The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of increased N deposition on new and old pools of soil organic matter (SOM). We made use of a 4-yr experiment, where spruce and beech growing on an acidic loam and a calcareous sand were exposed to increased N deposition (7 vs. 70kgNha - 1 yr - 1 ) and to elevated atmospheric CO 2 . The added CO 2 was depleted in 1 3 C, which enabled us to distinguish between old and new C in SOM-pools fractionated into particle sizes. Elevated N deposition for 4 yr increased significantly the contents of total SOM in 0-10 cm depth of the acidic loam (+9%), but not in the calcareous sand. Down to 25 cm soil depth, C storage in the acidic loam was between 100 and 300gCm - 2 larger under high than under low N additions. However, this increase was small as compared with the SOM losses of 600-700gCgC0.25 m - 1 m - 2 from the calcareous sand resulting from the disturbance of soils during setting up of the experiment. The amounts of new, less than 4 yr old SOM in the sand fractions of both soils were greater under high N deposition, showing that C inputs from trees into soils increased. Root biomass in the acidic loam was larger under N additions (+25%). Contents of old, more than 4 yr old C in the clay and silt fractions of both soils were significantly greater under high than under low N deposition. Since clay- and silt-bound SOM consists of humified compounds, this indicates that N additions retarded mineralization of old and humified SOM. The retardation of C mineralization in the clay and silt fraction accounted for 60-80gCm - 2 4 yr - 1 , which corresponds to about 40% of the old SOM mineralized in these fraction. As a consequence, preservation of old and humified SOM under elevated N deposition might be a process that could lead to an increased soil C storage in the long-term.