Spatial and temporal variability of extractable inorganic nitrogen in the topsoil of German peatlands

Extractable inorganic nitrogen (N min) is used as indicator for the fertilisation demand, nitrogen leaching risk and nitrous oxide emissions from soils, but a comprehensive data set for peatlands and other organic soils is missing. Here, we present a part of a data set from 61 sites covering all important land use classes and organic soil types in Germany. As expected, the N min content of fen sites is higher than that of bog sites. The groundwater table amplitude and the C:N ratio are promising scaling variables for NO3-N, while driving factors for NH4-N seem to be more difficult to identify.