Effects of aluminum toxicity induced by acid deposition on pine forest ecosystem in Longli of Guizhou Province, Southwestern China

Abstract

The effects of acid deposition on pine forest ecosystems in Longli of Guizhou Province, southwestern China are studied using indoor experiments and model simulations. Indoor experiments are designed to explore the aluminum toxicity on pine seedlings, and the long-term soil acidification model (LTSAM) and a terrestrial biogeochemistry model (CENTURY) are used to simulate the influences of acid deposition on pine forest ecosystems. The indoor experiment results of aluminum toxicity show that aluminum ions in solution limit plant growth and acid deposition enhances this effect by facilitating the release of aluminum ions from the soil. Pine seedling biomass and root elongation decrease as the aluminum concentration increases. The results of model simulations show that the soil chemistry varies significantly with different changes in acid deposition. When the acid deposition increases, the pH value in the soil solution decreases and the soil Al3+ concentration increases. The increased acid deposition also has negative impacts on the forest ecosystem, i.e., decreases plant biomass, net primary productivity (NPP) and net CO2 uptake. As a result, the soil organic carbon (SOC) decreases because of the limited supply of decomposition material. Thus acid deposition need be reduced to help protect the forest ecosystems.