Simulation of soil hydrology and establishment of a nitrogen budget of a mountain forest.
The water fluxes through the mountainous forest ecosystem 'Mühleggerköpfl' were simulated by means of the mechanistic soil physical model Hydrus 1D. The objective was to set up a nitrogen budget in order to decide if the ecosystem accumulates nitrogen or if nitrogen leaks from the site. The simulated annual loss of N by percolation ranges between 0.4 and 1 g N m(-2) yr(-1) and is smaller than the annual input by bulk and occult deposition, which combines to approx 1.2-1.5 g N m(-2) yr(-1). Obviously the forest soil presently accumulates N. With an N input-rate exceeding the N output, the operationally defined status of N saturation is not yet reached. Comparing the magnitude of the N pool in the soil (several kg N m(-2)) with the rate of the annual increase (a few g N m(-2) yr(-1)), the process of N saturation is apparently slow.
Jandl
Robert
R
Institute of Forest Ecology, Forest Research Center, A-1131 Vienna, Austria. robert.jandl@fbva.bmlf.gv.at
Spögler
Hannes
H
Simunek
Jiri
J
Heng
Lee K
LK
D000531:Altitude; D001317:Austria; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D028222:Picea; D012987:Soil; D014197:Trees; D014872:Water Movements
D012987:Soil; D009584:Nitrogen