Effect of rare earths on fractionation and transformation of soil available nitrogen

The effect of rare earths (RE) on fractionation and transformation of available nitrogen (N) in a yellow cinnamon soil was studied with soil cultivation. The results show that under the dry condition, when the extraneous RE are added to the soil, both concentrations of soil ammonium N and hydrolysable N increase, and the concentrations of soil nitric N decrease. The concentrations of soil available N increase with the increase of RE concentrations in soils when the RE concentrations are low, but it decreases with the increase of high RE concentrations in soils. The NOEC (no observed effect concentration) of the extraneous RE to available N In the soils is 443.8 mg(.)kg(-1). Under the inundated condition, low RE concentrations in soil has no significant effect on soil ammonium N and hydrolysable N. However, when the soil RE concentrations are high, both of them decrease with the increase of RE concentrations. The NOEC of the extraneous RE to soil ammonium N and hydrolysable N are 171.2 and 256.9 mg(.)kg(-1), respectively.