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Variation in the Natural Nitrogen‐15 Abundance in Nitrate Mineralized During Incubation of Several Illinois Soils
Author(s) -
Feigin Amos,
Kohl Daniel H.,
Shearer Georgia,
Commoner Barry
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1974.03615995003800010029x
Subject(s) - soil water , incubation , nitrogen , nitrate , environmental chemistry , zoology , chemistry , incubation period , nitrogen cycle , agronomy , environmental science , soil science , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry
Samples of the surface layer of soil (0–30 cm) were collected from five sites in central Illinois. The soils were incubated under controlled conditions for an extended period of time in an effort to determine the 15 N/ 14 N ratio of the mineralizable nitrogen. The results show that the 15 N/ 14 N ratio of the nitrate released from the soils tested was approximately constant with time of incubation after about 5 weeks. During the first weeks of incubation, the 15 N/ 14 N ratio of the nitrate released increased from an initially low value in four of the five soils tested. The constant values of δ 15 N (per mill enrichment) for these soils were about +7.6 to +10. We conclude that these values represent the 15 N enrichment of the mineralizable pool of organic N in these soils which include major soil associations of the central Illinois Corn Belt.