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Tropical Andean forest derives calcium and magnesium from Saharan dust
Author(s) -
Boy Jens,
Wilcke Wolfgang
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
global biogeochemical cycles
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.512
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1944-9224
pISSN - 0886-6236
DOI - 10.1029/2007gb002960
Subject(s) - amazonian , deposition (geology) , precipitation , environmental science , magnesium , ecosystem , mineral dust , amazon rainforest , hydrology (agriculture) , ecology , geology , chemistry , geography , sediment , aerosol , biology , geomorphology , organic chemistry , meteorology , geotechnical engineering
We quantified base metal deposition to Amazonian montane rain forest in Ecuador between May 1998 and April 2003 and assessed the response of the base metal budget of three forested microcatchments (8–13 ha). There was a strong interannual variation in deposition of Ca [4.4–29 kg ha −1 a −1 ], Mg [1.6–12], and K [9.8–30]). High deposition changed the Ca and Mg budgets of the catchments from loss to retention, suggesting that the additionally available Ca and Mg was used by the ecosystem. Increased base metal deposition was related to dust outbursts of the Sahara and an Amazonian precipitation pattern with trans‐regional dry spells allowing for dust transport to the Andes. The increased base metal deposition coincided with a strong La Niña event in 1999/2000.