Articles | Volume 14, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-751-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-751-2017
Peer-reviewed comment
 | 
17 Feb 2017
Peer-reviewed comment |  | 17 Feb 2017

Nitrogen mineralization, not N2 fixation, alleviates progressive nitrogen limitation – Comment on “Processes regulating progressive nitrogen limitation under elevated carbon dioxide: a meta-analysis” by Liang et al. (2016)

Tobias Rütting

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AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (Editor review) (16 Jan 2017) by Anja Rammig
AR by Tobias Rütting on behalf of the Authors (24 Jan 2017)
ED: Publish subject to technical corrections (30 Jan 2017) by Anja Rammig
AR by Tobias Rütting on behalf of the Authors (01 Feb 2017)  Manuscript 
Short summary
The response of ecosystems to elevated atmospheric CO2 is affected by nitrogen (N) availability. It has been hypothesized that N limitation becomes progressively stronger (progressive N limitation, PNL). Most long-term free air CO2 enrichment studies did not see a PNL. This paper shows that enhanced biological N2 fixation only prevents PNL in plant communities with symbiotic N2 fixation. In most ecosystems a stimulation of gross N mineralization prevents the development of a PNL.
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