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The Sources and Atmospheric Pathway of Phosphorus to a High Alpine Forest in Eastern Tibetan Plateau, China
Author(s) -
Meng Ya,
Li Rui,
Fu Hongbo,
Bing Haijian,
Huang Kan,
Wu Yanhong
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8996
pISSN - 2169-897X
DOI - 10.1029/2019jd031327
Subject(s) - environmental science , biomass (ecology) , dry season , deposition (geology) , phosphorus , ecosystem , environmental chemistry , plateau (mathematics) , growing season , zoology , chemistry , agronomy , ecology , biology , paleontology , mathematical analysis , mathematics , organic chemistry , sediment
Atmospheric deposition is considered as an important source of phosphorus (P) to P‐limited ecosystems. The PM 2.5 samples were collected from a high alpine P‐limited forest of Gongga Mountain (Mt. Gongga), eastern Tibetan Plateau from May 2015 to May 2016. Total P (TP) exhibited a higher concentration in the dry season (November to April, 96 ± 30 ng/m 3 ) than that in the wet season (May to October, 77 ± 21 ng/m 3 ). Source apportionment exhibited that 22% and 44% of TP in the dry season were contributed by soil dust and biomass burning, respectively. During the wet season, soil dust, biomass burning, and anthropogenic sources were estimated to contribute to 19%, 26%, and 41% of TP, respectively. Dissolved organic P (DOP) was found to be the significant fraction of total dissolved P (TDP), accounting for 65% and 53% of TDP in the dry and wet season, respectively. The significant correlations between DOP and K BB + suggested that the soluble P originating from biomass burning was possible mainly in the form of DOP. In addition, the acidification of apatite during the transport could explain the dissolved inorganic P level in the wet season. Supposing that all the soluble P was bioavailable, the atmospheric deposition of TDP was estimated to result in a fixation of 0.1394 kg C/m 2 /yr, accounting for 23% of net primary productivity in a forest of Mt. Gongga. The data showed herein highlighted the importance of atmospheric dry deposition of P to the long‐term fertility of high‐elevation soils.