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Transport of Metal Cations Through a Nutrient-Poor Forest Ecosystem
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Transport of Metal Cations Through a Nutrient-Poor Forest Ecosystem

Frank Gilliam and Daniel Richter
Water Air and Soil Pollution, Vol.57, pp.279-287
08/01/1991
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00282891
Web of Science ID: WOS:A1991GP12100030

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Abstract

The movement of metal cations through a South Carolina coastal plain pine flatwoods ecosystem is described, focusing on the factors that influence metal cations in bulk precipitaion, mineral soil, soil water, and streamflow. Soils in the ecosystem are derived from weathered secondary parent materials that have experienced several weathering and erosion cycles and consequently are low in weatherable minerals. Watershed budgets for calcium cations are similar to those of sodium and magnesium, with relatively small net losses. For potassium, watershed budgets suggest that inputs approximate outputs. The data suggest that this system is, to some degree, potentially cation-limited. Results from computer simulations indicate that the system is substantially and rapidly changing in soil exchangeable cations and in soil solution chemistry. As indicated by much higher Ca super(2 ) super(+)ME> concentrations in streamflow than in groundwater, weathering is spatially confined largely to Ca-rich materials in soils along stream channels.

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