Processes controlling silicon isotopic fractionation in a forested tropical watershed: Mule Hole Critical Zone Observatory (Southern India)

Articles

23 March 2018

The analyses of silicon isotopes in soil, water and plant compartments of the Mule Hole forested watershed (M-TROPICS/BVET) reveal that vegetation takes up twice more silica than first estimates using elemental mass balance. This flux is 30 times higher than the solute silica flux exported by the stream, itself resulting principally from litter decay.

The paper is published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta and is available here.

More news

Reuse of bottom sediment from reservoirs to cropland is a promising agroecological practice that must be rationalized

In semi-arid areas, intermittent streams are often equipped with small reservoirs to store water for irrigation and/or groundwater recharge, and to capture sediments lost through erosion. These reservoirs must be periodically desilted to maintain their storage capacity. While bottom sediments are generally considered waste, their reuse in agricultural fields is a centuries-old practice in India. […]

Soil erosion control in tree plantations on steep slopes: Runoff water andsediment trapping efficiency of riparian grass buffer in mountainoushumid tropics

Riparian grass buffers reduce the velocity of water flowing over the soil surface during storms, capturing surface runoff (SR) and trapping soil particles eroded from cultivated slopes. Rarely quantified under steep slope conditions (>45 %), this phenomenon probably occurs in many mountain agroecosystems in the humid tropics. In Southeast Asia, teak plantations are often established on […]

Village settlements in mountainous tropical areas, hotspots of fecal contamination as evidenced by Escherichia coli and stanol concentrations in storm water pulses

Little is known about the contribution of villages to the fecal contamination of surface water in tropical rural areas. This study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, documents E. coli and stanol concentration levels in surface runoff, and tracks the origin of the fecal contamination during flood events.

Search