CAO Lihua1,2, SHI Shengli2,3, PAN Genxing2*
（1.Agricultural and Animal Husbandry College of Tibet University, LinZhi，860000, China;
2.Institute of Resource, Ecosystem and Environment of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China;
3.Jimei University, Xiamen，361021, China）
Abstract: Acid rain is one of the most serious environmental problems, and plays an important role in ecosystem function. In order to elucidate the water phase sulfur (S) in forest ecosystems and its response to acid rain, sulfate (SO42-) concentrations in precipitation, throughfall water (TF), stem-flow water (SF), soil leakage water (SL), and surface runoff water (SR), as well as sulfur inputs and outputs of coniferous and broadleaf forest were analyzed in 1997-1999. Results show that SO42- concentration of water phase has apparently seasonal changes. The maximum and the minimum value of SO42- concentrations of rain water are found in samples collected in winter and summer, respectively. TF and SF water collected in spring and summer have higher SO42- concentrations than those in autumn and winter, but SR water is on the contrary. The highest value of SO42- concentration in SL water from coniferous forest is in the sample collected in winter, but for that from broadleaf forest is in spring. SO42- concentrations in TF, SF and SL water are higher than that in rainwater. The water phase SO42- of forest ecosystems shows an increasing trend in 1997-1999, following the order of 1997<1998<1999, with a significant difference between 1999 and 1998. Data of 1998 and 1997 do not reach that significant level. SO42- concentrations are different with forest types, and those in SL, SF and TF water in coniferous forest are higher than in broadleaf forest, but that in SR water in coniferous forest is lower than in broadleaf forest, in contrast with its pH changes. The coniferous and broadleaf can absorb sulfur from atmosphere, which is higher than the S flux by precipitation. The results suggest that it is a sulfur sink for atmospheric S deposition in Mt. Lushan forest ecosystem, which plays a buffer role for acid deposition, but coniferous forest has higher sulfur fixed ability than broadleaf forest.
Keywords: Mt. Lushan; acid rain; forest ecosystem; water phase sulfur; sulfur flux
EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT Vol. 43, No.1, Tot No.303, 2015, Page 8-13
