Dynamic effects of soil bulk density on denitrification and mineralisation by 15N labelled lettuce residue and paper wastes

Two laboratory incubation experiments aimed to study the denitrification and mineralisation influenced by different additives (15N labelled lettuce residue, paper wastes and mixture of both) and soil bulk densities were carried out by means of acetylene inhibition at the constant 15 degree C for 107 and 90 days, respectively. The results showed that the changes of N2O, CO2 emission rates, inorganic nitrogen (NO3- and NH4+), total N and 15N abundance in the soils which were affected by adding lettuce residue, paper wastes and mixture of both were investigated. Soil denitrification rate increased after lettuce residue was added into soil for 8 days. The maximum rate of N2O emission was 15 times higher than that in soil without any additive. However, paper wastes did not increase N2O emission in the first 8 days compared with other treatments, mixed residue and paper wastes could promote soil microbial activity, but N2O emission was lower than that in the soil with lettuce residue added and higher than that with paper wastes, indicating that mixture of residue and paper wastes was benefit to soil nitrogen immobilisation. CO2 emission in all the treatments were declined to the same level on the 107 th day. In the treatment added mixed residues and paper wastes, the released CO2 quantities were higher than those in other treatments every day. Effect of different bulk density on N2O and CO2 emission were response to the change of bulk density, it seems that N2O and CO2 emission increased with bulk density. High bulk density could affect decomposition of paper wastes and NO3-, NH4+ concentration. (30 ref., 10 tabs.)