential lose of NO3(-)-N increased. It suggested that the disturbance was not in favor of the retainment of soil fertility and the positive development of community succession. The soil organic matter, total nitrogen and C/N ratio were basically same at different spatial sites in same community, while the NO3(-)-N contents were obvious difference. This implied that soil NO3(-)-N content was less stable than NH4(+)-N. In addition, NH4(+)-N was the major component of the soil inorganic nitrogen, accounted for 95.5%-99.3% of the total content of soil inorganic nitrogen.