Deposited pollen from dominant tree genera drives nutrient composition of throughfall in European forests.

ABSTRACT: Atmospheric deposition is a critical driver of biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems. Among the pathways of deposition, throughfall (TF) - precipitation that has interacted with the forest canopy - plays a significant role in the input of atmospheric substances and canopy leachates to the forest floor. We investigated the influence of airborne pollen deposited in TF on its chemical composition across 60 Level II plots of the ICP Forests network in eight European countries. Based on 196 TF samples collected during the 2018 early vegetative season, we identified 53 pollen taxa, with Pinus, Picea, Fagus, and Quercus accounting for 91.4% of the total grains. Linear mixed-effects models revealed significant positive links between pollen deposition rates and TF fluxes of several ions, espe

SUBMITTER: Gottardini E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC13558327 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature