Litterfall sulfur and nitrogen inputs as influenced by power plant proximity

Abstract

The mass of litterfall input, and its weight and concentration of S and total N, were evaluated over a 3 yr period at two locations on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee to determine if proximity to a major coal-fired power plant would have a significant impact on elemental input to the forest floor via litterfall. Higher levels of atmospheric S and N input have been reported for the Cross Creek site versus the Camp Branch location. As a general rule, the mass of litterfall and the amount of S and N transferred from standing biomass to the forest floor by litterfall did not differ in a statistically significant (P = 0.05) manner as a function of year, cover type, or location. The limited number of significant responses which were observed were confined for the most part to a single cover type and were attributed to factors other than atmospheric inputs. These and other data collected from the same sites indicate that at least for the elements evaluated, no statistically significant effect on litterfall S and N due to local emissions could be detected.