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Sulfur Cycling in Douglas‐Fir on a Glacial Outwash Terrace
Author(s) -
Stednick John D.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1982.00472425001100010012x
Subject(s) - throughfall , sulfate , outwash plain , leaching (pedology) , sulfur , cycling , forest floor , environmental science , chemistry , environmental chemistry , nutrient cycle , sorption , soil horizon , nutrient , soil water , glacial period , soil science , geology , adsorption , forestry , geography , geomorphology , organic chemistry
In a study to determine if a temperate forest site would exhibit accelerated nutrient cycling or increased sulfur accumulation with an increased precipitation input of S, a second‐growth Douglas‐fir ecosystem ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb) Franco) on a glacial outwash terrace accumulated 2.2 kg ha −1 year −1 of S. Prior to Mount St. Helen's activity, an atmospheric input as precipitation of 8.9 kg ha −1 year −1 of sulfate‐S was augmented by an additional 8.1 kg ha −1 year −1 in throughfall. Sulfate‐sulfur leaching decreased with increased soil depth: 8.4 kg ha −1 year −1 leached through the forest floor, 10.5 through the A horizon, 6.7 through the B horizon, and 3.2 at 1.5 m in the C horizon. This S budget was not complete, since gaseous forms and movements were not monitored. Sulfate‐sulfur mobility accounted for an average 25% of the cation leaching through the soil profile. Sulfur utilization did not measurably change from a similar stand with lower S inputs. The increased SO 4 ‐S input did not accelerate nutrient cycling, rather SO 4 ‐S accumulated in the soil, presumably by sorption. Sulfate‐sulfur mobility is defined by the sorption mechanism within the soil.