Abstract
Stable S isotope ratios (σ34S) were evaluated in soil solution leachates, soluble plus adsorbed soil SO sup2−inf4 , soil organic S, precipitation, and in stream solutions along an elevational gradient at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in the White Mts. of New Hampshire, U.S.A. The σ34S of soil organic S varied with soil horizon and vegetation type, but was generally more negative than adsorbed or soil solution SO sup2−inf4 . In the Bh horizon, σ34S of organic S was typically more negative than the Oa horizon or lower mineral soil (Bsl). The patterns suggest a combination of plant and microbial fractionation processes. Stream σ34S values decreased with decreasing elevation and were correlated with decreases in SO sup2−inf4 concentration, suggesting an additional S source in higher elevation coniferous sites with a unique σ34S.
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Fuller, R.D., Mitchell, M.J., Krouse, H.R. et al. Stable sulfur isotope ratios as a tool for interpreting ecosystem sulfur dynamics. Water Air Soil Pollut 28, 163–171 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00184078
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00184078