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Atmospheric deposition processes and their importance as sources of nutrients in a chaparral ecosystem of Southern California
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Atmospheric deposition processes and their importance as sources of nutrients in a chaparral ecosystem of Southern California

William Schlesinger, John Gray and Frank Gilliam
Water resources research, Vol.18(3), pp.623-629
1982
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/WR018i003p00623
Web of Science ID: WOS:A1982NT27000017

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Abstract

Precipitation and dry fallout were collected over a 2-yr period in the Santa Ynez Mts., Santa Barbara County, CA., and analyzed for nutrient content. Mean annual depositions of Ca (2.2 kg/ha), K (0.7 kg/ha), NH sub(4) super(+) -N (0.5 kg/ha), and NO sub(3) super(-) -N (1.5 kg /ha) were largely derived from dryfall; depositions of Na (7.2 kg /ha), Mg (1.2 kg/ha), and SO sub(4) super(=) -S (3.6 kg/ha) were important in both rainfall and dry fallout. These atmospheric inputs are equal to or larger than the typical annual losses reported in runoff from mature chaparral shrublands, but on the basis of these inputs, more than 70 yr may be necessary to replace the nitrogen losses measured in volatilization and runoff after fire. The depositions of NO sub(3) super(-) -N and SO sub(4) super(=) -S at this remote site may be indicative of the natural levels of these ions which, in many other areas of California, are derived from anthropogenic sources.

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