Sensitivity of soils and waters to acidification, Finnish Lapland

Abstract

This paper reports the preliminary results of an investigation into the effects of the geological characteristics of catchment areas on the sensitivity to acidification of small lakes in Finnish Lapland. The sensitivity of mineral soil to acidification becomes more apparent due to special geological features and the relatively harsh climate. The sensitivity to acidification of lakes strongly depends on the geochemical properties of soil in the catchment areas. The buffering capacity of the drainage and the headwater lakes exhibit a positive correlation with the sum of the base cation equivalents of mineral soil. According to the preliminary results the buffering capacity of closed lakes seem to have no correlation with the base cation contents of the catchment areas. The study was carried out as a co-operative effort of the Geological Survey of Finland and the Water and Environmental District Office of Lapland.