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Effects of simulated acid rain on soil and soil solution chemistry in a monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest in southern China

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Abstract

Acid rain is an environmental problem of increasing concern in China. In this study, a laboratory leaching column experiment with acid forest soil was set up to investigate the responses of soil and soil solution chemistry to simulated acid rain (SAR). Five pH levels of SAR were set: 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5 (as a control, CK). The results showed that soil acidification would occur when the pH of SAR was ≤3.5. The concentrations of NO3 −and Ca2+ in the soil increased significantly when the pH of SAR fell 3.5. The concentration of SO4 2− in the soil increased significantly when the pH of SAR was <4.0. The effects of SAR on soil solution chemistry became increasingly apparent as the experiment proceeded (except for Na+ and dissolved organic carbon (DOC)). The net exports of NO3 −, SO4 2−, Mg2+, and Ca2+ increased about 42–86 % under pH 2.5 treatment as compared to CK. The Ca2+ was sensitive to SAR, and the soil could release Ca2+ through mineral weathering to mitigate soil acidification. The concentration of exchangeable Al3+ in the soil increased with increasing the acidity of SAR. The releases of soluble Al and Fe were SAR pH dependent, and their net exports under pH 2.5 treatment were 19.6 and 5.5 times, respectively, higher than that under CK. The net export of DOC was reduced by 12–29 % under SAR treatments as compared to CK. Our results indicate the chemical constituents in the soil are more sensitive to SAR than those in the soil solution, and the effects of SAR on soil solution chemistry depend not only on the intensity of SAR but also on the duration of SAR addition. The soil and soil solution chemistry in this region may not be affected by current precipitation (pH≈4.5) in short term, but the soil and soil leachate chemistry may change dramatically if the pH of precipitation were below 3.5 and 3.0, respectively.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Prof. Dafeng Hui and Lucy Hui for helpful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for their valuable contributions. This work was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31428001, 41430529) and “Strategic Priority Research Program-Climate Change: Carbon Budget and Related Issues” of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA05050205).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510650, China

    Qingyan Qiu, Jianping Wu, Juxiu Liu, Guowei Chu, Guoyi Zhou & Deqiang Zhang

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China

    Qingyan Qiu & Jianping Wu

  3. State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510650, China

    Guohua Liang

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  1. Qingyan Qiu
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  2. Jianping Wu
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  3. Guohua Liang
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  4. Juxiu Liu
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  7. Deqiang Zhang
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Correspondence to Deqiang Zhang.

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Qiu, Q., Wu, J., Liang, G. et al. Effects of simulated acid rain on soil and soil solution chemistry in a monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest in southern China. Environ Monit Assess 187, 272 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4492-8

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