Purpose Although past studies have found well-constrained soil carbon (C)/nutrient ratios, the effects of increased nitrogen (N) and water inputs on these ratios across soil depths have rarely been assessed in semi-arid grasslands. Methods In this study, we evaluated the contents of total C, N, phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and their stoichiometric ratios in a 0–80 cm soil profile following 13 years of successive N (at rates of...

Nitrogen (N 2 ) fixation by moss-associated cyanobacteria is an important N source in pristine ecosystems. Previous studies have shown that moss-associated N 2 fixation is sensitive to anthropogenic N pollution. However, we still lack understanding of the effects of other factors derived from anthropogenic sources, such as heavy metal pollution on N 2 fixation. To test this, we collected two dominant mosses ( Pleurozium schreb...

Determining the abundance of N isotope (δ 15 N) in natural environments is a simple but powerful method for providing integrated information on the N cycling dynamics and status in an ecosystem under exogenous N inputs. However, whether the input of different N compounds could differently impact plant growth and their 15 N signatures remains unclear. Here, the response of 15 N signatures and growth of three dominant plants ( L...