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Reversal of forest soil acidification in the northeastern United States and Eastern Canada: Site and soil factors contributing to recovery

Summary

Published in Soil Systems 4(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems4030054

As acidic deposition has decreased across Eastern North America, forest soils at some sites are beginning to show reversal of soil acidification. However, the degree of recovery appears to vary and is not fully explained by deposition declines alone. To assess if other site and soil factors can help to explain degree of recovery from acid deposition, soil resampling chemistry data (8- to 24-year time interval) from 23 sites in the United States and Canada, located across 25° longitude from Eastern Maine to Western Ontario, were explored. Site and soil factors included recovery years, sulfate (SO42-) deposition history, SO42- reduction rate, C horizon pH and exchangeable calcium (Ca), O and B horizon pH, base saturation, and exchangeable Ca and aluminum (Al) at the time of the initial sampling. We found that O and B horizons that were initially acidified to a greater degree showed greater recovery and B horizon recovery was further associated with an increase in recovery years and lower initial SO42- deposition. Forest soils that seemingly have low buffering capacity and a reduced potential for recovery have the resilience to recover from the effects of previous high levels of acidic deposition. This suggests, that predictions of where forest soils acidification reversal will occur across the landscape should be refined to acknowledge the importance of upper soil profile horizon chemistry rather than the more traditional approach using only parent material characteristics.

Sector(s): 

Forests

Categorie(s): 

Scientific Article

Theme(s): 

Ecosystems and Environment, Forestry Research, Forests

Departmental author(s): 

Ouimet, Rock

Author(s)

HAZLETT, Paul, Caroline EMILSON, Greg LAWRENCE, Ivan FERNANDEZ, Rock OUIMET and Scott BAILEY

Year of publication :

2020

Format :

PDF

ISSN

2571-8789

Keywords :

article scientifique de la recherche forestière, dépôts acides, récupération des sols forestiers, pH, saturation en base, cations échangeables, écosystèmes et environnement, ecosystems and environment, forestry research scientific article, acidic deposition, forest soil recovery, pH, base saturation, exchangeable cations

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