Author:
An Yanqing,Xu Jianzhong,Liu Yanmei,Li Xiaofei,Zhao Huabiao,Kang Shichang
Abstract
Atmospheric nitrogen deposition is an important contributor to global and regional nitrogen cycles, and atmospheric nitrogen could be a critical limit nutrient for remote areas. In this study, nitrogen species compositions, deposition fluxes, and historical records in the mountains of Western China, including the Tibetan Plateau, were determined from snowpit and ice core samples collected from mountain glaciers. The mean concentration of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) in the snowpit samples was 12.6 μmol L−1 (8.0–17.8 μmol L−1) and comprised 59% ammonium nitrogen, 35% nitrate nitrogen, and ∼6% dissolved organic nitrogen. The deposition of nitrogen species, except organic nitrogen (likely due to its low concentrations and/or different origination), varied seasonally in a similar way based on the records of the snowpit profile. Based on monthly surface sample collection in one of the glaciers, the mass concentration and composition of nitrogen species varied monthly, mainly because of melting processes. During melting, the inorganic nitrogen content could be lost significantly, whereas the dissolved organic nitrogen concentration could be enriched because of microbial activity. For the historical records, the nitrogen deposition in mountain areas of Western China after 1960s was increased by about one time of that during 1900–1950 and was dominated by ammonium-N. From the snowpit data, we estimated the total dissolved nitrogen deposition flux at 0.56–1.3 (mean 0.88) kg ha−1 a−1 in the mountain area of Western China. These results could improve our understanding of nitrogen deposition and cycle in the mountain areas of Western China.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Subject
General Environmental Science
Cited by
2 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献