The capacity of ion adsorption and purification for coniferous forests is stronger than that of broad-leaved forests.

Abstract

In the past few decades, industrialization has caused a large number of pollutants to be released into the atmosphere. Forest ecosystems play an important function in regulating the biogeochemistry and the circulation of metal ions pollutants. Forest ecosystems affect the absorption of pollutants and dissolution of nutrients from the atmosphere and vegetation canopy, thereby influencing the content and composition of forest floor leachate and soil solution. This study examined changes in acid anions (NO3-, SO42-, Cl-) and metal cations (K+, Ca2+, Na2+, Mg2+, Fe3+, Pb2+, Cu2+, Cd2+) in rainfall, throughfall, stemflow, and forest floor leachate for five different forests (Larix principis-rupprechtii, Picea wilsonii, Picea crassifolia, Betula platyphylla and Rhododendron communities). The results showed that the enrichment capacity of acid anions and metal cations in the vegetation canopy of the coniferous forests (L. principis-rupprechtii, P. wilsonii, P. crassifolia) was stronger than that of the broad-leaved forests (B. platyphylla and Rhododendron communities). The content of acid anions and metal cations in stemflow of coniferous forests were 3.7-5.6 times and 0-9.3 times higher than those of broad-leaved forests, respectively. Corresponding values in throughfall were 1-1.4 times and 0.3-2.4 times, respectively. The contents of NO3-, Cl-, K+, Mg2+, Fe3+, Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+ in leachate filtered from the soil layers that are deepening gradually showed consistent decreasing trend for all the forest stands. In addition, NO3-, Cl-, K+, Mg2+, Fe3+, and Pb2+ were also concentrated in the topsoil, except for Cu2+ and Cd2+. Nevertheless, SO42- and Na+ were concentrated in the subsoil, whereas Ca2+ was concentrated in the upper soil layers. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents in coniferous forest stands were 20-37% and 34-63% higher than those in broad-leaved forest stands, respectively. This results also shown that the contents of OC and TN has a strong correlation with the content of partial metal cations in soil and litter, indicating that coniferous forest stands had stronger ion scavenging and adsorption capacity in soil layer and litter layer than broad-leaved forest stands. Therefore, L. principis-rupprechtii, P. wilsonii, P. crassifolia had higher air pollutant adsorption and soil pollution remediation capacities than the other two forests. Thus, we recommend planting coniferous tree species (L. principis-rupprechtii, P. wilsonii and P. crassifolia) for eco-rehabilitation and water purification to improve the ecological service function of forest ecosystems.