Nitrogen Cycling and Soil Amelioration in Camellia oleifera Plantations

Abstract

Camellia oleifera Abel. is one of the four woody edible oil trees around the world, which is also an important economic species in subtropical China. It is mainly cultivated in subtropical region, where the soil constrains the yield of C. oleifera oil due to its low fertility and pH. Thereby, intensive management including fertilization practice, especially intensive nitrogen (N) input, has been developed as a vital way to enhance oil yield in C. oleifera plantations. However, excessive nitrogen input increases soil nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions and soil acidification, limiting sustainable development of economic forests. As one of the important greenhouse gases, N 2 O is 265 times greater than carbon dioxide in global warming potential on 100-year scale. To mitigate soil N 2 O emissions and soil acidification, soil amelioration, including applications of biochar, nitrification inhibitors, and urease inhibitors, played an important role in sustainable management of C. oleifera plantations. This chapter reviewed soil nitrogen cycling, N 2 O emissions, and soil amelioration in C. oleifera plantations, which will benefit the sustainable management of C. oleifera plantations and hence the development of C. oleifera industries.