Modifications of morphological and developmental growth,photosynthetic characteristics and reactive oxygen species metabolism in the receiver plant as affected by decomposing camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) leaf litter have been preliminarily revealed in the previous work.As a continuation,another pot experiment (25,50 and 100 g leaf litter was severally mixed with 10 kg soil and loaded into the pot,the control was free of leaf litter) was conducted to investigate the effects of decomposing camphor tree leaf litter on nitrogen status in the receiver plant hot pepper (Capsicum annuum) and soil,the modification of exogenous N (urea) input on these effects,and whether these effects could be explained by soil microbial N immobilization,which was hypothetically attributed to a high C/N ratio in the leaf litter.The results showed that:(1)nitrate N,soluble protein and total N in hot pepper seedlings were all decreased sharply and significantly after exposure to different doses of the leaf litter (25-100 g per pot),in at least two months.(2)The decrease of soil nitrate N was significantly consistent with that of plant nitrate N and total N with the increasing leaf litter dose,while soil microbial biomass N was generally higher treated by the leaf litter compared to the control,and much slighter alterations were found in soil ammonium N and total N.(3)N application not only elevated N nutrition level in hot pepper and nitrate N in soil exposed to each leaf litter treatment,but also decreased the inhibitory effect of camphor tree leaf litter on these indices.(4)The initial C/N ratio in the leaf litter is high (125.61±4.89),and this ratio maintained at values much higher after 48 day to 137 day decomposition than the hypothesized critical value range,located in or/and surpass which soil microbial N immobilization would occur.However,no limited growth in hot pepper was observed after application of the leaf litter that has decomposed for 120 and 135 days,though possessing high C/N ratio.It is concluded that some chemicals released during the decomposition of camphor tree leaf litter interfere with the nitrification process and decreased nitrate N in soil,resulting in reduction of N absorption and accumulation in the receiver plant.While,N immobilization caused by soil microbes,despite the high C/N ratio in the leaf litter,plays a secondary role in the effect of decomposing leaf litter stated previously.