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Stable and radiogenic strontium isotope cycling in a representative karst forest ecosystem, Southwest China

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Abstract

Nutrient depletion in the ecosystem mainly occurred via the base cations leach from the ecosystems. Isotope technology can provide new information on the nutrients’ behavior (cycle) in ecosystems. To better understand the strontium (Sr) biogeochemical cycle in the forest, radiogenic and stable Sr isotopes were determined in various environmental samples (rainwater, groundwater, calcareous soil, vegetation, and bedrocks) collected from a karst forest ecosystem, Southwest China. The Sr supplies are supported via the deposition of atmospheric materials and the weathering of carbonate rock in this area. These supplied sources observably influence the Sr isotope compositions (both stable and radiogenic isotope). Across the ecosystem, the varied ranges of 87Sr/86Sr ratios increased in the order: bedrock (0.708) ~ groundwater (0.708–0.709) ~ rainwater (0.709–0.711) ~ vegetation (0.709–0.710) < surface calcareous soil (0.713–0.719) < deep calcareous soil (0.714–0.724). Both rainwater and groundwater present similar 87Sr/86Sr ratios to the water-draining carbonate-dominated terrain. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios of vegetation are similar to that of rainwater but slightly heavier than groundwater. In contrast, the varied ranges of δ88/86Sr values followed a sequence of rainwater (0.08–0.21‰) < groundwater (0.11–0.27‰) < deep calcareous soil (0.02–0.29‰) < tree leaves (0.12–0.17‰) < surface calcareous soil (0.14–0.29‰) < bedrock (0.40‰) < shrub leaves (0.50‰). The δ88/86Sr values of tree leaves are between surface calcareous soil and deep calcareous soil, and the δ88/86Sr values of shrub leaves are higher than all of the compartments in the forest ecosystem, which indicated vegetation uptake might control the stable strontium fractionation. In combination with the radiogenic and stable Sr isotopes, our investigation presents that the 87Sr/86Sr provides sources’ information, whereas the δ88/86Sr records biogeochemical cycle information.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Mrs. Ana Kolevica and Dr. Florian Böhm at GEOMAR for laboratory assistance and technical support, and Mr. Jie Zeng, Mr. Man Liu, and Mr. Rui Qu at CUGB for manuscript preparation assistance.

Funding

This work was supported jointly by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41661144029; 41325010).

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  1. Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

    Guilin Han

  2. GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3, 24148, Kiel, Germany

    Anton Eisenhauer

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  1. Guilin Han
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Correspondence to Guilin Han.

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Han, G., Eisenhauer, A. Stable and radiogenic strontium isotope cycling in a representative karst forest ecosystem, Southwest China. Environ Earth Sci 80, 741 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-021-10075-0

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