Ammonia volatilization and high 15N/14N ratio in a penguin rookery in Antarctica.

Abstract

Ammonium fractions from a soil of a penguin rookery in Antarctica and from water of a pond in the rookery exhibit the highest 15N/14N ratios among biogenic nitrogen so far observed. Though soils of seabird rookeries appear, in general, to have high nitrogen isotope ratios, the still higher ratios make the penguin rookery stand out from other seabird rookeries. The observation suggests that ammonia volatilization is a cause of the 15N enrichment in the soil ammonium and that the Antarctic climate is particularly effective on 15N enrichment for ammonium remained in the soil and water.