Comparative evaluation of the effects of acid precipitation, natural acid production, and harvesting on cation removal from forests
A comparison was made of the effects of acid deposition, natural leaching, and harvesting on base cation export from coniferous forests in Maine, coniferous and deciduous forests in Tennessee, a coniferous forest in South Carolina, a deciduous forest in North Carolina, and coniferous and deciduous forests in Washington. Sulfate dominated leaching in the Tennessee sites, whereas HCO/sub 3//sup -/ dominated leaching in the Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington sites (the latter because of very high HCO/sub 3//sup -/ and NO/sub 3//sup -/ leaching rates). Nitrate leaching was negligible in all but a red alder site in Washington where nitrogen fixation resulted in net NO/sub 3//sup -/ leaching. Total base cation export by leaching exceeded Ca/sup 2 +/ + Mg/sup 2 +/ + K/sup +/ export that results from whole-tree harvesting in most sites. The export of Na/sup +/ via harvesting was assumed to be negligible compared with that of Ca/sup 2 +/, Mg/sup 2 +/, and K/sup +/. However, leaching, even as augmented by acid deposition, does not appear to pose an imminent threat to soil base cation supplies on sites for which soil data are available. This is basically because soil base cation reserves are very large relative to leaching rates. Some sites showed a net Ca/sup 2 +/ or K/sup +/ accumulation from atmospheric deposition until they were subjected to whole-tree harvesting. Thus, leaching need not cause a net export of all nutrient cations, even if total base cation export is accelerated by acid deposition. 32 refs., 2 figs., 5 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 5753151
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/OR/21400-T113; ON: DE85010821
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Comparative evaluation of the effects of acid precipitation, natural acid production, and harvesting on cation removal from forests
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Related Subjects
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID CARBONATES
ACID RAIN
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CALCIUM
CATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMISTRY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DATA
DEPOSITION
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION I
FEDERAL REGION IV
FORESTS
HARVESTING
INFORMATION
IONS
LEACHING
MAGNESIUM
MAINE
METALS
NAPAP
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
NORTH CAROLINA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
POTASSIUM
RAIN
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM
SOIL CHEMISTRY
SOILS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TENNESSEE
USA