Nitrogen dynamics along a climate gradient on geologically old substrate, Kaua'i, Hawai'i

We evaluated N dynamics on a climate gradient on old (> 4 million year) basaltic substrate on the Island of Kaua'i, Hawai'i, to evaluate the utility of pedogenic thresholds and soil process domains for understanding N cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Studies of nitrogen dynamics on the climate gradient on a younger basaltic substrate (~ 150,000 year) had found a good match between soil process domains and N cycling processes. Here we measured net N mineralization and nitrification by incubation, and δ¹⁵N of total soil N, to determine whether the soil process domains on the older gradient were equally useful for interpreting N cycling and thereby to explore the general utility of the approach. Net N mineralization varied from 0 to 1.7 mg kg^-1 d^-1 across the old Kaua'i gradient, and δ¹⁵N varied from + 3 to + 11 ^ο/_οο, both ranges similar to those on the younger substrate. However, while the pattern of variation with climate was similar for δ¹⁵N, the highest rates of mineralization on the old gradient occurred where forests were dominated by the native N fixer Acacia koa. This occurred in sites wetter than the process domain associated with high net N mineralization on the gradient on younger substrate. We conclude that soil process domains based on rock-derived nutrients are not always useful for evaluating N dynamics, especially where the distribution of biological N fixers is controlled by factors other than rock-derived nutrients.