Sulfur cycling in five forest ecosystems

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5152930

Johnson, D W; Richter, D D; Van Miegroet, H; Cole, D W; Kelly, J M

The cycling and retention of sulfur were studied in five forest ecosystems: a chestnut oak and yellow poplar stand on Walker Branch Watershed, Tennessee; a mixed oak stand on Camp Branch Watershed, Tennessee; and a red alder and Douglas fir stand at the Thompson site, Washington. Calculations from foliage sulfur turnover indicate that about one-half of total sulfur input was dry in the Tennessee sites, whereas only one-tenth was dry in the Washington sites. Atmospheric sulfur inputs exceeded forest sulfur requirements in all cases, but three sites (chestnut oak, mixed oak, and red alder) showed a net ecosystem retention of atmospherically deposited sulfur. Net ecosystem sulfur retention was consistent with laboratory-determined sulfate adsorption isotherms within a given location (Walker Branch, Thompson site) but not between locations because of differing deposition histories and consequent differing degrees of soil sulfate saturation. No consistent relationships between soil sulfate adsorption capacity and other soil properties (pH, base saturation, iron, and aluminum oxides) were found. 30 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA); Washington Univ., Seattle (USA). Coll. of Forest Resources; Tennessee Valley Authority, Muscle Shoals, AL (USA). Div. of Air and Water Resources
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5152930
• Report Number(s): CONF-850944-2; ON: DE86000091
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ADSORPTION
DATA
DEPOSITION
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FOLIAR UPTAKE
FORESTS
INFORMATION
MASS TRANSFER
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
SOILS
SORPTION
SULFUR
SULFUR CYCLE
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
UPTAKE