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Solute export from forested and partially deforested chatchments in the central Amazon

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Abstract

The hydrochemical responses to slash-and-burnagriculture in a small rainforest catchment of thecentral Amazon were investigated for one year. Disturbances in the partially deforested catchmentbegan in 1987, and during the study a 2-ha plot was cut(July 1989) and burned (October 1989) in preparationfor the cultivation of manioc; the partially deforestedcatchment was approximately 80% deforested at the timeof this study. Solute fluxes exported by base flowwere estimated from solute concentrations of stream watermeasured at least once per week. Solute fluxesfor storm flow were estimated by measuring streamwaterconcentrations during two storms. Baseflow runoffrepresented about 94% of the water outflow from thestudy basin and was the dominant pathway of soluteexport. Total rainfall during the study period was2754 mm of which 2080 mm was exported from thepartially deforested catchment as stream runoff. Theratio of surface runoff to annual rainfall for asimilar study conducted in the same catchment whilecompletely forested in 1984 was lower than after thecatchment was 80% deforested in 1990 (0.57 versus0.76), while evapotranspiration (ET) was lower by about afactor of two in 1990 compared to 1984. Particulateremoval from the partially deforested catchment was 151kg ha−1 yr−1. Nutrient losses from thepartially deforested catchment were higher than thosemeasured when the catchment was undisturbed in 1984 byfactors of 1.4, 1.8, and 2.1 for total inorganicnitrogen (TIN), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and totalnitrogen (TN); and by factors of 4.0, 6.6, and 7.9 for solublereactive phosphate (PO3− 4), total dissolvedphosphorus (TDP), and total phosphorus (TP),respectively. These data show that deforestation andcolonization in upland catchments of the central Amazonalter the hydrochemical balance of streams bydecreasing ET, thereby increasing discharge and soluteexport.

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WILLIAMS, M.R., MELACK, J.M. Solute export from forested and partially deforested chatchments in the central Amazon. Biogeochemistry 38, 67–102 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005774431820

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