Melting snow provides clues for acidification

The researchers found that almost all of the labeled sulfate and nitrate deposited on the surface of the snow was recovered in snowmelt water, indicating that there were no significant transformations of sulfate and nitrate in the snowpack. In contrast, about half of the sulfate and nitrate was retained or transformed in the forest floor, suggesting that organic soils are a sink for these compounds during winter. For sulfate, the amount retained or transformed in the forest floor was nearly equal to the amount released, resulting in no significant net gains or losses. A significant amount of ammonium was produced in the forest floor indicating that N mineralization can be important, even when soil temperatures are near freezing. By contrast, net nitrification rates were very low during winter. Tracer results indicated that microbes did not immobilize snowpack nitrate and that other processes such as plant uptake, denitrification, and abiotic nitrate retention were probably more important factors affecting nitrate during snowmelt. More information on controls on nitrogen and sulfur cycling during winter is critical to our understanding of long-term trends and will help us predict how forest ecosystems will respond to future disturbances and global change processes.

The full article is available for no charge for 30 days following the date of this summary. View the abstract at: http://soil.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/71/6/1934

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