Long-term nitrogen deposition disrupts carbon cycling and enhances plant-derived carbon sequestration in a temperate forest

Yang, Biwei; Man, Meiling; Weng, Yuxuan; Bowden, Richard D.; Wang, Jun-Jian; Simpson, Myrna J.

doi:10.1039/d5va00352k

Long-term nitrogen deposition disrupts carbon cycling and enhances plant-derived carbon sequestration in a temperate forest

Persistent URL

https://dspace.allegheny.edu/handle/10456/60956

Author(s)

Yang, Biwei

Man, Meiling

Weng, Yuxuan

Bowden, Richard D.

Allegheny College

Wang, Jun-Jian

Simpson, Myrna J.

Date Issued

January 5, 2026

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) deposition alters carbon (C) dynamics in forests, but its long-term impact on soil C biogeochemistry remains unelucidated at the molecular-level. We collected soils after 27 consecutive years of N additions in a temperate forest and examined soil chemistry using molecular soil organic matter (SOM) compositional analysis to unravel mechanisms and impacts on soil biogeochemistry. N-addition increased soil C storage in the forest floor, where microbial stress increased and decomposition was suppressed, causing accumulation of aboveground plant inputs such as leaf litter and a shift toward less stable SOM. In the mineral soil, C storage did not change significantly, but decomposition of root and woody materials was reduced, and microbes exhibited stress. After nearly three decades, microbial stress persisted with a community shift toward fewer Gram-negative bacteria, which prefer labile C like cellulose. The rise in more labile C forms further supported accumulation of microbially preferred substrates. Overall, chronic N deposition thus impairs microbial decomposition and alters SOM composition, reducing C turnover and leading to accumulation of less persistent C forms that may be vulnerable to loss upon forest disturbance or environmental change. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating microbial and chemical composition in predicting long-term N deposition impacts on forest soil C sequestration and demonstrate the severe impacts on biogeochemical processes in forests.

Journal

Environmental Science: Advances

Citation

Biwei Yang, Meiling Man, Yuxuan Weng, Richard D. Bowden, Jun-Jian Wang, Myrna J. Simpson; Long-term nitrogen deposition disrupts carbon cycling and enhances plant-derived carbon sequestration in a temperate forest. Environ. Sci.: Adv. 2026; 5 (4): 1060–1069. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5va00352k

Publisher

Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)

Version of Article

Version of Record

DOI

10.1039/d5va00352k

ISSN

2754-7000

Rights

Type of Publication

Journal Article

File(s)

Name

2026_Bowden_Environmental_Longterm.pdf

Size

990.38 KB

Format

Adobe PDF

Checksum (MD5)

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