Shifts in controls on the temporal coherence of throughfall chemical flux in Acadia National Park, Maine, USA

Biogeochemistry
By: , and 

Links

Abstract

Major ion and mercury (Hg) inputs to terrestrial ecosystems include both wet and dry deposition (total deposition). Estimating total deposition to sensitive receptor sites is hampered by limited information regarding its spatial heterogeneity and seasonality. We used measurements of throughfall flux, which includes atmospheric inputs to forests and the net effects of canopy leaching or uptake, for ten major ions and Hg collected during 35 time periods in 1999–2005 at over 70 sites within Acadia National Park, Maine to (1) quantify coherence in temporal dynamics of seasonal throughfall deposition and (2) examine controls on these patterns at multiple scales. We quantified temporal coherence as the correlation between all possible site pairs for each solute on a seasonal basis. In the summer growing season and autumn, coherence among pairs of sites with similar vegetation was stronger than for site-pairs that differed in vegetation suggesting that interaction with the canopy and leaching of solutes differed in coniferous, deciduous, mixed, and shrub or open canopy sites. The spatial pattern in throughfall hydrologic inputs across Acadia National Park was more variable during the winter snow season, suggesting that snow re-distribution affects net hydrologic input, which consequently affects chemical flux. Sea-salt corrected calcium concentrations identified a shift in air mass sources from maritime in winter to the continental industrial corridor in summer. Our results suggest that the spatial pattern of throughfall hydrologic flux, dominant seasonal air mass source, and relationship with vegetation in winter differ from the spatial pattern of throughfall flux in these solutes in summer and autumn. The coherence approach applied here made clear the strong influence of spatial heterogeneity in throughfall hydrologic inputs and a maritime air mass source on winter patterns of throughfall flux. By contrast, vegetation type was the most important influence on throughfall chemical flux in summer and autumn.

Study Area

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Shifts in controls on the temporal coherence of throughfall chemical flux in Acadia National Park, Maine, USA
Series title Biogeochemistry
DOI 10.1007/s10533-013-9884-7
Volume 116
Issue 1
Year Published 2013
Language English
Publisher Spinger
Contributing office(s) Coop Res Unit Leetown
Description 14 p.
First page 147
Last page 160
Country United States
State Maine
Other Geospatial Acadia National Park
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details