Rapid Nitrogen Cycling Following Wet-Up Results from Heterotroph, then Nitrifier Response

The first rainfall following the hot, dry summer in arid and semi-arid ecosystems, known as wet-up, results in large pulses of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, two radiatively important gases. Nitrous oxide in general, is produced by nitrifiers and denitrifiers. Using laboratory simulations of wet-up, we monitored soil pools of ammonium and nitrate, gross rates of nitrogen mineralization and nitrification, effluxes of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, and gene expression of archaeal and bacterial amoA, a functional gene for nitrification and nirK, a functional gene for denitrification. Results from a California annual grassland soil show significant increases in the ammonium pool within one hour of water addition followed by a significant increase in the nitrate pool within three hours of water addition. Gross nitrogen mineralization and gross nitrification were very high with nitrogen mineralization being highest within three hours of wet-up. Ammonia-oxidizers were most active at nine hours after water addition. Nitrous oxide emissions followed the same pattern as nitrifiers, suggesting nitrification may play an important role in nitrous oxide emissions during wet-up.