Effect of simulated acid rain on nitrification and nitrogen mineralization in forest soils

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5695103

Strayer, R F; Lin, C J; Alexander, M

To determine the possible microbiological changes in soil resulting from acid rain, columns containing samples of forest soils were leached with either a continuous application of 100cm of simulated acid rain (pH3.2-4.1) at 5 cm/hour or an intermittent 1.5-hour application of 1.2 cm of simulated acid rain twice weekly for 19 weeks. The upper 1.0- to 1.5-cm portions of soil from treated columns were used to determine the changes in inorganic N levels in the soil. Nitrification of added ammonium (NH4(+)) was inhibited following continuous exposure of soil to simulated acid rain of pH 4.1-3.2. The extent of the inhibition was directly related to the acidity of the simulated rain solutions. The production of inorganic N in the absence of added NH(+) was either stimulated or unaffected following continuous treatment of soils with pH 3.2 simulated acid rain. The addition of nitrapyrine, an inhibitor of autotrophic nitrification, caused a decrease in nitrification in water-treated soil but had little effect on nitrification in soil treated with pH 3.2 simulated acid rain.

• Research Organization: Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (USA). Dept. of Agronomy
• OSTI ID: 5695103
• Report Number(s): PB-86-164944/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DISSOLUTION
FORESTS
LEACHING
MINERALIZATION
NAPAP
NITRIFICATION
RAIN
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SIMULATION
SOILS