Spatial and temporal patterns of throughfall chemistry within a temperate mixed oak–beech stand

The effects of meteorological variables and local canopy characteristics on throughfall chemistry were investigated within a mixed oak–beech stand during the leafed and the leafless seasons. Throughfall was collected after each rain event in 12 structural units delimited by three neighbouring trees each. For each investigated ion (H+, Mg2+, Ca2+, K+, NH4+, Na+, Cl−, NO3− and SO42−), mixed linear models were used to analyse the effects of the rain volume (R) and of the length of the preceding dry period (ADP) on net throughfall ion fluxes and to evaluate the influence of canopy density and tree species composition on these relationships. The models explained more than 70% of the total variability. Canopy characteristics accounted for most of the spatial variability while a large part of the temporal variability was not explained by R and ADP, suggesting an influence of other variables such as wind force and direction. For each season, net throughfall ion fluxes generally increased with increasing R and ADP, whose coefficients were interpreted as leaching capacity and dry deposition rate, respectively; H+ is an exception with negative exchange capacity (i.e. absorption) during the leafed season. Dry deposition rate and exchange capacity estimates were generally lower for the leafless canopies compared with the leafed season. For a given density level, exchange capacities were either higher for oak than for beech or similar for both species while dry deposition tended to increase with increasing beech proportion. The enhancing effect of canopy density on dry deposition was particularly marked for the mixed leafed canopies. For the pure canopies, the effect of canopy density on dry deposition rate and exchange capacity tended to be more pronounced during the leafless period compared with the leafed season, while it was generally limited compared with the species effect.