Water and nutrient fluxes in a cool temperate rainforest at the Cordillera de la Costa in southern Chile
✍ Scribed by C. E. Oyarzun; R. Godoy; A. Sepulveda
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1998
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 246 KB
- Volume
- 12
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0885-6087
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✦ Synopsis
Water and nutrient ¯uxes were studied during a 12-month period in an alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides) forest, located in a remote site at the Cordillera de la Costa (40805 H S) in southern Chile. Measurements of precipitation, throughfall, stem¯ow, eective precipitation, soil in®ltration and stream ¯ow were carried out in an experimental, small watershed. Simultaneously, monthly water samples were collected to determine the concentrations and transport of organic-N, NO 3 -N, total-P, K , Ca 2 , Na and Mg 2 in all levels of forest Concentration of organic-N, NO 3 -N, total-P and K showed a clear pattern of enrichment in the throughfall, stem¯ow, eective precipitation and soil in®ltration. For Ca 2 and Mg 2 , enrichment was observed in the eective precipitation, soil in®ltration and stream ¯ow. Annual transport of K , Na , Ca 2 and Mg 2 showed that the amounts exported from the forest via stream ¯ow (K 0 . 95, Na 32 . 44, Ca 2 8 . 76 and Mg 2 7 . 16 kg ha 71 yr 71 ) are less than the inputs via precipitation (K 6 . 39, Na 40 . 99, Ca 2 15 . 13 and Mg 2 7 . 61 kg ha 71 yr 71 ). The amounts of organic-N and NO 3 -N exported via stream ¯ow (organic-N 1 . 04 and No 3 -N 3 . 06 kg ha 71 yr 71 ) were relatively small; however, they represented greater amounts than the inputs via precipitation (organic-N 0 . 74 and NO 3 -N 0 . 97 kg ha 71 yr 71 ), because of the great contribution of this element in the super®cial soil horizon, where the processes of decomposition of organic material, mineralization and immobilization of the nutrients occurs.