Advances in Earth Science ›› 2012, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (7): 725-732. doi: 10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2012.07.0725

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A Review of the Biogeochemical Cycle of Silicon in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Tao Zhen 1,2, Zhang Chao 1, Gao Quanzhou 1, Li Yuan 1   

  1. 1. Geography and Planning School of Sun Yat-Sen University,  Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Urbanization and Geo-simulation, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou510275, China;
    2. Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Water Security in Southern China of Guangdong High Education Institute, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou510275, China
  • Received:2012-03-26 Revised:2012-05-21 Online:2012-07-10 Published:2012-07-10

Tao Zhen, Zhang Chao, Gao Quanzhou, Li Yuan. A Review of the Biogeochemical Cycle of Silicon in Terrestrial Ecosystems[J]. Advances in Earth Science, 2012, 27(7): 725-732.

The biogeochemical cycle of silicon on the Earth’s surface has become a crucial subject of studying  global environmental change because of its interconnetion with those processes of the changes of atmospheric CO2 concentration, the oceanic biological pump and the coastal eutrophication. On geological time scales, the chemical weathering of silicate minerals is considered to be the source of overall secondary Si on the Earth′s surface. There are different formation mechanisms and the driving factors for different secondary Si pools in the terrestrial biogeosystems, which leads to the difference in the reservoir and turnover time for those Si pools. Secondary silicates in the soils, dissolved Si (DSi) and amorphous silica precipited on surfaces of other minerals are all sourced from the chemical weathering of silicates; phytogenic Si (BSi) is formed in the growth process of the plants in which the DSi was uptake from the soil. Then, the BSi is subsequently returned to soils; terrestrial Si was also transported to the river and ocean by surface runoff in particulate and dissolved forms. Up to date, there are still a great number of uncertainties in understanding  the terrestrial Si cycle concerning the size of various Si pools and their contribution to the global silicon cycle. Hence, it is necessary to consider comprehensively various land surface processes and their coupling effect in the study  of the silicon biogeochemical cycles in the terrestrial ecosystems.

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