Transformations of organic and inorganic sulfur: importance to sulfate flux in an adirondack forest soil

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/08940630.1987.10466198· OSTI ID:6939587

David, M B; Mitchell, M J

Sulfate flux from forest soils as a result of inputs from acidic deposition is thought to be a critical process in regulating acidification of surface waters. The purpose of this study was to evaluate biotic transformations of sulfur in an Adirondack Mountain forest soil by adding /sup 35/S-sulfate to the forest floor. In September 1983 to each of two 0.5 m/sup 2/ plots, 2.22 x 10/sub 10/ dpm of /sup 35/S-sulfate was added in 4 liters of solution. Analysis of soil horizons from the plot at the end of the six week incubation indicated that 70 and 99 percent of the added /sup 35/S was retained in the soil at plots 1 and 2, respectively. More than 70 percent of the /sup 35/S was found in Oa, Bh, and Bs1 horizons. In O horizons greater than 80 percent of the /sup 35/S was found as organic sulfur, whereas in mineral horizons most was found as adsorbed sulfate. These findings indicated that a portion of the sulfate moving through the soil is both rapidly immobilized in the forest floor and adsorbed in the mineral horizons. On a net basis, however, the soil is not accumulating sulfur so that mineralization and desorption must equal immobilization and adsorption.

• Research Organization: State Univ. of New York, Syracuse
• OSTI ID: 6939587
• Journal Information: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States) Vol. 37:1; ISSN JPCAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510101 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- Radiometric Techniques-- (-1989)
510200* -- Environment
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMISTRY
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FORESTS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS TRANSFER
MINERALIZATION
MOUNTAINS
NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOISOTOPES
RAIN
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
SULFATES
SULFUR 35
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR ISOTOPES
TRACER TECHNIQUES