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Abstract
Free amino acids (FAA) constitute a significant fraction of dissolved organic nitrogen (N) in forest soils and play an important role in the N cycle of these ecosystems. However, comparatively little attention has been given to their role as labile carbon (C) substrates that might influence the metabolic status of resident microbial populations. We hypothesized that the residence time of simple C substrates, such as FAA, are mechanistically linked to the turnover of endogenous soil C pools. We tested this hypothesis across a latitudinal gradient of forested ecosystems that differ sharply with regard to climate, overstory taxon, and edaphic properties. Using a combined laboratory and field approach, we compared the turnover of isotopically labeled glycine in situ to the turnover of mineralizable soil C (C
min) at each site. The turnover of glycine was rapid (residence times
Citation
McFarland, Jack W.; Ruess, Roger W.; Kielland, Knut; Pregitzer, Kurt; Hendrick, Ronald. 2010. Glycine mineralization in situ closely correlates with soil carbon availability across six North American forest ecosystems. Biogeochemistry. 99: 175-191.
