Assessment of acidity of lakes and precipitation in the Sierra Nevada
The east central Sierra Nevada received acid precipitation (pH 3.7 to 4.9) during the convective storms interspersed through the dry seasons of 1981 and 1982. In contrast, late autumn, winter and early spring snow (1981-1982) ranged in pH from 5.2 to 6.1 (mean 5.7) and had low ammonium, nitrate and sulfate concentrations. As of 1981 most of the alpine lakes of the Sierra Nevada remain very weakly buffered, bicarbonate lakes that receive a small loading of acid precipitation and a large annual input of snowmelt uncontaminated by strong acids. These lakes contain low concentrations of orthophosphate, nitrate and ammonium and are oligotrophic. The zooplankton communities fall into two major groups, those dominated by large-bodied species in the absence of fish, and those dominated by smaller species where fish are present. If the acidity of the precipitation increases the pH of the lakes will decrease rapidly with adverse biological impacts because the lakes and their basins have extremely low buffer capacity and the biota cannot tolerate acidic water. 65 references, 14 figures, 6 tables.
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., Santa Barbara (USA). Marine Science Inst.
- OSTI ID:
- 6112178
- Report Number(s):
- PB-83-255521; OWRT-A-080-CAL(1)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Major ion chemistry and sensitivity to acid precipitation of Sierra Nevada lakes
Precipitation chemistry in and ionic loading to an alpine basin, Sierra Nevada
Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACID RAIN
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
LAKES
ACIDIFICATION
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BUFFERS
CALIFORNIA
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
NITRATES
PH VALUE
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SIERRA NEVADA COLORADO
SULFATES
ZOOPLANKTON
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ECOSYSTEMS
FEDERAL REGION IX
MOUNTAINS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANKTON
RAIN
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
VARIATIONS
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
560304 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Invertebrates- (-1987)
560305 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)