Acid‐base Characteristics of Soils in the Adirondack Mountains, New York
- 1 January 2006
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Soil Science Society of America Journal
- Vol. 70 (1) , 141-152
- https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2005.0073
Abstract
It is believed that atmospheric deposition of S and N in the Adirondack Mountains of New York has depleted soil‐base cation pools, reduced soil base saturation (BS), and contributed to enhanced acidification of soils and surface waters. However, data to determine changes in soil characteristics are generally lacking. It is expected that soil acid‐base status will improve as acidic deposition declines in response to atmospheric emissions controls. We studied edaphic characteristics at 199 locations within 44 statistically selected Adirondack lake‐watersheds, plus 26 additional watersheds that are included in long‐term lakewater monitoring programs. The statistically selected watersheds were chosen to be representative of Adirondack watersheds containing lakes larger than 1 ha and deeper than 1 m that have lakewater acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) less than or equal to 200 μmolc L−1 Results of soil analyses were extrapolated to the watersheds of 1320 low ANC lakes. In general, the concentrations of exchangeable base cations, base saturation, and soil pH were low. More than 75% of the target lakes received drainage from watersheds having average B horizon exchangeable Ca concentrations < 0.52 cmolc kg−1, base saturation < 10.3%, and pH (H2O) < 4.5. Variations in the effective cation exchange capacity in both O and B horizons were closely correlated with soil organic matter content. These data provide a baseline against which to compare future changes in regional soil chemistry, and provide input data for aquatic and terrestrial effects models intended to project future changes in surface water chemistry, biological conditions, and forest health.Keywords
Funding Information
- New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
This publication has 26 references indexed in Scilit:
- Experimental Acidification Causes Soil Base‐Cation Depletion at the Bear Brook Watershed in MaineSoil Science Society of America Journal, 2003
- Chemical Response of Lakes in the Adirondack Region of New York to Declines in Acidic DepositionEnvironmental Science & Technology, 2003
- Factors controlling long-term changes in soil pools of exchangeable basic cations and stream acid neutralizing capacity in a northern hardwood forest ecosystemBiogeochemistry, 2003
- Evaluation of the effects of future controls on sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions on the acid–base status of a northern forest ecosystemAtmospheric Environment, 2002
- Acid Rain Impacts on Calcium Nutrition and Forest HealthBioScience, 1999
- Use of Calcium/Aluminum Ratios as Indicators of Stress in Forest EcosystemsJournal of Environmental Quality, 1995
- How Much Acidification Has Occurred in Adirondack Region Lakes (New York, USA) since Preindustrial Times?Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 1992
- Adirondack MountainsPublished by Springer Nature ,1991
- Relationships between aqueous aluminum and acidic deposition in forested watersheds of North America and northern EuropeEnvironmental Science & Technology, 1990
- Modeling the Effects of Acid Deposition: Assessment of a Lumped Parameter Model of Soil Water and Streamwater ChemistryWater Resources Research, 1985