A study was conducted to determine the effects of elevated CO2 on soil N process at Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province, northeastern China （42°24＂N, 128°06＂E, and 738 m elevation）. A randomized complete block design of ambient and elevated CO2 was established in an open-top chamber facility in the spring of 1999. Changpai Scotch pine （Pinus sylvestris var. sylvestriformis seeds were sowed in May, 1999 and CO2 fumigation treatments began after seeds germination. In each year, the exposure started at the end of April and stopped at the end of October. Soil samples were collected in June and August 2006 and in June 2007, and soil nitrifying, denitrifying and N2-fixing enzyme activities were measured. Results show that soil nitrifying enzyme activities （NEA） in the 5-10 cm soil layer were significantly increased at elevated CO2 by 30.3% in June 2006, by 30.9% in August 2006 and by 11.3% in June 2007. Soil denitrifying enzyme activities （DEA） were significantly decreased by elevated CO2 treatment in June 2006 （P 〈 0.012） and August 2006 （P 〈 0.005） samplings in our study; no significant difference was detected in June 2007, and no significant changes in N2-fixing enzyme activity were found. This study suggests that elevated CO2 can alter soil nitrifying enzyme and denitrifying enzyme activities.
Dark brown forest soil was collected from the upper 20 cm soil layer in Changbai Mountain Research Station of Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The soil was amended with two different forms of nitrogen fertilizers: NO3- as Ca(NO3)2, NH4+ as NH4Cl at the concentrations of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mgkg-1 respectively. The experiment was carried out with 2-yr-old Pinus koraiensis seedlings in pot. The pH change of rhizosphere soil and the contents of available Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn in soil and leaves were analyzed. The result indicated that the addition of NH4--N decreased the rhizosphere pH value, while the addition of NO3--N increased the rhizosphere pH value in contrast with the control treatment. The direction and extent of the pH change mainly depended on N source and its concentrations applied. The rhizosphere pH change had a remarkable influence on the availability of the micronutrients in the rhizosphere, and thereafter affected the nutrient uptake by the seedlings. The contents of available mineral nutrients had a negative correlation with the pH value in the rhizosphere soil. The contents of available mineral nutrients in leaves were positively correlated to the levels of the available nutrients in the rhizosphere soils.
Aboveground vertical profiles of N2O concentrations were measured with in two natural coniferous-deciduous mixed forests of 1998 and 1999 in Changbai M ountain. Significant high N2O concentrations were found in six profiles out of t welve profiles. The results showed that high concentrations were 3.03% to 64.9% higher than the "normal concentrations" in these six profiles. Differences betwe en the high concentrations and the "normal concentrations" were statistically si gnificant. The simultaneous occurrence of high concentrations at/nearby the cano py height and normal concentrations at the trunk space height indicated an efflu x of N2O from foliage to atmosphere. This study afforded evidence supporting tha t plant per se, besides forest soil, was an important source of atmospheric N2O in a forest ecosystem.
