Effects of acid precipitation and natural processes on cation leaching from four diverse forest ecosystems

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:5923419

Johnson, D W; Van Miegroet, H; Cole, D W; Richter, D D

Four forest ecosystems (two in eastern Tennessee and two in western Washington) with a history of intensive nutrient cycling research were selected for studies on the effects of acid precipitation and natural acid production processes on cation leaching rates. At the Tennessee sites, atmospheric acid input in bulk precipitation equaled or exceeded natural leaching by carbonic acid. At the less polluted Washington sites, natural leaching by carbonic acid was slightly larger than atmospheric acid input in the Douglas-fir soil. In the red alder soil, natural nitric acid formation far exceeded atmospheric acid inputs and appeared to have caused significant acidification of both soil and soil solution. The mobility of SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ and NO/sub 3//sup -/ in these four soils was a major factor in their relative susceptibilities to leaching by H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ and HNO/sub 3/ entering from the atmosphere. In two of the sites (chestnut oak in Tennessee and red alder in Washington), SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ adsorption reduced the potential for sulfate-mediated leaching by H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ by as much as one-half. Biological immobilization of NO/sub 3//sup -/ prevented leaching in all but the N-fixing red alder site. Both field and laboratory soil column studies involving artificial additions of SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ and NO/sub 3//sup -/ verified the concept that cation leaching is controlled by the mobility of the associated anion.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA); Washington Univ., Seattle (USA). Coll. of Forest Resources
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5923419
• Report Number(s): CONF-830692-1; ON: DE83015759
• 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
ACIDIFICATION
ADSORPTION
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONIC ACID
CATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
DATA
DISSOLUTION
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION IV
FEDERAL REGION X
FORESTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
IONS
LEACHING
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
RAIN
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOILS
SORPTION
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TENNESSEE
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
TREES
UPTAKE
USA
WASHINGTON