Nitrogen transfer in the litter-soil interface continuum of the temperate forest

Litter-soil interface continuum is the most important component of the belowground ecosystem, which is also the most active area of nitrogen biogeochemistry cycling for the temperate forest. Nitrogen cycling in belowground ecosystems can always be considered to involve two processes: transfer and transformation, and fungi and bacteria play important roles in these two ways. Precipitation, nitrogen deposition and warming can change the nitrogen cycling, however, the mechanism of microbial communities driving nitrogen transfer and transformation still remains unclear. Herein, we review the contribution of nitrogen transfer and transformation to the nitrogen cycling, and highlight the response of the microbial community driving the both processes to nitrogen deposition and precipitation in terrestrial ecosystem. Our review has important implications for the nitrogen deposition and precipitation in the temperate forest ecosystem. We also suggest that the leaf litter labeled with N and measurement of the fungi and bacteria communities with N-DNA-SIP technique should be future research focus.