The fate of plant wax lipids in a model forest ecosystem under elevated CO2 concentration and increased nitrogen deposition

摘要

Atmospheric CO2 concentration and nitrogen (N) deposition have been altered by anthropogenic activity and they affect global biogeochemical cycles. It is still not clear how these environmental changes influence the storage and cycling of organic matter (OM) in soils, although this plays a key role in the biogeochemistry of terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we used n-alkanes as biomarkers for plant-derived OM in specific soil fractions. We investigated the effect of elevated CO2 concentration and increased N deposition on the molecular and isotopic (delta C-13) composition of n-alkanes in above-ground and below-ground tree biomass (beech and spruce) and soil density fractions.