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15N Tracing of Microbial Assimilation, Partitioning and Transport of Fertilisers in Grassland Soils

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  • © 2019

Overview

Authors:
  1. Alice Fiona Charteris

    1. School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK

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  • Nominated as an outstanding PhD thesis by the University of Bristol, UK
  • Presents an extremely thorough and well-referenced introduction to sustainable soil nitrogen management
  • Provides detailed information on the compound-specific 15N amino acid stable isotope probing method
  • Describes the first experimental demonstrations of differential processing of N-fertilisers using soil microbes

Part of the book series: Springer Theses (Springer Theses)

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxxv
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  2. Introduction

    • Alice Fiona Charteris
    Pages 1-33

  3. Sites, Sampling, Materials and Methods

    • Alice Fiona Charteris
    Pages 35-56

  4. Compound-Specific Amino Acid 15N Stable Isotope Probing of Nitrogen Assimilation by the Soil Microbial Biomass Using Gas Chromatography-Combustion-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry

    • Alice Fiona Charteris
    Pages 57-78

  5. Biosynthetic Routing, Rates and Extents of Microbial Fertiliser Nitrogen Assimilation in Two Grazed Grassland Soils

    • Alice Fiona Charteris
    Pages 79-151

  6. Microbial Fertiliser Nitrogen Assimilation in the Field as Compared with the Laboratory Incubation Experiments

    • Alice Fiona Charteris
    Pages 153-188

  7. 15N Tracing of the Partitioning and Transport of Nitrate Under Field Conditions

    • Alice Fiona Charteris
    Pages 189-235

  8. Overview and Future Work

    • Alice Fiona Charteris
    Pages 237-247

  9. Back Matter

    Pages 249-261
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Keywords

About this book

This book presents innovative research on soil nitrogen cycling and nitrate leaching with a view to improving soil management and fertiliser nitrogen use efficiency and reducing nitrogen leaching losses. In this regard, nitrogen-15 (15N)-labelled fertiliser was used as a biochemical and physical stable isotope tracer in laboratory and field experiments. The major outcome of the research was the development, validation and application of a new compound-specific amino acid 15N stable isotope probing method for assessing the assimilation of fertiliser nitrogen by soil microbial biomass. 

The novelty of the method lies in its tracing of incorporated nitrogen into newly biosynthesised microbial protein in time-course experiments using gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The approach provides previously unattainable insights into the microbial processing of different nitrogen fertilisers in different soils. Further, it identifies the mechanistic link between molecular-scale processes and observations of field-scale fertiliser nitrogen immobilisation studies. The method and the results presented here will have far-reaching implications for the development of enhanced recommendations concerning farm-based soil management practices for increasing soil productivity and reducing nitrogen losses, which is essential to minimising environmental impacts.



Authors and Affiliations

  • School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK

    Alice Fiona Charteris

About the author

Alice received her B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Bristol. In the latter years of her degree she became fascinated by how organic chemistry and stable isotopes could be combined to probe environmental processes. This led her to pursue a Ph.D., in collaboration with Wessex Water, the goal of which was to help mitigate nitrogen fertiliser pollution problems in drinking water supplies. After completing her Ph.D., Alice pursued postdoctoral research at Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, where she was part of a NERC-funded project investigating nitrogen cycling and gaseous nitrogen losses from sheep urine patches on upland soils.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: 15N Tracing of Microbial Assimilation, Partitioning and Transport of Fertilisers in Grassland Soils

  • Authors: Alice Fiona Charteris

  • Series Title: Springer Theses

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31057-8

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials Science, Chemistry and Material Science (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-31056-1Published: 07 November 2019

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-31059-2Published: 07 November 2020

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-31057-8Published: 28 October 2019

  • Series ISSN: 2190-5053

  • Series E-ISSN: 2190-5061

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXXV, 261

  • Topics: Analytical Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Agriculture

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