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The role of afforestation species as a driver of Hg accumulation in organic horizons of forest soils from a Mediterranean mountain area in SW Europe

2022Journal article Open access
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dc.contributor.authorMéndez-López, Melissa
dc.contributor.authorGómez-Armesto, Antía
dc.contributor.authorAlonso-Vega, Flora
dc.contributor.authorPontevedra-Pombal, Xabier
dc.contributor.authorFonseca, Felícia
dc.contributor.authorFigueiredo, Tomás de
dc.contributor.authorArias-Estévez, Manuel
dc.contributor.authorNóvoa-Muñoz, Juan Carlos
dc.date.accessioned2022-03-29T15:45:33Z
dc.date.available2022-03-29T15:45:33Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.description.abstractForest areas are a primary sink of atmospheric mercury (Hg) within terrestrial ecosystems, whereas forest vegetation plays a key role in atmospheric Hg transfer to soil horizons. This study assessed variations in total Hg contents (HgT) and accumulation (HgRes) in the soil organic horizons of a forest area in NE Portugal, where post-wildfire afforestation led to the substitution of the native deciduous species (Quercus pyrenaica) by fast-growing coniferous species (Pseudotsuga menziesii and Pinus nigra). The study also evaluated, for each species, the links between Hg contents and other biophilic elements of soil organic matter (C, N, S) present in organic subhorizons (OL, OF, OH). Mean HgT in the organic horizons of the different tree species follow the sequence: P. nigra (88 μg kg−1) < Q. pyrenaica (101 μg kg−1) < P. menziesii (141 μg kg−1). The highest HgRes for the entire organic horizon was found under P. menziesii (471 μg m−2), followed by P. nigra (253 μg m−2) and Q. pyrenaica (189 μg m−2). Among the organic subhorizons, values of HgT and HgRes follow the sequence OL < OF < OH, which is consistent with the degree of organic matter humification. Indeed, HgT and HgRes correlated significantly with the C/N and C/S ratios for all species and organic subhorizons, suggesting that the quality of organic matter may influence strongly the Hg fate in these forest soils. Soils from P. menziesii plots have shown an HgRes 2.5 times higher than in plots dominated by the native Q. pyrenaica. Hg accumulation in the organic horizons, promoted in the coniferous species, may increase the risk of Hg mobilization due to wildfires and forest management practices. Therefore, forest management plans should select cautiously the tree species for afforestation in order to minimize adverse environmental effects caused by changes in the biogeochemical cycle of contaminants such as Hg.pt_PT
dc.description.sponsorshipM. Méndez-López acknowledges the predoctoral grant FPU of Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional (FPU17/05484). It is also recognized the financial support of the Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Universidade (Xunta de Galicia) through the contract ED431C 2021/46-GRC granted to the research group BV1 of the University of Vigo and the research project ED431F2018/06-EXCELENCIA.pt_PT
dc.description.versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionpt_PT
dc.identifier.citationMéndez-López, M., Gómez-Armesto, A., Alonso-Veja, F., Pontevedra-Pombal, X., Fonseca, F., de Figueiredo, T., Arias-Estévez, M., Nóvoa-Muñoz, J.C., 2022. The role of afforestation species as a driver of Hg accumulation in organic horizons of forest soils from a Mediterranean mountain area in SW Europe. Science of the Total Environment. ISSN 0048-9697. 827, p. 1pt_PT
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154345pt_PT
dc.identifier.issn0048-9697
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10198/25300
dc.language.isoengpt_PT
dc.peerreviewedyespt_PT
dc.publisherElsevierpt_PT
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/pt_PT
dc.subjectMercurypt_PT
dc.subjectForest floorpt_PT
dc.subjectHumus layerspt_PT
dc.subjectC/Npt_PT
dc.subjectTree speciespt_PT
dc.subjectMercury poolspt_PT
dc.titleThe role of afforestation species as a driver of Hg accumulation in organic horizons of forest soils from a Mediterranean mountain area in SW Europept_PT
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.titleScience of the Total Environmentpt_PT
oaire.citation.volume827pt_PT
person.familyNameFonseca
person.familyNameFigueiredo
person.givenNameFelícia
person.givenNameTomás d'Aquino
person.identifier1297327
person.identifier.ciencia-id961D-607D-51CC
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-7727-071X
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-7690-8996
person.identifier.scopus-author-id36970960500
person.identifier.scopus-author-id54790554500
rcaap.rightsopenAccesspt_PT
rcaap.typearticlept_PT
relation.isAuthorOfPublication4f6f8be1-73c1-45bb-b159-ce3f8ff96c84
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationdb897e48-ecf7-4ce1-ba27-369260337510
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery4f6f8be1-73c1-45bb-b159-ce3f8ff96c84

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