Kl. Clark et al., ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION AND NET RETENTION OF IONS BY THE CANOPY IN A TROPICAL MONTANE FOREST, MONTEVERDE, COSTA-RICA, Journal of tropical ecology, 14, 1998, pp. 27-45
Meteorological variables, bulk cloud water and precipitation (BCWP), a
nd bulk precipitation (BP) were measured above the canopy, and through
fall (TF; n = 20) was collected beneath an epiphyte-laden canopy of a
tropical montane forest (TMF) for 1 y at Monteverde, Costa Rica. Total
deposition (cloud + wet + dry) of inorganic ions to the canopy was es
timated using a sodium (Na+) mass balance technique. Annual BCWP and B
P depths were 2678 mm and 1792 mm for events where mean windspeeds (u)
greater than or equal to 2 m s(-1) and 4077 mm and 3191 mm for all ev
ents, respectively. Volume-weighted mean pH and concentrations of nitr
ate-N (NO3--N) and ammonium-N (NH4+-N) were 4.88, 0.09 and 0.09 mg l(-
1) in BCWP, and 5.00, 0.05 and 0.05 mg l(-1) in BP, respectively. Clou
d water and mist deposition to the canopy was estimated to be 356 mm.
Estimated deposition of free acidity (H+), NO3--N, and NH4+-N to the c
anopy was 0.49, 3.4 and 3.4 kg ha(-1) y(-1), respectively. Mean TF dep
th was 1054 +/- 83 mm (mean +/- S.E.) for events where u greater than
or equal to 2 m s(-1), and 2068 +/- 132 mm for all events. Volume-weig
hted mean pH and concentrations of NO3--N and NH4+-N in TF were 5.72,
0.04 mg l(-1), and 0.07 mg l(-1), respectively. Mean fluxes of H+, NO3
- -N, and NH4+-N in TF were 0.04 +/- 0.01, 0.6 +/- 0.2 and 1.3 +/- 0.2
kg ha(-1) y(-1), and percent net retention of these ions by the canop
y was 92 +/- 2, 80 +/- 6, and 61 +/- 6%, respectively. Phosphate, pota
ssium calcium and magnesium were leached from the canopy. Seasonal dat
a suggest that biomass burning increased concentrations of NO3- and NH
4+, in cloud water and precipitation at the end of the dry season. Reg
ardless, a large majority of the inorganic N in atmospheric deposition
was retained by the canopy at this site.