Nitrogen deposition weakens soil carbon control of nitrogen dynamics across the contiguous United States

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition is unequally distributed across space and time, with inputs to terrestrial ecosystems impacted by industry regulations and variation in human activity. Soil carbon (C) content normally controls the fraction of mineralized N that is nitrified (ƒnitrified), affecting N bioavailability for plants and microbes. However, it is unknown whether N deposition has modified the relationships between soil C, net N mineralization, and net nitrification. To test whether N deposition alters the relationship between soil C and net N transformations, we collected soils from coniferous and deciduous forests, grasslands, and residential yards in 14 regions across the contiguous U.S. that vary in N deposition rates. We quantified rates of net nitrification and N mineralization, soil chemistry (soil C, N, and pH), and microbial biomass and function (as beta-glucosidase (BG) and N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) activity) across these regions. Following expectations, soil C ..., , , # Nitrogen deposition weakens soil carbon control of nitrogen dynamics across the contiguous United States

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g79cnp611](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g79cnp611)

## Description of the data and file structure

Soils were collected across the contiguous United States as an effort to understand the biogeochemical responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data associated with sites were used to describe the characteristics of each site's climate and atmospheric nitrogen deposition.

NA: Not applicable

### Files and variables

#### File: Soil\_data.csv

**Description:** Carbon and nitrogen cycling data for the main analysis of the text.

##### Variables

* Region: Name of the region the soil was collected.
* Site: Name of the site within the region that soil was collected.
* Date: Date of soil collection (MM/DD/YY).
* Plot: Plot number.
* MAT: 30-year mean annual temperature of the closest weather station in the National Weather Service Cooperative Network (degrees C...