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. 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. 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.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 6438558
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-9706; ON: DE86005345
- 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 RAIN
ACIDIFICATION
AIR POLLUTION
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CATIONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CONIFERS
COOPERATION
DISSOLUTION
EMISSION
EPRI
FEDERAL REGION I
FEDERAL REGION IV
FEDERAL REGION X
FORESTS
HARVESTING
INTERAGENCY COOPERATION
INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION
IONS
LEACHING
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MAINE
NAPAP
NATURAL OCCURRENCE
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NORTH AMERICA
NORTH CAROLINA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
RAIN
SENSITIVITY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOILS
SOUTH CAROLINA
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
TENNESSEE
TREES
USA
WASHINGTON