Nitrogen immobilization in decaying hardwood leaf litter as a function of initial nitrogen and lignin content

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Abstract
Equations presented earlier, expressing organic matter and N dynamics in decomposing hardwood [Prunus pensylvanica, Betula papyrifera, Fraxinus americana, Acer rubrum, A. saccharum and Fagus grandifolia] leaf litter, are extended to predict N immobilization patterns in litters of varying initial lignin and N content. A continuum of immobilization rates coincides with the successional status of the 6 northern hardwood species examined, with early successional species exhibiting the fastest rates. Using data from the literature, similar trends were found for southeastern hardwoods. Patterns for important species from Douglas-fir forests of the Pacific Northwest [USA] are quite different and may reflect differences in N availability following disturbance.

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