Longitudinal changes in stream water chemistry from seventeen high elevation watersheds in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park
- Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
A plan for monitoring water chemistry at 274 sites across the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was developed in response to observations of high levels of atmospheric S and N deposition. Sites range in elevation from 1675 m to 268 m, including five or more sites from each of 17 different watersheds. Bedrock geology plays a major role in stream chemistry, particularly where streams flow through the Anakeesta Formation where there is pyrite weathering. Streams in these areas have pH values as low as 4.6 and are devoid of brook trout. The ancient and highly eroded mountains have poor soil buffering capacity and streams across the Park are either sensitive to acidification (ANC < 200 [mu]eq/L) or extremely sensitive (ANC > 50 [mu]eq/L), especially above about 900 m. Un-logged, old-growth forests on the highest peaks are leaching large amounts of deposited N to streams so that at elevations above 900 m nitrate is the dominant anion with concentrations form 20 to 60 [mu]eq/L (1240 to 3720 [mu]g/L). Nitrate concentrations decline rapidly below 900 m, probably due to a combination of; (1) relatively young forests uptaking N from the soil, (2) dilution, and (3) uptake and sequestering in the stream. The relative role of these processes remains unknown.
- OSTI ID:
- 7017072
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940894-; CODEN: BECLAG
- Journal Information:
- Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America; (United States), Vol. 75:2; Conference: Annual Ecological Society of America (ESA) meeting: science and public policy, Knoxville, TN (United States), 7-11 Aug 1994; ISSN 0012-9623
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Relationships between soil nitrogen dynamics and natural 15N-abundance in plant foliage from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A conceptual model to evaluate potential watershed nitrogen saturation in the Great Smoky Mountains
Related Subjects
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS
PUBLIC LANDS
WATER CHEMISTRY
DEPOSITION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
NITROGEN
SULFUR
MONITORING
CHEMISTRY
ELEMENTS
MOUNTAINS
NONMETALS
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540120 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)