Acid precipitation and forest soils

Abstract

Many soil processes and properties may be affected by a change in chemical climate such as that caused by acidification of precipitation. The effect of additions of acid precipitation depends at first on the extent to which this acid is really absorbed by the soil and on the changes in substances with actual or potential acidity leaving the soil. There is for instance the possibility that added sulphur dioxide or sulphuric acid may leave the soil either as sulphate ions or as gaseous hydrogen sulphide. In the latter case there is no net acidification. Acidity due to uptake of nitrogen oxides or ammonia later transformed into nitrate results in a net acidification only if the nitrogen ultimately leaves the soils as nitrate. Leaching of ammonium ions or organic nitrogen does not acidify the soil, nor does loss of gaseous ammonia, nitrous oxide (N₂O), or gaseous nitrogen. It must be admitted that our present possibilities are rather small to make up a complete and correct nutrient balance for a site where both leaching and gaseous inputs and outputs are considered.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the first international symposium on acid precipitation and the forest ecosystem

Citation

Tamm, C. O. 1976. Acid precipitation and forest soils. In: Dochinger, L. S.; Seliga, T. A., eds. Proceedings of the first international symposium on acid precipitation and the forest ecosystem; Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-23. Upper Darby, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 681-684