Nitrogen cycling in shaded and unshaded coffee plantations in the Central Valley of Costa Rica.

摘要

Coffee (Coffee arabica L.) management in Costa Rica is changing from plantations associated with shade trees to monocultures; both of which receive large additions of N through fertilization. Understanding patterns and processes of N cycling within coffee agro-ecosystems could lead to the development of management practices that maintain productivity while minimizing environmental damage. My study investigated the N dynamics in paired shaded and unshaded coffee plantations in the Central Valley, all fertilized with about 300 kg N ha