High-level nitrogen additions accelerate soil respiration reduction over time in a boreal forest

<p>Increased nitrogen (N) inputs are widely recognized to reduce soil respiration (Rs), but how N deposition affects the temporal dynamics of Rs remains unclear. Using a decade-long fertilization experiment in a boreal larch forest (Larix gmelini) in northeast China, we found that the effects of N additions on Rs showed a temporal shift from a positive effect in the short-term (increased by 8% on average in the first year) to a negative effect over the longer term (decreased by 21% on average in the eleventh year). The rates of decrease in Rs for the higher N-levels were almost twice as high as those of the low N-level. Our results suggest that the reduction in Rs in response to increased N input is accelerated by high-level N additions, and experimental high N applications are likely to overestimate the contribution of N deposition to soil carbon sequestration in boreal forest.</p>