Journal of Environmental Biology

Heating induced changes in mineral nitrogen and organic carbon

in relation with temperature and time

Author Details

 

Huseyin Baris Tecimen (Corresponding author)

Istanbul University, Faculty of Forestry, Soil Science and Ecology Department - 34473, Bahcekoy,

Istanbul, Turkey

e-mail: baristecimen@gmail.com

Orhan Sevgi

Istanbul University, Faculty of Forestry, Soil Science and Ecology Department - 34473, Bahcekoy,

Istanbul, Turkey

 

 

Publication Data

Paper received:

05 December 2010

 

Revised received:

27 April 2010

 

Accepted:

12 May 2010

 

Abstract

Heating effects on carbon and mineral nitrogen contents of soils within different land use types were investigated in this study. With this intention we collected soil samples from 3 different land use types which are abandoned agricultural lands (AAL), shrub land (SL) and Oak forest land (OFL) and are in neighborhood with each other. The sampling was made at mid-summer to provide a better correspondence between factual burning conditions as well. Soils are slightly acidic (pH between 4.60-5.72) and sandy, sandy loamy textured. At the study site the vegetation type is pasture at AAL, Cystus and Rubus sp. dominated shrubs at SL and mixture of Oak species such as Quercus petrea, Q. robur, Q. cerris and Q. frainetto at OFL. The results we found revealed that heating temperature has more remarkable effect on C losses and soil NH₄⁺-N re-mineralization and losses of NH₄⁺-N. Besides we could not detect remarkable differences between total N and NO^3- amounts. Heating time created significant differences between NH₄⁺-N amounts for different land use types where SL soils showed significant difference for all temperature levels. Heating soils at 100^oC created only slight differences at C and NH₄⁺-N budgets but heating at 200^oC caused to striking results at NH₄⁺-N budgets and heating at 350^oC led to only slight increase at NH₄⁺-N budget. As the temperature increased the C loss also increased linearly.

 

Key words

Nitrogen, Carbon, Temperature, Ammonium, Nitrate

 

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