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Temporal dynamics of bio-available Si fluxes in a temperate forested catchment (Meerdaal forest, Belgium)

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Abstract

Silicon (Si) is a key element in global biogeochemical cycling and recent research has shown that changes in the biological component of the Si cycle may lead to more rapid variations in the land–ocean Si transfer than previously thought. The objective of this paper is to better understand the controls on temporal Si dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems, by studying Si fluxes from a small forested catchment in central Belgium. An intensive monitoring program (2008–2010) of dissolved and amorphous silica (DSi and ASi) concentrations and load patterns show that DSi concentrations are significantly lower during winter–spring periods than during summer–autumn periods. In contrast to what was found in other studies, seasonal dynamics in Meerdaal forest are not controlled by variations in biological uptake or temperature, but mainly by the more important supply of pore-water to the groundwater table in winter–spring periods. Analysis of seasonal and event fluctuations in stream water DSi concentrations showed that final stream water is a mixture of old, DSi rich water pushed out of the soil, and new, DSi poor water delivered by quick flow. The mixing of old and new water finally resulted in streamwater DSi concentrations responding only moderately to variations in discharge (near-chemostatic behaviour). We estimated the total DSi export from the system to be ca. 65.1 × 103 mol km−2 year−1. Because Si delivery is biologically regulated through an important Si cycle in the vegetation-soil continuum, an anthropogenic (e.g. agricultural expansion) or climatic disturbance of terrestrial ecosystems may alter both water residence times through shifts in hydrological regimes and the DSi chemical equilibrium concentration in soils. In turn, these perturbations will potentially alter long-term DSi and ASi inputs to aquatic systems.

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Acknowledgments

The following persons are thanked for their invaluable assistance: Agentschap voor Natuur and Bos for consenting to fieldwork in Meerdaal forest, M. De Bie for providing a location to install the pluviometer, M. Ayyad, J. Meersmans, S. Vandevelde (KULeuven) and M. Bravin (UCLouvain) for equipment maintenance, data and sample collection, L. Fondu (KULeuven) for organic carbon analysis and ASi pre-treatment, A.Cools and T. Van der Spiet (ECOBE laboratory) for ASi and DSi analysis and P. Frings for English grammar support. Wim Clymans would like to thank the Flemish Agency for the promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology (IWT) for funding his personal PhD grant. Eric Struyf acknowledges the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for funding his postdoctoral grant. We acknowledge the Belgian Science Policy (BELSPO, SD/NS/05a) for funding the project “LUSi: land use changes and silica fluxes in the Scheldt river basin” and FWO for funding project “Tracking the biological control on Si mobilization in upland ecosystems” (Project no. G014609N). Finally, this manuscript has been substantially improved thanks to the constructive comments and suggestions of two anonymous reviewers: their help is greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, 3001, Heverlee, Belgium

    Wim Clymans, Gerard Govers & Benedicta Ronchi

  2. Earth and Life Institute, Georges Lemaître Centre for Earth and Climate Research, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Elisabeth Frot & Bas Van Wesemael

  3. Ecosystem Management Research Group, Department of Biology, University Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium

    Eric Struyf

  4. Department of Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62, Lund, Sweden

    Wim Clymans

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  1. Wim Clymans
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  2. Gerard Govers
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Correspondence to Wim Clymans.

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Clymans, W., Govers, G., Frot, E. et al. Temporal dynamics of bio-available Si fluxes in a temperate forested catchment (Meerdaal forest, Belgium). Biogeochemistry 116, 275–291 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-013-9858-9

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