Abstract
Investigating the responses of retention and output of sulfur (S) is significant to understand the impact of atmospheric S deposition on the S cycling in soils and its environmental effects in the karst catchments of Southwest China. This study analyzed the contents and δ34S values of different S forms (total S, carbon-bonded S, ester-bonded SO42-, SO42-, and total reduced inorganic sulfur [TRIS]), the δ34S values of stream SO42-, the δ13C values of soil organic carbon, and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) quantity in limestone soil and yellow soil profiles in a typical small karst catchment of Southwest China. The results showed that under the same acid deposition level, the limestone soil and yellow soil profiles are significantly different from the distribution of contents and δ34S values of different S forms and the number of SRB. At the same time, more than 70% of the SO42- in the stream water draining the sampling slopes came from soils at different depths in limestone soil and yellow soil profiles. These results indicate the different response of retention and output of S in the limestone soil and yellow soil to S deposition input. The organic S formation and dissimilatory SO42- reduction (DSR) to form TRIS are S retention processes that exist in both limestone soil and yellow soil profiles. There are processes of transport and accumulation of SO42- at the bottom layer in yellow soil profile; therefore, retaining S as absorbed SO42- is also a main S retention process in yellow soil. At present, the output of SO42- through stream water mainly comes from the deposited SO42- which undergoes DSR reaction driven by SRB, not from organic S mineralization and desorption of adsorbed SO42- in the limestone soil and yellow soil profiles. However, organic S is the main S form in limestone soil and yellow soil. After the annual S deposition flux is significantly reduced, organic S mineralization in limestone soil and yellow soil profiles may release a large amount of SO42- into the surface water.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
Not applicable.
References
Alewell C, Giesemann A (1996) Sulfate reduction in a forested catchment as indicated by δ34S of soil solutions and runoff. Isot Environ Healt S 32:203–210. https://doi.org/10.1080/10256019608036312
Alewell C, Novák M (2001) Spotting zones of dissimilatory sulfate reduction in a forested catchment: the 34S−35S approach. Environ Pollut 112:369–377. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(00)00137-8
Backlund K, Boman A, Fröjdö S, Ǻström M (2005) An analytical procedure for determination of sulfur species and isotopes in boreal acid sulfate soils and sediments. Agric Food Sci 14:70–82. https://doi.org/10.2137/1459606054224147
Bates AL, Spiker EC, Orem WH, Burnett WC (1993) Speciation and isotopic composition of sulfur in sediments from Jellyfish Lake, Palau. Chem Geol 106:63–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-2541(93)90166-G
Borggaard OK (1982) Selective extraction of amorphous iron oxides by EDTA from selected silicates and mixtures of amorphous and crystalline iron oxides. Clay Miner 17:365–368. https://doi.org/10.1180/claymin.1982.017.3.09
Chen QQ, Shen CD, Sun YM, Peng SL, Yi WX, Li ZA, Jiang MT (2005) Spatial and temporal distribution of carbon isotopes in soil organic matter at the Dinghushan Bio-sphere Reserve, South China. Plant Soil 273:115–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-004-7245-y
Conway A (1978) Soil physical-chemical analysis. Technology Press, Shanghai
Driscoll CT, Driscoll KM, Mitchell MJ, Raynal DJ (2003) Effects of acidic deposition on forest and aquatic ecosystems in New York State. Environ Pollut 123:327–336. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(03)00019-8
Fossing H, Jørgensen BB (1989) Measurement of bacterial sulfate reduction in sediments: evaluation of a single-step chromium reduction method. Biogeochemistry 8:205–222. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00002889
Gebauer G, Giesemann A, Schulze ED, Jäger HJ (1994) Isotope ratios and concentrations of sulfur and nitrogen in needles and soils of Piceaabies stands as influenced by atmospheric deposition of sulfur and nitrogen compounds. Plant Soil 164:267–281. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00010079
Holmer M, Storkholm P (2001) Sulphate reduction and sulphur cycling in lake sediments: a review. Freshw Biol 46:431–451. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2427.2001.00687.x
Hong YT, Zhang HB, Zhu YX (1993) Sulfur isotopic characteristics of coal in China and sulfur isotopic fractionation during coal-burning process. Chin J Geochem 12:51–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02869045
Icgen B, Harrison S (2006) Identification of population dynamics in sulfate-reducing consortia on exposure to sulfate. Res Microbiol 157:922–927. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resmic.2006.08.003
Kang PG, Mitchell MJ, Mayer B, Campbell JL (2014) Isotopic evidence for determining the sources of dissolved organic sulfur in a forested catchment. Environ Sci Technol 48:11259–11267. https://doi.org/10.1021/es502563n
Krouse HR, Grinenko VA (1991) Stable isotopes: natural and anthropogenic sulphur in the environment. John Wiley & Sons, England
Larssen T, Lydersen E, Tang D, He Y, Gao JX, Liu HY, Seip HM, Vogt RD, Mulder J, Shao M, Wang YH, Shang H, Zhang XS, Solberg S, Aas W, Økland T, Eilertsen O, Angell V, Liu QR, Zhao DW, Xiang RJ, Xiao JS, Luo JH (2006) Acid rain in China. Environ Sci Technol 40:418–425. https://doi.org/10.1021/es0626133
Li TY, Li HC, Xiang XJ, Kuo TS, Li JY, Zhou FL, Chen HL, Peng LL (2012) Transportation characteristics of δ13C in the plants-soil-bedrock-cave system in Chongqing karst area. Sci China Earth Sci 55:685–694. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-011-4294-y
Liao B, Seip HM, Larssen T (1997) Responses of two Chinese forest soils to acidic inputs: leaching experiment. Geoderma 75:53–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7061(96)00077-8
Likens GE, Driscoll CT, Buso DC, Mitchell MJ, Lovett GM, Bailey SW, Siccama TG, Reiners WA, Alewell C (2002) The biogeochemistry of sulfur at Hubbard Brook. Biogeochemistry 60:235–316. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020972100496
Liu CQ (2009) Biogeochemical processes and cycling of nutrients in the earth’s surface: cycling of nutrients in soil-plant systems of karstic environments, Southwest China. Science Press, Beijing (In Chinese)
Liu CQ, Jiang YK, Tao FX, Lang YC, Li SL (2008) Chemical weathering of carbonate rocks by sulfuric acid and the carbon cycling in Southwest China. Geochimica 37:404–414 https://doi.org/CNKI:SUN:DQHX.0.2008-04-013
Liu WJ, Tu CL, Lang YC, Feng JY, Li LB, Wang QL, Liu CQ (2010) Major and trace element compositions of yellow and limestone soils in the karst area of Southwest China: implications for weathering and soil−formation processes. Earth Environment 38:271–279 (In Chinese) https://doi.org/CNKI:SUN:DZDQ.0.2010-03-004
Mayer B, Feger KH, Giesemann A, Jäger HJ (1995) Interpretation of sulfur cycling in two catchments in the Black Forest (Germany) using stable sulfur and oxygen isotope data. Biogeochemistry 30:31–58. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02181039
Midwood AJ, Boutton TW (1998) Soil carbonate decomposition by acid has little effect on δ13C of organic matter. Soil Biol Biochem 30:1301–1307. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(98)00030-3
Mitchell MJ, Mayer B, Bailey SW, Hornbeck JW, Alewell C, Driscoll CT, Linken GE (2001) Use of stable isotope ratios for evaluating sulfur sources and losses at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Water Air Soil Pollut 130:75–86. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012295301541
Mörth CM, Torssander P (1995) Sulfur and oxygen-isotope ratios in sulfate during an acidification reversal study at lake Gårdjön, western Sweden. Water Air Soil Pollut 79:261–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01100441
Mörth CM, Torssander P, Kjønnas OJ, Stunaes AO, Moldan F, Giesler R (2005) Mineralization of organic sulfur delays recovery from anthropogenic acidification. Environ Sci Technol 39:5234–5240. https://doi.org/10.1021/es048169q
Norman AL, Giesemann A, Krouse HR, Jäger HJ (2002) Sulphur isotope fractionation during sulphur mineralization: results of an incubation-extraction experiment with a Black Forest soil. Soil Biol Biochem 34:1425–1438. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(02)00086-X
Novak M, Wieder RK, Schell WR (1994) Sulfur during early diagenesis in Sphagnum peat: insights from d34S ratio profiles in 210Pb-dated peat cores. Limnol Oceanogr 39:1172–1185. https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-6701(95)80047-6
Novák M, Bottrell SH, Prechova E (2001) Sulfur isotope inventories of atmospheric deposition, spruce forest floor and living Sphagnum along a NW-SE transect across Europe. Biogeochemistry 53:23–50. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010792205756
Novák M, Buzek F, Harrison AF, Přechová E, Jačková I, Fottová D (2003) Similarity between C, N and S stable isotope profiles in European spruce forest soils: implications for the use of δ34S as a tracer. Appl Geochem 18:765–779. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-2927(02)00162-2
Novák M, Kirchner JW, Fottova D, Prěchová E, Jăckvoá I, Krám P, Hruška J (2005) Isotopic evidence for processes of sulfur retention/release in 13 forested catchments spanning a strong pollution gradient (Czech Republic, central Europe). Global Biogeochem Cy 19. https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GB002396
Poage MA, Feng XH (2004) A theoretical analysis of steady state δ13C profiles of soil organic matter. Global Biogeochem Cy 16:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GB002195
Prechetel A, Alewell C, Armbruster M, Bittersohl J, Cullen JM, Helliwell R, Kopacek J, Marchetto A, Matzner E, Meesenburg H, Moldan F, Moritz K, Vesley J, Wright RF (2001) Response to sulfur dynamics in European catchments to decreasing sulphate deposition. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 5:311–325. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-5-311-2001
Prietzel J, Mayer B, Legge AH (2004) Cumulative impact of 40 years of industrial sulfur emissions on a forest soil in west-central Alberta (Canada). Environ Pollut 132:129–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2004.03.016
Stanko-Golden KM, Swank WT, Fitzgerald JW (1994) Factors affecting sulfate adsorption, organic sulfur formation, and mobilization in forest and grassland spodosols. Biol Fertil Soils 17:289–296. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383984
Tan Z, McLaren RG, Cameron KC (1994) Forms of sulfur extracted from soils after different methods of sample preparation. Aust J Soil Res 32:823–834. https://doi.org/10.1071/SR9940823
Tuttle ML, Goldhaber MB (1993) Sedimentary sulfur geochemistry of Paleogene green river formation, west USA: implications for interpreting depositional and diagenetic processes in saline alkaline lakes. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 57:3023–3039 https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(93)90291-4
Van Stempvoort DR, Reardon EJ, Fritz P (1990) Fractionation of sulfur and oxygen isotopes in sulfate by soil sorption. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 54:2817–2826. https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(90)90016-E
Wang ZY, Zhang XS, Zhang Y, Wang Z, Mulder J (2011) Accumulation of different sulfur fractions in Chinese forest soil under acid deposition. J Environ Monit 13:2463–2470. https://doi.org/10.1039/C1EM10313J
Wieder RK, Lang GE, Granus VA (1985) An evaluation of wet chemical methods for quantifying sulfur fractions in freshwater wetland peat. Limnol Oceanogr 30:1109–1115. https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1985.30.5.1109
Xu ZF, Liu CQ (2007) Chemical weathering in the upper reaches of Xijiang River draining the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Southwest China. Chem Geol 239:83–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2006.12.008
Yan ZL, Han XK, Lang YC, Guo QJ, Li SL (2020) The abatement of acid rain in Guizhou province, Southwestern China: implication from sulfur and oxygen isotopes. Environ Pollut 267:115444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115444
Yue FJ, Waldron S, Li SL, Wang ZJ, Zeng J, Xu S, Zhang ZC, Oliver DM (2019) Land use interacts with changes in catchment hydrology to generate chronic nitrate pollution in karst waters and strong seasonality in excess nitrate export. Sci Total Environ 696:134062. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134062
Zhang W, Wang ZL (2013) Distributions of sulfur forms and sulfate-reducing bacteria in limestone soil and yellow soil in karst areas of Southwest China. Fresenius Environ Bull 22:2456–2466
Zhang W, Liu CQ, Wang ZL, Zhang LL, Luo XQ (2014) Speciation and isotopic compositions of sulfur in limestone soil and yellow soil in karst areas, southwest China: implications for different responses to acid deposition. J Environ Qual 43:809–819. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2013.09.0359
Zhao D, Xiong J, Xu Y, Chan WH (1988) Acid rain in southwestern China. Atmos Environ 22:349–358. https://doi.org/10.1016/0004-6981(88)90040-6
Zhu SF, Liu CQ (2006) Vertical patterns of stable carbon isotope in soils and particle-size fractions of karst areas, Southwest China. Environ Earth Sci 50:1119–1127. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-006-0285-2
Zhu SF, Liu CQ, Tao FX, Wang ZL, Po HC (2007) Difference in stable carbon isotopic composition and profile distribution of soil organic matter between brown limestone soil and yellow soil in karst areas of Guizhou province. Acta Pedol Sin 44:169–173. (In Chinese). https://doi.org/10.1176/6trxb/200509120125
Funding
This work was financially supported by the Science and Technology Foundation of Guizhou Provincial Department of Education (Grant No. KY[2016]084; KY [2018]267); Science and Technology Foundation of Guizhou Province (Grant Nos. [2017]5790-04; [2017]5790-08; [2019]2834; [2019]1246), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41703082).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
WZ designed the study; material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by LZ and JD; WZ, LZ, and JD wrote the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Kitae Baek
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, W., Zhang, L. & Deng, J. Comparison of retention and output of sulfur in limestone soil and yellow soil and their responses to acid deposition in a small karst catchment of Guizhou Province, Southwest China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 60993–61007 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15039-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15039-2