The N cycle in forests of the temperate zone in Europe has been changed substantially by the impact of atmospheric N deposition. Here, the fluxes and concentrations of mineral N in throughfall, soil solution and runoff in two German catchments, receiving high N inputs are investigated to test the applicability of an Integrated Nitrogen Model for European Catchments (INCA) to small forested catchments. The Lehstenbach catchment (419 ha) is located in the German Fichtelgebirge (NO Bavaria, 690-871 m asl.) and is stocked with Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) of different ages. The Steinkreuz catchment (55 ha) with European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) as the dominant tree species is located in the Steigerwald (NW Bavaria, 400-460 m asl.). The mean annual N fluxes with throughfall were slightly higher at the Lehstenbach (24.6 kg N ha -1 ) than at the Steinkreuz (20.4 kg N ha -1 ). In both catchments the N fluxes in the soil are dominated by NO 3 . At Lehstenbach, the N output with seepage at 90 cm soil depth was similar to the N flux with throughfall. At Steinkreuz more than 50 % of the N deposited was retained in the upper soil horizons. In both catchments, the NO 3 fluxes with runoff were lower than those with seepage. The average annual NO 3 concentrations in runoff in both catchments were between 0.7 to 1.4 mg NO 3 -N L -1 and no temporal trend was observed. The N budgets at the catchment scale indicated similar amounts of N retention (Lehstenbach: 19 kg N ha -1 yr -1 ; Steinkreuz: 17 kg N ha -1 yr -1 ). The parameter settings of the INCA model were simplified to reduce the model complexity. In both catchments, the NO 3 concentrations and fluxes in runoff were matched well by the model. The seasonal patterns with lower NO 3 runoff concentrations in summer at the Lehstenbach catchment were replicated. INCA underestimated the increased NO 3 concentrations during short periods of rewetting in late autumn at the Steinkreuz catchment. The model will be a helpful tool for the calculation of "critical loads" for the N deposition in Central European forests including different hydrological regimes.
The leaching of Ca, Mg, and K from canopies is a major pathway of these cations into forest soils. Our aim was to quantify rates of canopy leaching and to identify driving factors at the regional scale using annual fluxes of bulk precipitation and throughfall from 37 coniferous and deciduous forests of North and Central Europe. Total deposition of Ca, Mg, K, and H+ was estimated with Na as an index cation. The median canopy leaching increased in the order: Mg (0.11 kmolc ha–1 a–1) < Ca (0.31 kmolc ha–1 a–1) < K (0.39 kmolc ha–1 a–1). Canopy leaching of Ca and K was positively correlated with the calculated total H+ deposition and H+ buffered in the canopy, whereas canopy leaching of Mg was not. With contrasting effects, fluxes of SO4‐S and NH4‐N in throughfall explained to 64 % (P<0.001) of the Ca canopy leaching. Fluxes of NH4‐N and Ca were negatively correlated, suggesting that buffering of H+ by NH3 deposition reduced canopy leaching of Ca. Amount of bulk precipitation and SO4‐S in throughfall were identified as much weaker driving factors for canopy leaching of K (r2=0.28, P<0.01). Our results show that Ca is the dominant cation in buffering the H+ input in the canopy. At the regional and annual scale, canopy leaching of Mg appears to be unaffected by H+ deposition and H+ buffering in the canopy.
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