Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Part I General perspectives
- Part II Regional floristic and animal diversity
- Part III Hydrometeorology of tropical montane cloud forest
- Part IV Nutrient dynamics in tropical montane cloud forests
- 39 Spatial and temporal dynamics of atmospheric water and nutrient inputs in tropical mountain forests of southern Ecuador
- 40 Fog deposition and chemistry in a sub-tropical montane cloud forest in Taiwan
- 41 Fog and rain water chemistry in the seasonal tropical rain forest of Xishuangbanna, south-west China
- 42 Spatial heterogeneity of throughfall quantity and quality in tropical montane forests in southern Ecuador
- 43 Effect of topography on soil fertility and water flow in an Ecuadorian lower montane forest
- 44 Human impacts on stream-water chemistry in a tropical montane cloud forest watershed, Monteverde, Costa Rica
- 45 Is there evidence for limitations to nitrogen mineralization in upper montane tropical forests?
- 46 Fine root mass and fine root production in tropical moist forests as dependent on soil, climate, and elevation
- Part V Cloud forest water use, photosynthesis, and effects of forest conversion
- Part VI Effects of climate variability and climate change
- Part VII Cloud forest conservation, restoration, and management issues
- References
45 - Is there evidence for limitations to nitrogen mineralization in upper montane tropical forests?
from Part IV - Nutrient dynamics in tropical montane cloud forests
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 May 2011
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Part I General perspectives
- Part II Regional floristic and animal diversity
- Part III Hydrometeorology of tropical montane cloud forest
- Part IV Nutrient dynamics in tropical montane cloud forests
- 39 Spatial and temporal dynamics of atmospheric water and nutrient inputs in tropical mountain forests of southern Ecuador
- 40 Fog deposition and chemistry in a sub-tropical montane cloud forest in Taiwan
- 41 Fog and rain water chemistry in the seasonal tropical rain forest of Xishuangbanna, south-west China
- 42 Spatial heterogeneity of throughfall quantity and quality in tropical montane forests in southern Ecuador
- 43 Effect of topography on soil fertility and water flow in an Ecuadorian lower montane forest
- 44 Human impacts on stream-water chemistry in a tropical montane cloud forest watershed, Monteverde, Costa Rica
- 45 Is there evidence for limitations to nitrogen mineralization in upper montane tropical forests?
- 46 Fine root mass and fine root production in tropical moist forests as dependent on soil, climate, and elevation
- Part V Cloud forest water use, photosynthesis, and effects of forest conversion
- Part VI Effects of climate variability and climate change
- Part VII Cloud forest conservation, restoration, and management issues
- References
Summary
ABSTRACT
The structure and function of forest ecosystems often change along altitudinal gradients in the tropics, culminating in short-stature, low-productivity cloud forests at the uppermost elevations. Field data and literature values were used to examine patterns in nitrogen mineralization on tropical mountains and to discuss the potential for nitrogen limitation to net primary productivity. Few trends in net nitrogen mineralization within and across elevation gradients in the tropics were found, and rates were generally comparable to those found in tropical forests at low elevations. Gross nitrogen mineralization rates were much higher than net rates, and in Puerto Rico upper montane forests exhibited higher gross nitrogen mineralization than lower elevation forests. Work from Puerto Rico found no effect of short-term anaerobic conditions. In Hawai'i gross nitrogen mineralization increased with substrate age. Ammonium availability was augmented by dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium in montane forests; nitrogen conservation via this pathway exceeded losses via N2O production. Patterns in nitrogen circulation in upper montane forests in Puerto Rico showed that elfin and palm forests had lower nitrogen use efficiency and a higher proportion of nitrogen mineralized from decomposing litter relative to other forest types, further indicating that rates of nitrogen supply in these forests are considerable. In summary, the data reviewed in this chapter suggest that nitrogen limitation alone cannot explain patterns in the structure and function of tropical montane forest vegetation. Alternative factors are offered that warrant further investigation.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Tropical Montane Cloud ForestsScience for Conservation and Management, pp. 418 - 427Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011
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