‘Acid rain’, dissolved aluminum and chemical weathering at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire

Johnson, Noye M.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Eaton, John S.; Likens, Gene E.; McDowell, William H.

doi:10.1016/0016-7037(81)90276-3

Cited by 381 publications

(150 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…2). Inorganic NO 3 Ϫ concentrations in streams of the HBEF typically decline with declining elevation (21), and these patterns in stream water are correlated with elevational changes in soil-solution nitrogen concentrations (22,23). Conversely, stream discharge always increases with downstream distance; thus, it is necessary to compare NO 3 Ϫ fluxes rather than concentration to separate between the mechanisms of dilution and in-stream uptake.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

In-stream uptake dampens effects of major forest disturbance on watershed nitrogen export

Bernhardt

Likens

Buso

et al. 2003

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

153

134

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O ne of the major findings of the long-term Hubbard BrookEcosystem Study is that disturbance of northern hardwood forests results in increased watershed losses of nitrogen (primarily as NO 3 Ϫ ) (1-4). Nitrate export to stream water increases after deforestation because of reduced plant uptake, and increased rates of N mineralization and nitrification in upland soils (1, 4). Dramatic increases in streamwater NO 3 Ϫ fluxes followed whole watershed deforestation experiments in 1965-1968, 1974 -1976 , and 1983. Despite differences in the severity of the deforestation treatment, all watersheds showed a similar pattern of nitrogen loss (3, 5). After a winter cutting or logging disturbance, NO 3 Ϫ concentrations in streams increased during the following growing season and peaked during the second growing season in a consistent pattern (Fig. 1A). The magnitude of the streamwater response varied with the type and intensity of disturbance.The ice storm that struck New England in January 1998 was the most severe of the century (6) and as such provided a natural corollary to previous deforestation experiments. After the ice storm, there was extensive tree canopy damage (Ͼ50% loss) in a narrow elevation band (600-740 m in elevation) across the south-facing watersheds (7). The impact was estimated at 30% canopy loss for two well studied watersheds (watersheds 1 and 6) at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) (7,8).This natural disturbance provided us with the unique opportunity to confirm several major paradigms of our long-term studies: (i) that forest disturbance leads to reduced watershed retention of nitrogen and increased export of NO 3 Ϫ in stream water (1, 2, 9-11); (ii) that solute pulses added to streams are rapidly attenuated (12-16); and (iii) that this attenuation is often the result of in-stream retention and processing, which are important regulators of nutrient export from watersheds (14,15,(17)(18)(19). MethodsSite Description. This research was done in two south-facing watersheds within the HBEF. Both watersheds 1 (W1) and 6 (W6) are small (11.8 and 13.2 hectares, respectively) and have not had any active land use change since forest harvesting ceased around 1920. The HBEF is located in north central New Hampshire (43°56ЈN, 71°45ЈW), and has a cool continental climate. Most of the basin is forested by American beech (Fagus grandifolia), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), and yellow birch (Betula allegheniensis). Both streams drain steep forest watersheds and have a characteristic stairstep sequence of waterfalls and pools with a substrate of cobbles and boulders. Ϫ , we multiplied the volume-weighted concentration by the total annual water yield from each site. Previous work at HBEF has demonstrated a strong relationship between watershed area and stream discharge in these watersheds, thus we calculated discharge and nutrient flux (discharge times nutrient concentration) at the damage-zone sampling site by multiplying discharge at the weir by the proportional watershed area of the subwatershed above the damag...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

In-stream uptake dampens effects of major forest disturbance on watershed nitrogen export

Bernhardt

Likens

Buso

et al. 2003

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

153

134

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“…The solubility of Fe was also greater in drainage waters of the spruce-fir-birch zone, due to lower pH and higher concentrations of organic acids (Driscoll et al 1988b). The increase of soil solution and stream pH within the lower hardwood zone corresponds to an increase of base cation inputs due to percolation of soil water through deeper mineral soils at lower elevations, where neutralization occurs via weathering and cation exchange (and declining concentrations of DOC) (Johnson et al 1981). …”

Section: Chemistry Of Drainage Waters: Soil Solution and Stream Watermentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamics of oxidized and reduced iron in a northern hardwood forest

et al. 2010

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“…Using the column ion exchange fraction procedure, Driscoll et al (26) observed that labile monomeric Al was the predominant form of Al in acidic Adirondack surface waters, although concentrations of nonlabile monomeric Al were also significant ( (31), Al(OH)3 (27), jurbanite (32), and dissociation from soil organic matter (33 (35). High loadings of H2SO4 have resulted in extreme acidification, producing conditions that are conclusive to the formation of Al-SO4 minerals (36).…”

Section: Distribution and Sources Of Aluminummentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Johnson et al (27) During the high flow conditions associated with snowmelt, Darts Lake solutions were highly undersaturated with respect to readily forming mineral phases (microcrystalline gibbsite, p*K.O = 9.35) (49) (Fig. 7).…”

Section: Distribution and Sources Of Aluminummentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Muniz and Leivestad (69) reported the loss of Na and Cl from the blood of brown trout in solutions containing 7 ,imole/L Al at pH values of 5.0. Schofield and Trojnar (44) observed gill damage to brook trout at Al concentrations of [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] ,umole/L in acidic solutions. Baker and Schofield (65) indicated that Al toxicity is most acute in solutions that are oversaturated with respect to the solubility of readily forming mineral phases.…”

Section: Altering Element Cycling Within Acidic Watersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Aluminum in acidic surface waters: chemistry, transport, and effects.

Driscoll¹

1985

Environ Health Perspect

108

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Ecologically significant concentrations of Al have been reported in surface waters draining "acid-sensitive" watersheds that are receiving elevated inputs of acidic deposition. It has been hypothesized that mineral acids from atmospheric deposition have remobilized Al previously precipitated within the soil during soil development. This Al is then thought to be transported to adjacent surface waters.Dissolved mononuclear Al occurs as aquo Al, as well as OH-, F-, SO42-, and organic complexes. Although past investigations have often ignored non-hydroxide complexes of Al, it appears that organic and F complexes are the predominant forms of Al in dilute (low ionic strength) acidic surface waters. The concentration of inorganic forms of Al increases exponentially with decreases in solution pH. This response is similar to the theoretical pH dependent solubility of Al mineral phases. The concentration of organic forms of Al, however, is strongly correlated with variations in organic carbon concentration of surface waters rather than pH.Elevated concentrations of Al in dilute acidic waters are of interest because: Al is an important pH buffer; Al may influence the cycling of important elements like P, organic carbon, and trace metals; and Al is potentially toxic to aquatic organisms. An understanding of the aqueous speciation of Al is essential for an evaluation of these processes.

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‘Acid rain’, dissolved aluminum and chemical weathering at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire

Cited by 381 publications

References 22 publications

In-stream uptake dampens effects of major forest disturbance on watershed nitrogen export

In-stream uptake dampens effects of major forest disturbance on watershed nitrogen export

Dynamics of oxidized and reduced iron in a northern hardwood forest

Aluminum in acidic surface waters: chemistry, transport, and effects.

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