Acid rain on acid soil: a new perspective
Acid rain is widely believed to be responsible for acidifying soil and water in areas of North America and northern Europe. However, factors commonly considered to make landscapes susceptible to acidification by acid rain are the same factors long known to strongly acidify soils through the natural processes of soil formation. Recovery from extreme and widespread careless land use has also occurred in regions undergoing acidification. There is evidence that acidification by acid rain is superimposed on long-term acidification induced by changes in land use and consequent vegetative succession. Thus, the interactions of acid rain, acid soil, and vegetation need to be carefully examined on a watershed basis in assessing benefits expected from proposed reductions in emissions of oxides of sulfur and nitrogen.
- Research Organization:
- Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven
- OSTI ID:
- 6454282
- Journal Information:
- Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Vol. 221:4610, Issue 4610
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
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Related Subjects
ACID RAIN
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
NITROGEN OXIDES
EMISSION
SOILS
PH VALUE
SULFUR OXIDES
WATER
ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
EUROPE
LAND USE
NORTH AMERICA
PLANTS
WATERSHEDS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RAIN
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
510200 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)