Details
| Originalsprache | Englisch |
|---|---|
| Aufsatznummer | 126311 |
| Fachzeitschrift | Journal of Environmental Management |
| Jahrgang | 391 |
| Frühes Online-Datum | 2 Juli 2025 |
| Publikationsstatus | Veröffentlicht - Sept. 2025 |
Abstract
Understanding the pathways of nitrogen (N) retention in pristine forest soils is essential for effective ecosystem management and nutrient conservation. The incorporation of nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO2−) into organic N in soils without microbiological contribution remains a very intriguing question. This study explores the abiotic incorporation of nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO2−) into organic N of volcanic soil under sterilized and anoxic conditions, providing insights into mineral N losses occurring as dissolved organic N (DON) rather than the commonly accepted nitrate leaching. We evaluated the hypothesis that nitrate (NO3−) can be reduced to nitrite (NO2−), which subsequently reacts with organic matter through nitration and nitrosation, leading to the formation of organic nitrogen. This mechanism, which is of great ecological significance, supports the Ferrous Wheel Hypothesis (FWH). The FWH proposes that ferrous iron, Fe(II), reduces NO3− to NO2− within anaerobic microsites, and that Fe(II) is then re-oxidised to ferric iron, Fe(III), contributing to the formation of dissolved organic N (DON). Both NO3− and NO2− declined rapidly by 51 and 94 %, while labelled organic N increased by 20–38 % for NO3− and 42–44 % for NO2− within seconds. The incorporation of 15N into organic forms was confirmed using ATR-FTIR and benzene:isopropanol extraction, with the lowest and highest accumulation observed at 5 and 15 mg NO₃⁻ kg⁻¹, respectively. These results demonstrate that NO3− incorporation into organic N can occur primarily through abiotic processes, supporting the FWH, as both DON and solid-phase organic N were measured. These findings highlight the natural resilience of volcanic soils in unpolluted old-growth temperate rainforests to N loss and provide new insights into long-term ecosystem stability and nutrient cycling. Further research should investigate the interplay between abiotic and biotic N transformations under field conditions and across diverse forest ecosystems.
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
- Umweltwissenschaften (insg.)
- Environmental engineering
- Umweltwissenschaften (insg.)
- Abfallwirtschaft und -entsorgung
- Umweltwissenschaften (insg.)
- Management, Monitoring, Politik und Recht
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in: Journal of Environmental Management, Jahrgang 391, 126311, 09.2025.
Publikation: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Artikel › Forschung › Peer-Review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Ferrous wheel hypothesis II
T2 - Abiotic incorporation of mineral nitrogen into organic pools in volcanic soils of temperate forest ecosystems
AU - Matus, Francisco
AU - Álvarez, Enzo
AU - Godoy, Roberto
AU - Iturriaga-Vásquez, Patricio
AU - Farías-Cea, Amaury
AU - Parada, José
AU - Merino, Carolina
AU - Nájera, Francisco
AU - Mendoza, Daniela
AU - Jofré, Ignacio
AU - Knicker, Heike
AU - Dippold, Michaela A.
AU - Kuzyakov, Yakov
AU - Schluesselburg, Lia
AU - Boy, Jens
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2025/9
Y1 - 2025/9
N2 - Understanding the pathways of nitrogen (N) retention in pristine forest soils is essential for effective ecosystem management and nutrient conservation. The incorporation of nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO2−) into organic N in soils without microbiological contribution remains a very intriguing question. This study explores the abiotic incorporation of nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO2−) into organic N of volcanic soil under sterilized and anoxic conditions, providing insights into mineral N losses occurring as dissolved organic N (DON) rather than the commonly accepted nitrate leaching. We evaluated the hypothesis that nitrate (NO3−) can be reduced to nitrite (NO2−), which subsequently reacts with organic matter through nitration and nitrosation, leading to the formation of organic nitrogen. This mechanism, which is of great ecological significance, supports the Ferrous Wheel Hypothesis (FWH). The FWH proposes that ferrous iron, Fe(II), reduces NO3− to NO2− within anaerobic microsites, and that Fe(II) is then re-oxidised to ferric iron, Fe(III), contributing to the formation of dissolved organic N (DON). Both NO3− and NO2− declined rapidly by 51 and 94 %, while labelled organic N increased by 20–38 % for NO3− and 42–44 % for NO2− within seconds. The incorporation of 15N into organic forms was confirmed using ATR-FTIR and benzene:isopropanol extraction, with the lowest and highest accumulation observed at 5 and 15 mg NO₃⁻ kg⁻¹, respectively. These results demonstrate that NO3− incorporation into organic N can occur primarily through abiotic processes, supporting the FWH, as both DON and solid-phase organic N were measured. These findings highlight the natural resilience of volcanic soils in unpolluted old-growth temperate rainforests to N loss and provide new insights into long-term ecosystem stability and nutrient cycling. Further research should investigate the interplay between abiotic and biotic N transformations under field conditions and across diverse forest ecosystems.
AB - Understanding the pathways of nitrogen (N) retention in pristine forest soils is essential for effective ecosystem management and nutrient conservation. The incorporation of nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO2−) into organic N in soils without microbiological contribution remains a very intriguing question. This study explores the abiotic incorporation of nitrate (NO3−) and nitrite (NO2−) into organic N of volcanic soil under sterilized and anoxic conditions, providing insights into mineral N losses occurring as dissolved organic N (DON) rather than the commonly accepted nitrate leaching. We evaluated the hypothesis that nitrate (NO3−) can be reduced to nitrite (NO2−), which subsequently reacts with organic matter through nitration and nitrosation, leading to the formation of organic nitrogen. This mechanism, which is of great ecological significance, supports the Ferrous Wheel Hypothesis (FWH). The FWH proposes that ferrous iron, Fe(II), reduces NO3− to NO2− within anaerobic microsites, and that Fe(II) is then re-oxidised to ferric iron, Fe(III), contributing to the formation of dissolved organic N (DON). Both NO3− and NO2− declined rapidly by 51 and 94 %, while labelled organic N increased by 20–38 % for NO3− and 42–44 % for NO2− within seconds. The incorporation of 15N into organic forms was confirmed using ATR-FTIR and benzene:isopropanol extraction, with the lowest and highest accumulation observed at 5 and 15 mg NO₃⁻ kg⁻¹, respectively. These results demonstrate that NO3− incorporation into organic N can occur primarily through abiotic processes, supporting the FWH, as both DON and solid-phase organic N were measured. These findings highlight the natural resilience of volcanic soils in unpolluted old-growth temperate rainforests to N loss and provide new insights into long-term ecosystem stability and nutrient cycling. Further research should investigate the interplay between abiotic and biotic N transformations under field conditions and across diverse forest ecosystems.
KW - Abiotic N reaction
KW - Dissolved organic N
KW - Pristine rainforest
KW - Soil organic N
KW - Volcanic soils
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105009340640&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126311
DO - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126311
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105009340640
VL - 391
JO - Journal of Environmental Management
JF - Journal of Environmental Management
SN - 0301-4797
M1 - 126311
ER -