Hydroecogeochemical effects of an epikarst ecosystem: case study of the Nongla Landiantang Spring catchment

A typical small-scale epikarst ecosystem usually consists of an epikarst zone, soil and vegetation. In this study, to determine the hydro-eco-geochemical effects of an epikarst ecosystem in subtropical humid area, the samples of vegetation, soil, soil microbes, rainfall, throughfall, stem flow, soil water and epikarst springs of Nongla Village, Mashan County, Guangxi in China were collected and analyzed. The research results have shown in the epikarst ecosystem, the conductivity, temporary hardness and total carbon increased continuously in hydro-ecochemical cycle; the vegetation–soil system conducted the transformation and transference of carbon in hydro-ecochemical cycle; the vegetation layer was the major source for organic carbon, while the soil layer was of the important chemical field for the conversion of organic/inorganic carbon and HCO₃ ^–, which would affect the epikarst dynamical system; for most ions, the vegetation layer and shallow soil layer presented more leaching effect than absorption, in contrast, the deep soil layer behaved oppositely. The vegetation layer and shallow soil layer leached ions, and deep soil layer absorbed them. With the plant community presenting in a positive succession, the epikarst ecosystem trended to be stabilized gradually, which made the hydro-eco-geochemical effects to be adjusted and controlled more effectively.