Assessing the potential for forest effects due to soil acidification in Maryland

Abstract

Calculations with the PROFILE model indicates that present acid deposition will lead to soil solution BC/Al molar ratios in the forest soils of Maryland far below the limits used for calculation of critical loads in Europe. Weathering rates and molar soil solution BC/Al ratios were calculated using measured mineralogy and texture. It has been assumed that the laboratory experiments on tree seedling response to soil solution Al concentration is applicable to field conditions as applied in the PROFILE model and that the observed connection between growth and needle loss for Sweden is also valid for North America. The assumptions were utilized to estimate the potential for forest damage due to soil acidification in Maryland. The results for Maryland was used to speculate over the possibilities for adverse effects due to soil acidity in Northeastern United States. A preliminary comparison with Maryland and European results, suggests that the threat of soil acidification to forest health in the Northeastern United States may have been underestimated.