Nitrogen-fixing bacterial communities differ between perennial agroecosystem crops.

Biocrusts, common in natural ecosystems, are specific assemblages of microorganisms at or on the soil surface with associated microorganisms extending into the top centimeter of soil. Agroecosystem biocrusts have similar rates of nitrogen (N) fixation as those in natural ecosystems, but it is unclear how agricultural management influences their composition and function. This study examined the total bacterial and diazotrophic communities of biocrusts in a citrus orchard and a vineyard that shared a similar climate and soil type but differed in management.

Contrasting seasonal patterns and factors regulating biocrust N-fixation in two Florida agroecosystems.

Biocrusts are communities of microorganisms within the top centimeter of soil, often dominated by phototrophic dinitrogen-fixing (N-fixing) organisms. They are common globally in arid ecosystems and have recently been identified in agroecosystems. However, unlike natural ecosystem biocrusts, agroecosystem biocrusts receive regular fertilizer and irrigation inputs.

Organic nitrogen in residential stormwater runoff: Implications for stormwater management in urban watersheds.

Stormwater runoff containing organic nitrogen (N) is a source of potentially bioavailable N in water bodies. Characterization and concentrations of dissolved organic N (DON) and particulate organic N (PON) in urban stormwater runoff are rarely reported and considered in stormwater management. Our objectives were to (1) characterize the organic (DON, PON) and inorganic (NO and NH) N pools in residential stormwater runoff and (2) determine the rainfall driven landscape sources of runoff PON using an isotopic mixing model with C and N during a wet season (June-September).

Characterization of dissolved organic nitrogen in leachate from a newly established and fertilized turfgrass.

Understanding the mechanisms of nitrogen (N) retention and loss from fertilized urban turfgrass is critical to develop practices that mitigate N transport and protect water quality in urban ecosystems. We investigated the fate of N in lysimeters sodded with St. Augustine turfgrass and amended with labeled N from either ammonium sulfate or urea.

Rate of warming affects temperature sensitivity of anaerobic peat decomposition and greenhouse gas production.

Temperature sensitivity of anaerobic carbon mineralization in wetlands remains poorly represented in most climate models and is especially unconstrained for warmer subtropical and tropical systems which account for a large proportion of global methane emissions. Several studies of experimental warming have documented thermal acclimation of soil respiration involving adjustments in microbial physiology or carbon use efficiency (CUE), with an initial decline in CUE with warming followed by a partial recovery in CUE at a later stage. The variable CUE implies that the rate of warming may impact microbial acclimation and the rate of carbon-dioxide (CO ) and methane (CH ) production.

Seasonal patterns of nitrogen cycling in subtropical short-hydroperiod wetlands: Effects of precipitation and restoration.

In the event of increased frequency of extreme wet or dry events resulting from climate change, it becomes more important to understand the temporal dynamics of soil nitrogen (N) processes in ecosystems. Here, seasonal patterns of N cycling were characterized in subtropical wetlands in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. Two restored sites and one reference site with different nutrient status, soil depth, and vegetation communities, were selected.

Nitrous oxide production and consumption by denitrification in a grassland: Effects of grazing and hydrology.

Denitrification is generally recognized as a major mechanism contributing to nitrous oxide (N2O) production, and is the only known biological process for N2O consumption. Understanding factors controlling N2O production and consumption during denitrification will provide insights into N2O emission variability, and potentially predict capacity of soils to serve as sinks or sources of N2O. This study investigated the effects of hydrology and grazing on N2O production and consumption in a grassland based agricultural watershed.

Wading bird guano enrichment of soil nutrients in tree islands of the Florida Everglades.

Differential distribution of nutrients within an ecosystem can offer insight of ecological and physical processes that are otherwise unclear. This study was conducted to determine if enrichment of phosphorus (P) in tree island soils of the Florida Everglades can be explained by bird guano deposition. Concentrations of total carbon, nitrogen (N), and P, and N stable isotope ratio (δ(15)N) were determined on soil samples from 46 tree islands.

Nutrient release from combustion residues of two contrasting herbaceous vegetation types.

Fire is a critical regulator of biogeochemical cycles in approximately 40% of the earth's land surface. However, little is known about nutrient release from combustion residues (ash and char) from herbaceous or grassland fires of varying intensity. Much of our knowledge in this area is derived from muffle furnace temperature gradient experiments.

Phosphorus transformations during decomposition of wetland macrophytes.

The microbially mediated transformation of detrital P entering wetlands has important implications for the cycling and long-term sequestration of P in wetland soils. We investigated changes in P forms in sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense Crantz) and cattail (Typha domingensis Pers.) leaf litter during 15 months of decomposition at two sites of markedly different nutrient status within a hard-water subtropical wetland (Water Conservation Area 2A, Florida).