This study used inoculated, artificial soil microcosms containing sand, clay, cellulose, and localized hotspots of highly labile, organic-N containing dead bacteria to study N mineralization and assimilation at submillimeter and centimeter scales. Labeling with 15NH4+ along with measurement of label assimilated into microbial biomass at the bulk scale allowed estimation of gross rates of ammonification and N assimilation using isotope dilution. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) analyses of transects of organic-15N across Si wafers in contact with the microcosms indicated strong gradients of 15NH4+ assimilation as a function of proximity to the hotspots that were not apparent using bulk analyses. This combination of bulk and ToF-SIMS analyses represents a powerful approach to explore the physical and biochemical factors that affect N process heterogeneities in soils.
Revised: January 24, 2007 |
Published: November 15, 2006