The use of mass balance investigations in the study of the biogeochemical cycle of sulfur

Abstract

The use of mass balances in the investigation of the biogeochemical cycle of sulfur is reviewed for three systems: I) upland catchments, 2) wetlands, and 3) lakes. In upland catchments, the major inputs of sulfur are via wet and dry atmospheric deposition, whereas outputs or losses occur primarily through volatilization and/or runoff. In addition, sulfur may be stored in vegetation and in the forest floor. In wetlands (particularly peatlands), a large proportion of the sulfur inputs are derived from surface and groundwater originating in the upland system. Because of the fluctuating water table in wetlands, they can act as a source or sink for sulfate, depending on the redox conditions. Wetlands, therefore, can significantly affect input-output budgets for lakes. In most lakes, only a small portion of the sulfate input is retained, (i.e. not lost from the lake via outflow), indicating that there is an excess of sulfate relative to biological needs. Seepage lakes are exceptions to this generalization. Although the reactivity of the sulfate input to many lakes is low, sulfate levels, especially in regions receiving substantial atmospheric sulfur deposition, are high enough that the portion reduced results in substantial in-lake alkalinity production; in fact, in many cases, alkalinity production from sulfate reduction is greater than that resulting from not only other in-lake processes but from external sources (the catchment) as well. The importance of mass balance investigations in elucidating the biogeochemical cycling of sulfur is stressed and the need for additional studies on a whole-system basis stressed.