The role of organic horizons and canopy to modify the chemistry of acidic deposition in some forest ecosystems

Abstract

To clarify the mechanisms of pH buffering in forest ecosystems, field observations of pH and ionic concentrations in precipitation (R), throughfall (Tf), stemflow (Sf), and leachates from organ c horizons (Lo) were conducted for three years at three stands in Tomakomai (TK) and Teshio (TS) in Hokkaido, northern Japan.

Weighted mean rates of H⁺ input as wet deposition at TK and TS were estimated in the range from 0.3 to 1.0 and 0.4–0.6 kmol_c ha⁻¹ y⁻, respectively. While the net H⁺ flux was reduced significantly by the forest canopy, net fluxes of other ions by throughfall, especially for Na⁺, Cl⁻, and SO₄ ²⁻, were apparently greater than those by precipitation. The canopy modification of the H⁺ flux was more remarkable under deciduous stands than under coniferous stands, suggesting that the efficiency of conifers as the collectors of dry deposition is greater than that of deciduous ones. More than 50% of H⁺ flux due to throughfall was absorbed by the organic horizons and the weighted mean pH of Lo at TK and TS was in the range from 4.9 to 5.5 and 5.0–5.5, respectively. Results from field observation and field leaching experiments, showed that the major H⁺ sinks of the organic horizons are exchange reaction of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and K⁺. Organic acids or organo-metallic complexes of lower pK(=5.0–5.5) played a significant role as counter anions in O horizons leachate in coniferous forests.

Our results indicate the importance of biogeochemical modifications in the canopy and organic horizon in acid buffering mechanisms of forest ecosystems.