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Forests
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Trace Elements Biogeochemical Cycling in Forests Ecosystem
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Trace Elements Biogeochemical Cycling in Forests Ecosystem

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2023) | Viewed by 6938

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Zang Fei

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
Interests: trace elements; forests; biogeochemistry; atmospheric deposition; litter; soil

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forest is the largest ecosystem on land and an important guardian of ecological balance and environmental quality. Forest ecosystems are one of the most active parts of the biogeochemical cycle on a global scale, and studying the biogeochemical processes of trace elements in forest ecosystems is essential for understanding trace element cycling and assessing forest service functions. In recent years, the rapid development of social economy has led to the prominent problem of trace elements in the environment. Trace elements have the characteristics of difficult biodegradation, persistence and long-term accumulation. They are easily enriched in the food chain and pose a potential threat to human health, animals, plants and the ecological environment. The long-range transport of trace elements has adverse impacts on forest ecosystems. However, forest is a complex ecosystem, and its multi-interface and multi-media characteristics make the study of trace element biogeochemical cycles still challenging.

In this Special Issue of Forests we explore the complex biogeochemical processes of trace elements in various media of forest ecosystems, examine the input and output pathways of trace elements, and examine new management practices for assessing potential ecosystem consequences in the future.

Dr. Zang Fei
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • trace elements
  • biogeochemical cycling
  • atmospheric deposition
  • throughfall
  • stemflow
  • litter decomposition
  • soil and plant
  • moss and lichen
  • mushroom
  • forest ecosystems

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2814 KiB  
Article
Production, Concentration and Flux of Major and Trace Elements in Juniperus przewalskii Litter of the Qilian Mountains, China
by Fangyuan Huang, Fei Zang, Xinning Zhao, Na Li, Zhongren Nan, Shengli Wang and Chuanyan Zhao
Forests 2023, 14(7), 1364; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071364 - 02 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1077
Abstract
Forest litter is an important guarantee for maintaining forest soil fertility and circulating material in forest ecosystems. The input of litter plays an important role in soil organic matter formation and biogeochemical cycles in forest ecosystems. However, the production and elements concentrations of [...] Read more.
Forest litter is an important guarantee for maintaining forest soil fertility and circulating material in forest ecosystems. The input of litter plays an important role in soil organic matter formation and biogeochemical cycles in forest ecosystems. However, the production and elements concentrations of Juniperus przewalskii (JP) litter in the Qilian Mountains are still unknown. In this study, we investigated the production of needle, branch and bark, cone, and impurity litters. We determined the concentrations and fluxes of major (K, Mg, Al, and Fe) and trace (Na, Mn, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, Co, Cd, and Ag) elements in needle litter of JP from September 2020 to August 2021. The results showed that the annual litter production was 4040.74 ± 495.96 kg ha−1 a−1. Needle and cone litters were the main components of the total litter production. The major elements (MEs) and trace elements (TEs) fluxes of litter were consistent with the litter production trend. The concentrations and fluxes of MEs and TEs in needle litter decreased in the order: K > Mg > Al > Fe > Na > Mn > Zn > Cr > Ni > Cu > Pb > Co > Cd > Ag. These results have important implications for understanding the migration processes of MEs and TEs in forest ecosystems of the Qilian Mountains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trace Elements Biogeochemical Cycling in Forests Ecosystem)
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21 pages, 30053 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Trace Elements in Tree Rings of Pines Growing Nearby Steelwork in Southern Poland during the Industrial and Post-Industrial Periods
by Barbara Sensuła and Nathalie Fagel
Forests 2023, 14(5), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14050964 - 07 May 2023
Viewed by 1178
Abstract
The current study explores for the first time the contrasts and similarities between the elemental (Na, Mg, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb) composition of pines that grow in a polluted industrialized area, located close to a steelworks, and that of pines growing [...] Read more.
The current study explores for the first time the contrasts and similarities between the elemental (Na, Mg, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb) composition of pines that grow in a polluted industrialized area, located close to a steelworks, and that of pines growing in a comparative site, far from industry. Radial trace element profiles were determined by LA-ICPMS. The results are compared with the rainfall load at the monitoring station in Katowice, the nearest one to sampling sites, over the years 1999–2012, received from the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection (GIOS). The results show that in annual tree rings, there is no direct linear correlation between rainfall load and concentration of the studied elements in wood of the annual rings. The element concentrations in trees may reflect the sum of different factors that impact the ecosystem, including pollution from large sources and local point sources, immission, load of the rainfall level, and also specific plant physiology processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trace Elements Biogeochemical Cycling in Forests Ecosystem)
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15 pages, 3836 KiB  
Article
Biogenic Elements of Atmospheric Fallout and Impact of Sub-Mediterranean Forest Communities of Downy Oaks on Changes in the Chemical Composition of Atmospheric Precipitation
by Cam Nhung Pham, Roman Gorbunov, Vladimir Lapchenko, Tatiana Gorbunova and Vladimir Tabunshchik
Forests 2023, 14(2), 294; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020294 - 03 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1288
Abstract
In this work, a study of the biogenic composition of atmospheric precipitation and its change during the passage through the crowns of trees of a downy oak forest was carried out. First of all, the content of rainwater-soluble compounds of all the considered [...] Read more.
In this work, a study of the biogenic composition of atmospheric precipitation and its change during the passage through the crowns of trees of a downy oak forest was carried out. First of all, the content of rainwater-soluble compounds of all the considered elements in rainwater under the forest canopy was higher than in rainwater in an open area. It was revealed that the main forms of nitrogen in the atmospheric fallout were nitrates and ammonium. The average concentrations of nitrogen anions in rainwater collected under the canopy were higher than in rainwater collected in the open area. The proportion of nitrite nitrogen in rainwater under the canopy was 6% higher than in rainwater collected in the open area. Simultaneously with the increase in the proportion of nitrite nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen decreased. For all considered biogenic substances, an increase in their content was observed in the warm period of the year. We found an inverse relationship between the concentration of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus in precipitation and the relative air humidity and wind speed. It was established that the pH of precipitation falling under the crowns of trees was lower than the pH of precipitation in the open area. It was revealed that the increase in the concentration of biogenic elements was in accordance with the phase of plant development during the growing season. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trace Elements Biogeochemical Cycling in Forests Ecosystem)
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20 pages, 9855 KiB  
Article
Litter Decomposition of Qinghai Spruce (Picea crassifolia) Is Dependent on Mn Concentration in the Qilian Mountains, Northwest China
by Jixiong Gu, Bilian Zhou, Chuanyan Zhao, Yuan Tang, Junkai Tian and Xinning Zhao
Forests 2022, 13(9), 1418; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13091418 - 03 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1294
Abstract
The factors determining litter decomposition incorporated into C and nutrient cycles were examined as part of a broader study investigating the biogeochemical cycle in forest ecosystems. Litter was collected from five altitudes of Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) woodland stands in the [...] Read more.
The factors determining litter decomposition incorporated into C and nutrient cycles were examined as part of a broader study investigating the biogeochemical cycle in forest ecosystems. Litter was collected from five altitudes of Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) woodland stands in the Qilian Mountains and placed in litterbags. These litterbags were installed at the crown center (CC) and crown edge (CE) at different altitudes in Qinghai spruce forests during the growing season to study the effect of litter substrate quality on litter decomposition. Results indicate that at varying altitudes in the growing season, the initial mass loss rate and initial decomposition rate of Qinghai spruce litter showed a nonlinear relationship with altitude. The Olson exponential regression equation showed that the decomposition coefficient (k) was the largest at 3050 m (k = 0.709), and the decomposition coefficient (k) was the smallest at 3250 m (k = 0.476). Meanwhile, the initial decomposition rate was highly correlated with initial litter Ca and Mn concentrations. At the CC and CE at different altitudes in the growing season, the initial mass loss rate of CE was significantly higher than that of CC (p < 0.01), and the initial decomposition rate of CE was markedly faster than that of CC (p < 0.01). The Olson exponential regression equation showed that CE’s decomposition coefficients (k) were larger than those of CC. The initial decomposition rate of CE was highly correlated with initial litter C and Mn concentrations. However, the initial decomposition rate at CC was independent of the litter substrate quality. Finally, we realize that litter decomposition in the early stages is not ultimately determined by a single common factor, but rather the result of multiple factors working together in different orders and strengths. The results lay a foundation for understanding the process and mechanism of litter decomposition in the alpine mountain forest ecosystem and further understanding the structure and function of the ecosystem. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trace Elements Biogeochemical Cycling in Forests Ecosystem)
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14 pages, 2785 KiB  
Article
Ecological Safety and Spatial Distribution of Mercury and Arsenic in Qinghai Spruce Ecosystems in Remote Plateau Mountains, Northwest China
by Yi Wu, Shengli Wang, Cuicui Zhao, Zhongren Nan and Chuanyan Zhao
Forests 2022, 13(8), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13081269 - 11 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1430
Abstract
The long-distance transport of toxic elements is a crucial external source of metals accumulated in remote forest ecosystems. Due to the harsh environmental conditions and the complexity and diversity of influencing factors in remote alpine ecosystems, research on toxic elements is very limited, [...] Read more.
The long-distance transport of toxic elements is a crucial external source of metals accumulated in remote forest ecosystems. Due to the harsh environmental conditions and the complexity and diversity of influencing factors in remote alpine ecosystems, research on toxic elements is very limited, especially in the dry zone. In this regard, mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) in soil and plant samples were investigated in a Qinghai spruce forest ecosystem at Sidalong Forest Farm (SDL), in the Qilian Mountains, northwest China. The results of the study showed a significant variation in the spatial distribution of Hg and As in soils, but a highly similar spatial distribution trend was found in mosses. High Hg and As concentrations in plants were found in moss, bark, and litterfall; the concentration of Hg was particularly high (BCF > 1). The Qilian Mountain spruce forest ecosystem was contaminated with exogenous Hg and As, with Hg, in particular, being the most serious form of contamination. The study results can provide baseline data for future forest management and research in the spruce forest ecosystem in Qinghai, northwest China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Trace Elements Biogeochemical Cycling in Forests Ecosystem)
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