Correlations between nitrate and sulfate in the soil solution of disturbed forest ecosystems

Based on data from three German forest ecosystems severely disturbed by windthrow events, correlation patterns between NO3- and SO42- dynamics in the soil solution are described. Each of the correlation types was related to site-specific SO42- retention processes. The relative importance of SO42- ad...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biogeochemistry 1995-12, Vol.31 (3), p.121-138
Main Authors: Koelling, C. (Ludwig Maximilian Univ. of Munich, Freising (Germany). Chair of Soil Science), Prietzel, J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adsorption
Anions
BOSQUES
Cations
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
ECOSISTEMA
ECOSYSTEME
ECOSYSTEMS
Exact sciences and technology
Forest ecosystems
Forest soils
FORESTS
FORET
Geochemistry
Lysimeters
Minerals
NITRATE
NITRATES
NITRATOS
NITRIFICACION
NITRIFICATION
Soil and rock geochemistry
SOIL SOLUTION
Soils
SOLUCIONES DEL SUELO
SOLUTION DU SOL
SULFATE
Sulfates
SULFATOS
SULPHATES
Surficial geology
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Summary:Based on data from three German forest ecosystems severely disturbed by windthrow events, correlation patterns between NO3- and SO42- dynamics in the soil solution are described. Each of the correlation types was related to site-specific SO42- retention processes. The relative importance of SO42- adsorption/desorption and precipitation/dissolution was found to be different for the studied soils depending on their contents of SO42--adsorbing sesquioxides and of Al hydroxy sulfate minerals. Enhanced NO3- concentrations in the soil solution resulting from excess nitrification promoted either SO42- adsorption or the dissolution of Al hydroxy sulfates. Both processes result in different ecological consequences: Whereas the former reaction reduces anion concentration peaks in the soil solution, the latter increases them. Thus, a prediction of cation export from soil ecosystems subjected to excess nitrification has to regard site-specific interrelationships between NO3- and SO42-. As a third type of correlation the independence of NO3- and SO42- concentrations in the soil solution is presented. This type is suggested to be typical for soils with low SO42- adsorption capacity and absence of Al hydroxy sulfates.
ISSN:0168-2563
1573-515X
DOI:10.1007/BF00004045