title: Nutrient gain from wet and dry atmospheric deposition and rainfall acidity in southern California chaparral.
abstract: Ionic concentration and annual deposition of NO-3-N, NH+4-N, Ca2+, and Mg2+from bulk precipitation and dry atmospheric deposition were studied for one year in southern California. Data were collected from an inland chaparral site at 1,300 m elevation, 75 km from the coast. The annual depositions of NO-3-N and NH+4-N amounted to 96.3 and 56.0 mg m-2ground area yr-1, respectively. The corresponding values for calcium and magnesium ions were 207.4 and 57.4 mg m-2yr-1. The average pH of rainwater was 3.74 (range 3.37 to 4.75), thus documenting acid rain for an inland site in California, distant from urban sources of air contamination. An estimate of nitrogen gains and losses indicated that the time between recurrent chaparral fires should be about 60 years in order to maintain a balanced nitrogen budget.
authors.affiliation: Botany Department, San Diego State University, 92182, San Diego, CA, USA.|Systems Ecology Research Group, San Diego State University, 92182, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.affiliation: Botany Department, San Diego State University, 92182, San Diego, CA, USA.|Systems Ecology Research Group, San Diego State University, 92182, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Verfaillie
authors.affiliation: Botany Department, San Diego State University, 92182, San Diego, CA, USA.|Systems Ecology Research Group, San Diego State University, 92182, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kummerow