Modeling excess sulfur deposition on wetland soils using stable sulfur isotopes

Freshwater wetlands exposed to excess S deposition can potentially store significant amounts of reduced S in soils by dissimilatory sulfate reduction. If this storage is permanent, the harmful environmental effects of S deposition and the accompanying acidity are reduced, particularly on surface waters into which wetlands drain. Total non-sulfate S in freshwater peat is divided into three fractions: reduced inorganic S, ester sulfate and carbon-bonded sulfur (CBS). Each fraction is further divided based on its origin: assimilatory via plant and microbial uptake, and dissimilatory via microbial reduction. The CBS fraction dominates in peat, so the amount of dissimilatory CBS in the soil is a direct measure of the beneficial effect of storage of reduced S. Unfortunately, there is no way to directly measure dissimilatory CBS. A model is developed which, with three assumptions, provides a method to calculate dissimilatory CBS using S pool size and stable isotope measurements. Application of the model to a wetland in the New Jersey Pinelands, U.S.A., shows that large amounts of reduced dissimilatory S are stored in the soil. As a consequence, the impact of S deposition and acidity on the surface water environment is significantly reduced.