TY - JOUR T1 - Effect of liming on soil nitrogen loss in runoff from a cultivated bamboo stand JF - Journal of Soil and Water Conservation SP - 356 LP - 363 DO - 10.2489/jswc.71.4.356 VL - 71 IS - 4 AU - S. Zhuang AU - Q. Li AU - P. Lv AU - R. Gui Y1 - 2016/07/01 UR - http://www.jswconline.org/content/71/4/356.abstract N2 - Liming is an effective method of mitigating soil acidification. However, the effect of lime treatment on soil nitrogen (N) loss through runoff from fields remains unclear. A bamboo stand (Phyllostachys praecox C.) with high N content and severe acidification was selected to investigate the effect of liming on soil N loss through runoff. A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the liming effect on N mineralization and pH using the recommended liming rate in field. Results showed that soil pH increased from 3.1 to 5.6 and soil nitrification rate significantly improved when a liming rate of 10 Mg ha−1 (3.98 tn ac−1) was applied in the field. The total dissolved N (TDN) concentration in the runoff ranged from 1.98 to 41.6 mg L−1 in the nonliming treatment and from 1.98 to 33.3 mg L−1 in the liming treatment. The event mean concentrations (EMCs) of TDN in the plots of the liming and nonliming treatments were 5.80 and 6.72 mg L−1 (p < 0.05), respectively. Total N loss through runoff was reduced by liming from 12.4 to 10.6 kg ha−1 (11.0 to 9.44 lb ac−1; p < 0.05) at a rate of 14.5%. Runoff in the field mainly occurred in summer season, and N loss in nitrate (NO3) form accounted for approximately 70% of TDN. The high N uptake by bamboo plants and increased ammonia (NH3) volatilization may be attributed to the decline of TDN in the liming treatment compared with those in the nonliming treatment. Results indicated that a reasonable liming rate in an acid-cultivated land can benefit crop production and nutrient loss control. ER -