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Title: Soil processes at Emerald Lake Watershed. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5671017

The objectives of the Soils Processes research at Emerald Lake Watershed (ELW) were to assess physical, chemical and biological processes contributing to the production or consumption of acidity in soils and to assess the net effect of soil processes on surface-water quality in an alpine watershed. Most of the N and S in ELW soils is stored in organic forms. Most of the soil P is present in nearly insoluble mineral forms. The ELW soils can adsorb only small quantities of sulfate, thus their capacity for buffering acid additions by sulfate adsorption is low. Concentrations of Al, Ca, Mg, K, and Na in both soil solution and stream samples reflected patterns of mineral weathering in the watershed. Summer CO/sub 2/ concentrations in the soils were high enough to increase soil solution acidity and influence the speciation of dissolved elements. The overall chemistry of stream waters reflects the mineral composition of soils and rocks at ELW.

Research Organization:
California Univ., Riverside (USA). Dept. of Soil and Environmental Sciences
OSTI ID:
5671017
Report Number(s):
PB-88-118310/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English