Base Cation Deposition Research Articles

Long-Term Monitored Norway Spruce Plots in the Ore Mountains-30 Years of Changes in Forest Health, Soil Chemistry and Tree Nutrition after Air Pollution Calamity.

The Ore Mountains were historically one of the most polluted areas in Europe, where high sulphur dioxide concentrations and a high level of atmospheric deposition led to a vast decline in Norway spruce stands in the mountain ridge plateau. In this article, we evaluate the trends in the atmospheric deposition load, soil chemistry, tree nutrition, crown defoliation and height increment in a network of twenty research plots monitored for last thirty years in this region. The decrease in sulphur and nitrogen deposition was most pronounced at the end of 1990s. Extreme values of sulphur deposition (100-200 kg.ha-1.year-1) were recorded in throughfall under mature Norway spruce stands in the late 1970s, and after felling of the damaged stand, the deposition levels were comparable to open plot bulk deposition. Nitrogen deposition decreased more slowly compared with sulphur, and a decrease in base cation deposition was observed concurrently. The current deposition load is low and fully comparable to other mountain areas in central Europe. Accordingly, the health of young spruce stands, as assessed by defoliation and height increment, has improved and now corresponds to the Czech national average. On the other hand, no significant changes were observed in the soil chemistry, even though some of the plots were limed. Acidic or strongly acidic soil prevails, often with a deficiency of exchangeable calcium and magnesium in the mineral topsoil, as well as decreases in available phosphorus. This is reflected in the foliage chemistry, where we see an imbalance between a relatively high content of nitrogen and decreasing contents of phosphorus, potassium and calcium. Despite the observed positive trends in air quality and forest health, the nutritional imbalance on acidified soils poses a risk for the future of forest stands in the region.

Critical loads for alkalization in terrestrial ecosystems

Critical loads are a risk assessment approach that has supported large decreases in atmospheric acidic deposition globally. In Canada, SOx emissions fell by approximately 70 % between 1990 and 2021, whereas total particulate matter (TPM) emissions increased by about 40 %, mostly after 2010. Base cations are a major component of TPM, and critical load models consider base cation deposition as beneficial to ecosystems insomuch as it reduces the risk of acidification. However, close to point sources, high levels of alkaline dust deposition have altered soil chemistry and caused an undesirable shift in ecosystem state; something that critical loads are designed to prevent. In this study, the simple mass balance model (SMB) was modified with the objective of preventing base cation accumulation in soil above an acceptable threshold. The concept was applied to a forested site close to large emission sources of sulphur, nitrogen, and base cations in the Oil Sands region of Alberta, Canada. At this site, base cation leaching measured at 25 cm was approximately three times higher than estimated background leaching and exceeded combined SO4 + NO3 leaching. The critical load for alkalization was exceeded under each scenario considered in this study, although the exceedance was marginal if all N in current deposition was assumed to leach from soil. While this framework can easily be applied to regional and national critical load efforts, the main uncertainties of the proposed approach include base cation deposition estimates, assumptions regarding the behavior of N in soil, the selection of an appropriate Alkle(crit) and the long-term immobilization of deposited base cations in soil.

Plant species diversity is driven by soil base cations under acid deposition in desert coal-mining region in northwestern China

Given that the rate of acid deposition tends to be stable or even decline in most regions of China, the rapid development of the coal industry accelerated the rates of S and N deposition in Northwest China. Although desert plants are sparse, they play an essential role in maintaining ecosystem functions. However, few studies have evaluated whether and how acid deposition affects plant species diversity in deserts, especially those with moderate and severe alkalinity. In this study, three coal-fired power plants located at the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base in Northwest China were selected as the monitoring sites. From 2019 to 2021, we analyzed the chemical compositions of the bulk deposition of rainfall and dustfall, plant species diversity, and the main factors influencing plant diversity along a 2000 m sampling distance gradient. There were no apparent trends in annual deposition of SO42− (19.67–82.28 kg ha−1 yr−1), NO3− (2.83–11.42 kg ha−1 yr−1), NH4+ (1.91–5.20 kg ha−1 yr−1), and inorganic N (4.91–16.11 kg ha−1 yr−1) along the sampling gradient. The SO42− deposition was lower than the S deposition critical load in the study area, whereas the N deposition exceeded the acceptable N deposition of soils. The base cation (BC) neutralized the input acidity of the bulk deposition, in which Ca2+ played a key role. There were no significant differences in the Patrick richness index (2–8), Shannon-Wiener diversity index (0.45–1.73), and Pielou evenness index (0.56–0.99) along the sampling gradient, whereas an increasing trend was observed in the Simpson dominance index (0.13–0.72). C:N:P ecological stoichiometry in plant–microbe-soil could not highly explain the variation in plant diversity. S, N, and BC deposition had minor direct effects on plant diversity. However, S and BC deposition could indirectly influence plant diversity through their influence on soil BCs and bulk deposition pH. The results indicate that S deposition increases bulk deposition acidity, reduces soil BC concentration, and improves soil alkaline environments, thus enhancing plant diversity in the studied deserts. Current N deposition does not greatly affect plant diversity. However, long-term observations are still required to thoroughly evaluate the effect of N deposition..

Wet depositions of cations in forests across NADP, EMEP, and EANET monitoring networks over the last two decades

Studies focused on emissions and acid deposition of sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) and the consequent precipitation acidity have a long history. However, atmospheric depositions of cations play a critical role in buffering precipitation acidity, and providing cationic nutrients for vegetation growth lacks sufficient studies equally. The spatiotemporal patterns of cation depositions and their neutralization potential across broad scales remain unclear. Through synthesizing the long-term data in forest sites (n = 128) derived from three monitoring networks (NADP in Northern America, EMEP in Europe, and EANET in East Asia) on wet deposition of cations (Na+, NH4-N, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+), this study assesses the temporal changes and spatial patterns of cation depositions and their neutralization potential over the last two decades. The results showed that the depositions of cationic nutrients were considerably higher in EANET compared to NADP and EMEP. The depositions of sea salt-associated sodium exhibited a significant transition from marine (> 15 kg ha−1 year−1) to inland (< 3.0 kg ha−1 year−1) forest sites attributable to the precipitation quantity and influences of sea spray. The higher emissions of NH3 and particulate matter in East Asia explained the higher cation depositions in EANET than NADP and EMEP. The annual trends of cations revealed that only 20–30% of the forest sites showed significant changing trends and the sites widely spread across the three networks. Possibly, base cation (BC) deposition has reached a low and stable condition in NADP and EMEP, while it has high spatial heterogeneity in the temporal change in EANET. The difference in BC deposition among the three networks reflects their distinct development of economy. Our synthesis indicates that the annual trends of neutralization factor (NF) in NADP can be explained by the declining of acid potential (AP), not by neutralization potential (NP) as BC deposition has been stably low over the past two decades. Whereas, the concurrent decreases of AP and NP in EMEP or plateau period of both AP and NP in EANET have come to a standstill of acid neutralizing capacity.

Long Term Trends of Base Cation Budgets of Forests in the UK to Inform Sustainable Harvesting Practices

There is growing concern in the UK that available base cation pools in soil are declining due to the combined effects of acid deposition and forest harvesting. To help inform the issue, elemental mass balances for calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) were calculated using more than 10-years (10–24 years) of data from the UK’s ICP Forest Intensive Monitoring Network (Level II) of plots, covering a range of soil types and three tree species—oak, Scots pine and Sitka spruce. Out of the ten sites investigated, small negative Ca balances were observed at three sites and negative K balances on two sites, all on acid geology and nutrient poor soils, which were previously heavily acidified due to acid deposition. There is sufficient Ca and K in the soil exchangeable pool to sustain forest growth on these sites, however, if the present rate of Ca and K loss continues forest health and productivity are likely to be threatened within a few forest rotations. Magnesium showed a positive balance at all but one site, partly sustained by marine deposition. Base cation budgets were significantly (p &lt; 0.01) positively related to soil exchangeable cations and soil base saturation status. Six of the sites showed an increasingly statistically significant positive cation balance with time, attributed to a decline in leaching linked to recovery from acidification. This included the three sites with negative Ca balance, although Ca remained in deficit. One site (Alice Holt) exhibited a decreasing cation balance, driven by a continued significant decline in base cation deposition thought to be related to pollutant emission control. The results were used to simulate the impact of different forest biomass harvesting scenarios involving the removal of brown (extracted after needle drop) or green (extracted before needle drop) brash. Podzols and deep peats were found to be the most vulnerable to brash harvesting causing Ca and K imbalance, but problems also occurred on brown earths. Impacts were greatest for the extraction of green brash from higher productivity stands. Base cation balance calculations remain highly uncertain due to the restricted nature of available measurements and wide variation of some estimates, particularly inputs from mineral weathering. More data are required to check and improve model predictions to better guide forest harvesting practice and ensure sustainable forest management.

Gap edge canopy buffering of throughfall deposition in a subalpine natural forest

Base cation loads are rarely considered in forest gap edge canopies, but they can play critical roles in capturing or buffering atmospheric deposition in forests with frequent gap disturbances, such as subalpine forests. We selected an expanded gap edge canopy and a closed canopy in a subalpine natural forest on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. The throughfall deposition and canopy exchange processes of common base cations (K + , Ca 2+ , Na + , and Mg 2+ ) were continuously studied over two years. The results showed that the enrichment ratio and fluxes had lower levels of base cations in the gap-edge canopy than in the closed canopy, which indicated that base cations were concentrated more in the closed canopy than in the gap-edge canopy. Although Ca 2+ in the gap-edge canopy showed a higher net throughfall flux, the annual net throughfall fluxes of K + , Na + and Mg 2+ within the gap-edge canopy were 1.83, 6.75 and 2.95 times lower than those in the closed canopy, respectively. Moreover, dry deposition fluxes of base cations significantly decreased in the gap edge canopy compared to those in the closed canopy, and the decreasing tendency was more significant during the snowy season than during the rainy season. Overall, these results suggest that the amount of base cations in subalpine natural forest ecosystems may be overestimated when the throughfall deposition of ions in gap edge canopies is ignored.

Critical loads of headwater streams in China using SSWC model modified by comprehensive F-factor

In order to evaluate the potential risk of surface water acidification in regions with historically-elevated acid deposition and to measure the recovery of such ecosystems after policy changes, critical loads and their exceedances were estimated for 349 headwater streams across China using a modified SSWC model. Such a model considered the acid-neutralizing capacity derived from high base cation deposition and the robust retention of sulfate and nitrate. Results indicated that China's streams had higher critical loads (averaged at 4.7 keq·ha−1·yr−1) and were less sensitive to acid deposition as compared to Europe and North America. The proportion of surveyed streams with acid deposition exceeded critical load decreased from 40.4% in 2005 to 29.5% in 2018, indicating a significant decrease in risk of surface water acidification, and thus a benefit from the emission abatement in recent years. Nonetheless, a relatively high risk of acidification still existed in southeast China with lower critical loads and most critical load exceedances. More efforts should be put into implementing emission control policies in the future.

Long-term variability in base cation, sulfur and nitrogen deposition and critical load exceedance of terrestrial ecosystems in China

The rapid development of China's industrial economy and implementation of air pollution controls have led to great changes in sulfur (S), nitrogen (N) and base cation (BC) deposition in the past three decades. We estimated China's anthropogenic BC emissions and simulated BC deposition from 1985 to 2015 with a five-year interval using a multilayer Eulerian model. Deposition of S and N from 2000 to 2015 with a five-year interval was simulated with the EMEP MSC-W model and the Multi-resolution Emission Inventory of China (MEIC). The critical load (CL) and its exceedance were then calculated to evaluate the potential long-term acidification risks. From 1985 to 2005, the BC deposition in China was estimated to have increased by 16 % and then decreased by 33 % till 2015. S deposition was simulated to increase by 49 % from 2000 to 2005 and then decrease by 44 % in 2015, while N deposition increased by 32 % from 2000 to 2010 with a limited reduction afterward. The maximum CL of S was found to increase in 67 % of mainland China areas from 1985 to 2005 and to decline in 55 % of the areas from 2005 to 2015, attributed largely to the changed BC deposition. Consistent with the progress of national controls on SO2 and NOX emissions, the CL exceedance of S increased from 2.9 to 4.6 Mt during 2000–2005 and then decreased to 2.5 Mt in 2015, while that of N increased from 0.4 in 2000 to 1.2 Mt in 2010 and then decreased to 1.1 Mt in 2015. The reduced BC deposition due to particle emission controls partially offset the benefit of SO2 control on acidification risk reduction in the past decade. It demonstrates the need for a comprehensive strategy for multi-pollutant control against soil acidification.

Effects of Moderate Nitrate and Low Sulphate Depositions on the Status of Soil Base Cation Pools and Recent Mineral Soil Acidification at Forest Conversion Sites with European Beech (“Green Eyes”) Embedded in Norway Spruce and Scots Pine Stands

High N depositions of past decades brought changes to European forests including impacts on forest soil nutrition status. However, the ecosystem responses to declining atmospheric N inputs or moderate N depositions attracted only less attention so far. Our study investigated macronutrient (N, S, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+) pools and fluxes at forest conversion sites over 80 years old in Central Germany with European beech (so-called “Green Eyes” (GE)). The GE are embedded in large spruce and pine stands (coniferous stands: CS) and all investigated forest stands were exposed to moderate N deposition rates (6.8 ± 0.9 kg ha−1 yr−1) and acidic soil conditions (pHH2O &lt; 4.7). Since the understanding of forest soil chemical and macronutrient status is essential for the evaluation of forest conversion approaches, we linked patterns in water-bound nutrient fluxes (2001–2018) and in predicted macronutrient storage in the herbaceous and tree layer to patterns in litter fall (2016–2017) and in forest floor and mineral soil macronutrient stocks at GE and CS assessed in 2018. Our results exhibited 43% (Nt) and 21% (S) higher annual throughfall fluxes at CS than at GE. Seepage water at 100 cm mineral soil depth (2001–2018) of CS is characterized by up to fivefold higher NO3− (GE: 2 ± 0.7 µmolc L−1; CS: 9 ± 1.4 µmolc L−1) and sevenfold higher SO42− (GE: 492 ± 220 µmolc L−1; CS: 3672 ± 2613 µmolc L−1) concentrations. High base cation (∑ Ca2+, Mg2+, K+) concentrations in CS mineral soil seepage water (100 cm depth: 2224 ± 1297 µmolc L−1) show significant positive correlations with SO42−. Tree uptake of base cations at GE is associated especially with a Ca2+ depletion from deeper mineral soil. Foliar litter fall turns out to be the main pathway for litter base cation return to the topsoil at GE (&gt;59%) and CS (&gt;66%). The litter fall base cation return at GE (59 ± 6 kg ha−1 yr−1) is almost twice as large as the base cation deposition (30 ± 5 kg ha−1 yr−1) via throughfall and stemflow. At CS, base cation inputs to the topsoil via litter fall and depositions are at the same magnitude (24 ± 4 kg ha−1 yr−1). Macronutrient turnover is higher at GE and decomposition processes are hampered at CS maybe through higher N inputs. Due to its little biomass and only small coverage, the herbaceous layer at GE and CS do not exert a strong influence on macronutrient storage. Changes in soil base cation pools are tree species-, depth- and might be time-dependent, with recently growing forest floor stocks. An ongoing mineral soil acidification seems to be related to decreasing mineral soil base cation stocks (through NO3− and especially SO42− leaching as well as through tree uptake).

Canopy modification of base cations deposition in a subtropical broadleaved forest: Spatial characteristics, canopy budgets and acid neutralizing capacity

Atmospheric deposition of base cations in contact with the canopy alters their chemical characteristics and plays a vital role in offsetting soil acidification and nutrient imbalance by replenishing the base cationic pool in forest ecosystems. However, the effects of site characteristics on deliveries of base cations fluxes via throughfall (TF) and stemflow (SF) across topographic gradients within a watershed remain less understood. Here, we examined the concentrations and fluxes of base cations (potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+) and sodium (Na+)), acid neutralizing capacities (ANC) and alkalinity (ALK) in bulk precipitation (BP), TF and SF in an upper slope plot (UP) and a lower slope plot (LP) in a subtropical broadleaved montane forest, Southeast China. In addition, a canopy budget model was applied to distinguish the relative contributions of dry deposition (DD) and canopy exchange (CE) to net TF + SF (NTF) flux. Results showed that annual volume weighted mean concentrations of base cations in TF and SF were significantly higher than those in BP in both UP and LP. Annual fluxes of TF or SF base cations had no significant differences between UP and LP, resulting in a comparable of the NTF fluxes. However, the relative contributions of DD and CE to NTF were different at the two slope plots. NTF K+ flux was dominated by CE regardless of slope position. Unlike K+, NTF Ca2+ and Mg2+ fluxes were dominated by DD in UP, while CE in LP. In addition, ANC and ALK of TF and SF were significantly higher compared to BP, suggesting rainwater beneath the canopy became less acidic and may mitigate in part the risk of soil acidification, especially in the dormant season. This study can provide insights into the spatial variability of chemical characteristics of base cations, and improve our understanding of the quantities and controls of external and internal nutrient inputs occurring within the canopy in forest watershed.

Spatiotemporal variability, source apportionment, and acid-neutralizing capacity of atmospheric wet base-cation deposition in China

Atmospheric wet deposition of base cations (BCs) plays a significant role in providing plant nutrients and buffering acidification. However, the temporal dynamic of wet BC deposition in China during the past two decades remain unclear. Here, we used long-term monitoring and literature data since 2000 to assess the temporal dynamics (seasonal and inter-annual variation), spatial patterns, main influencing factors, source apportionment, and capacity to neutralize the acidity of wet BC depositions at site, regional, and national scales. The results showed that total wet deposition of BCs was, on average, 2.12 keq ha−1 yr−1, where Ca2+ accounted for 65.57% of the total deposition, followed by Na+ (13.21%), Mg2+ (13.68%), and K+ (7.55%). Qinghai-Tibet had significantly lower BC deposition fluxes than northern, southern, and central China, as well as Inner Mongolia. Exchangeable BCs in soil, PM10 in the atmosphere, energy consumption, and cement production are significantly related to wet BC deposition, which account for 79.17% of the variation in the spatial deposition of BC. Influenced by the strategies to control acid rain and particulate matter in China, interannual variations showed a stabilization trend after a continuous decline from 2000 to 2017, which can be explained by inter-annual changes in PM10, energy consumption and cement production. Statistical methods confirmed that 45.95% of wet BC deposition was derived from crustal contributions, 27.78% from sea salt sources, and 26.27% from anthropogenic sources. Furthermore, we found that wet deposition of BCs neutralized 84.85% of the acidity due to NO3− and SO42− depositions. Under the emissions reduction strategy, there has been a decrease in the deposition of BC. However, SO42− and NO3− depositions decreased faster than BC deposition, which buffered a higher proportion of acidic depositions. Our findings contribute to an improved understanding of wet BC deposition in China, an evaluation of their capacity to neutralize acidity, and important parameters for acidification models.

Ambient concentrations and total deposition of inorganic sulfur, inorganic nitrogen and base cations in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region

Trace gas, particulate matter and deposition data collected in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) from 2000 to 2017 were evaluated as part of a broad scientific programmatic review. Results showed significant spatial patterns and temporal trends across the region. Concentrations of reactive gases were highest near the center of surface oil sands production operations and decreased towards the edges of the monitoring domain by factors of 8, 20, 4 and 3 for SO2, NO2, HNO3 and NH3, respectively. 18 of 30 sites showed statistically significant (p < 0.05) negative trends in SO2 concentrations suggesting an ~40% decrease since 2000. In contrast, only 2 of 30 sites showed statistically significant temporal trends (1 positive, 1 negative) for NO2. NH3 data showed (i) intermittent wildfire impacts, and (ii) high seasonality, with low concentrations during winter and significantly higher values during the summer. PM10 measurements were more limited, but also showed significant spatio-temporal variability. Comparison of PM10 and PM2.5 data showed that >80% of SO42− was in the PM2.5 fraction, while > 60% of Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and Cl− were in the PM10-2.5 fraction. Ion balances of both PM10 and PM2.5 contained cation excesses at near-field oil sand sites, but PM2.5 samples at forest health sites >20 km from surface production locations contained anion excesses. Monthly average concentrations of PM10 ions showed peak Ca2+ during March-April to November, but peak SO42−, NH4+ and NO3− from November-March. Deposition estimates showed rapid declines as a function of distance to oil sand operations. Estimated total N and total S deposition to forest health monitoring sites ranged from 2.0 to 5.7 kg ha−1 a−1 and 2.1–14.0 kg ha−1 a−1, respectively. Potential acid input (PAI) ranged from −0.46 to 0.79 keq ha−1 a−1 and was mostly 0.1–0.2 keq ha−1 a−1 throughout the domain, except for two clusters of sites near oil sand operations.

Estimates of exceedances of critical loads for acidifying deposition in Alberta and Saskatchewan

Abstract. Estimates of potential harmful effects on ecosystems in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan due to acidifying deposition were calculated, using a 1-year simulation of a high-resolution implementation of the Global Environmental Multiscale-Modelling Air-quality and Chemistry (GEM-MACH) model, and estimates of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem critical loads. The model simulation was evaluated against two different sources of deposition data: total deposition in precipitation and total deposition to snowpack in the vicinity of the Athabasca oil sands. The model captured much of the variability of observed ions in wet deposition in precipitation (observed versus model sulfur, nitrogen and base cation R2 values of 0.90, 0.76 and 0.72, respectively), while being biased high for sulfur deposition, and low for nitrogen and base cations (slopes 2.2, 0.89 and 0.40, respectively). Aircraft-based estimates of fugitive dust emissions, shown to be a factor of 10 higher than reported to national emissions inventories (Zhang et al., 2018), were used to estimate the impact of increased levels of fugitive dust on model results. Model comparisons to open snowpack observations were shown to be biased high, but in reasonable agreement for sulfur deposition when observations were corrected to account for throughfall in needleleaf forests. The model–observation relationships for precipitation deposition data, along with the expected effects of increased (unreported) base cation emissions, were used to provide a simple observation-based correction to model deposition fields. Base cation deposition was estimated using published observations of base cation fractions in surface-collected particles (Wang et al., 2015).Both original and observation-corrected model estimates of sulfur, nitrogen, and base cation deposition were used in conjunction with critical load data created using the NEG-ECP (2001) and CLRTAP (2017) methods for calculating critical loads, using variations on the Simple Mass Balance model for terrestrial ecosystems, and the Steady State Water Chemistry and First-order Acidity Balance models for aquatic ecosystems. Potential ecosystem damage was predicted within each of the regions represented by the ecosystem critical load datasets used here, using a combination of 2011 and 2013 emissions inventories. The spatial extent of the regions in exceedance of critical loads varied between 1 × 104 and 3.3 × 105 km2, for the more conservative observation-corrected estimates of deposition, with the variation dependent on the ecosystem and critical load calculation methodology. The larger estimates (for aquatic ecosystems) represent a substantial fraction of the area of the provinces examined.Base cation deposition was shown to be sufficiently high in the region to have a neutralizing effect on acidifying deposition, and the use of the aircraft and precipitation observation-based corrections to base cation deposition resulted in reasonable agreement with snowpack data collected in the oil sands area. However, critical load exceedances calculated using both observations and observation-corrected deposition suggest that the neutralization effect is limited in spatial extent, decreasing rapidly with distance from emissions sources, due to the rapid deposition of emitted primary dust particles as a function of their size. We strongly recommend the use of observation-based correction of model-simulated deposition in estimating critical load exceedances, in future work.

Bulk deposition of base cationic nutrients in China's forests: Annual rates and spatial characteristics

Base cations, such as potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+), are essential nutrients for plant growth and their atmospheric inputs can buffer the effect of acid deposition by nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) compounds. However, the spatial variation in atmospheric deposition of these base cationic nutrients is less understood compared with N and S deposition. By synthesizing bulk deposition data for K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+, we assessed their annual rates and spatial characteristics at 34 forested sites across China. Our synthesis showed relatively high levels of bulk deposition of base cationic nutrients in China's forests, being an order of magnitude higher than in the USA and Europe. On average, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ accounted for 13%, 72% and 15% of the bulk deposition of base cationic nutrients, respectively. Surprisingly, base cation deposition was lower at sites near semi-arid regions compared with sites in eastern and southern China, which were far from semi-arid regions. Moreover, elevated base cation deposition was associated with urban hotspots, exhibiting a significant power-law increase with closer distance to the nearest large cities. We estimated that on average base cationic nutrients neutralized a significant proportion (76%) of the potential acid load due to acid deposition. Our findings suggest that in China there is considerable anthropogenic alteration of the regional cycling of base cationic nutrients, which plays an important role in counteracting the risk of soil acidification and base cation depletion in forest ecosystems, especially in the southern regions.

Forest Fertilization Associated with Oil Sands Emissions

The Athabasca Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada, is one of the largest point sources emitters of NOx and SO2 in Canada, and there have been widespread concerns over potential ecosystem acidification owing to the acid sensitivity of the base-poor sandy soils in the region. In this study we compared soil and vegetation properties at a jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb) forest adjacent to one of the largest mines in the region with a jack pine stand located approximately 15 km from the mine. At the site closest to the mine, throughfall deposition of SO4-S and DIN (NO3 + NH4) exceeds 30 and 20 kg ha−1 y−1, respectively, compared with less than 9 kg ha−1 y−1 for SO4-S and less than 2 kg ha−1 y−1 DIN at the distant site. However, on an equivalence basis, base cation (Ca + Mg + Na) deposition in throughfall at both sites exceeded the combined S and N deposition. Total S and N as well as Ca and Mg concentrations in epiphytic lichens and tree bark were significantly higher at the site adjacent to the mine, reflecting the higher acidic and base cation throughfall deposition. The forest floor at the stand close to the mine had a significantly higher pH, exchangeable Ca, Mg, K and total S concentrations compared with the distant site. The chemistry of deeper mineral soil horizons was more consistent between the two sites. Foliar concentrations of S, Ca, Mg, Fe and Al in jack pine, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Vaccinium myrtilloides and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi were also higher at the site close to the mine, but these differences were not always significant. Coincidental with differences in atmospheric deposition, herbaceous cover and biomass, especially A. uva-ursi, was significantly higher, and terricolous lichen cover was several fold lower at the site closest to the mine. This work indicates that despite high S and N emissions from oil sands activities, forest fertilization and alkalization may be of greater concern than acidification owing to large dust emissions from the mines and the Acid Deposition Management Framework for the region should be modified accordingly.

Spatial and temporal patterns in trace element deposition to lakes in the Athabasca oil sands region (Alberta, Canada)

The mining and processing of the Athabasca oil sands (Alberta, Canada) has been occurring for decades; however, a lack of consistent regional monitoring has obscured the long-term environmental impact. Here, we present sediment core results to reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns in trace element deposition to lakes in the Athabasca oil sands region. Early mining operations (during the 1970s and 1980s) led to elevated V and Pb inputs to lakes located <50 km from mining operations. Subsequent improvements to mining and upgrading technologies since the 1980s have reduced V and Pb loading to near background levels at many sites. In contrast, Hg deposition increased by a factor of ~3 to all 20 lakes over the 20th century, reflecting global-scale patterns in atmospheric Hg emissions. Base cation deposition (from fugitive dust emissions) has not measurably impacted regional lake sediments. Instead, results from a principal components analysis suggest that the presence of carbonate bedrock underlying lakes located close to development appears to exert a first-order control over lake sediment base cation concentrations and overall lake sediment geochemical composition. Trace element concentrations generally did not exceed Canadian sediment quality guidelines, and no spatial or temporal trends were observed in the frequency of guideline exceedence. Our results demonstrate that early mining efforts had an even greater impact on trace element cycling than has been appreciated previously, placing recent monitoring efforts in a critical long-term context.

Available Nutrients Can Accumulate in Permanent Skid Trails

Forest harvesting removes and redistributes nutrients through felling and forwarding. Substantial quantities of nutrients can accumulate in brash mats on permanent skid trails, but their availability and uptake after multiple thinnings on soils susceptible to leaching are unknown. In this study, we modeled the deposition of base cations and phosphorus on a permanent skid trail after five thinnings of a Picea abies (L.) Karst. stand, and measured the resulting nutrient stocks in both the forest floor and mineral soil. An estimated 35%, 44%, 41%, and 61% of harvested Ca, K, Mg, and P, respectively, were redistributed to the skid trail. Of those deposited stocks, 32–65% of nutrients remained in decomposed brash material on the skid trail. Mineral soil stocks for Ca, K, and P were significantly higher in the skid trail than in the stand, which included minor increases in bioavailable pools. Skid trail root densities were not lower than the stand while bulk densities were only partially higher. Both would not limit nutrient uptake. There were no significant relations between needle nutrient concentrations and distance to the skid trail. Altogether, these results indicate that nutrient uptake from the skid trail was minimal despite their accumulation, chemical availability, and physical accessibility. This suggests that other factors such as liming and frequent thinning disturbances can repress uptake of available nutrients on skid trails.

Deposition pattern and throughfall fluxes in secondary cool temperate forest, South Korea

Chemistry and deposition fluxes in the rainfall and throughfall of red pine (Pinus densiflora), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and chestnut (Castanea crenata) monocultures, and mixed red pine–black locust–chestnut stands were examined in a nutrient-limited cool temperate forest of central South Korea. Throughfall was enriched in both basic and acidic constituents relative to rainfall, suggesting that both dry deposition and canopy leaching are important sources of throughfall constituents. Net throughfall fluxes (NTFs) of cations and anions significantly differed among four different stands as well as seasonally. Red pine exhibited highest fluxes (TF and NTF) for Ca2+, black locust for K+, mixed stands for Mg2+, and chestnut for Na+. In contrast, NTF of SO42-, NO3−, and NH4+was highest in the red pine, intermediate in the chestnut and mixed stands, and lowest in the black locust. In general, canopy uptake of H+ and NH4+ for all stands was higher in summer than in winter. Dry deposition appears to play a major role in atmospheric deposition to this cool temperate forest, especially in summer. Dry deposition for both cations and anions displayed high spatial variability, even though stands were adjacent to one another and experienced identical atmospheric deposition loads. Canopy leaching of K+ (95–78% of NTF), Mg2+ (92–23% of NTF), and Ca2+ (91–12% of NTF) was highest for the black locust, lowest for chestnut, and intermediate for the red pine and mixed stands. The present study documented significant changes in throughfall chemistry and NTF among different forest stands, which presumably be related with the differences in the canopy characteristics and differences in their scavenging capacity for dry deposition and canopy exchange. Difference in the canopy retention of H+ and base cation leaching suggests that canopy exchange was mainly driven by weak acid excretion and lesser by H+ exchange reaction. Our results indicate that despite a high base cation deposition, a combination of higher input of acidifying constituents, low soil pH, and total acidic deposition approaching South Korean critical loads make regional forest vulnerable to acidification.

Acid deposition in Asia: Emissions, deposition, and ecosystem effects

We review and synthesize the current state of knowledge regarding acid deposition and its environmental effects across Asia. The extent and magnitude of acid deposition in Asia became apparent only about one decade after this issue was well described in Europe and North America. In addition to the temperate zone, much of eastern and southern Asia is situated in the tropics and subtropics, climate zones hitherto little studied with respect to the effects of high loads of acid deposition. Surface waters across Asia are generally not sensitive to the effects of acid deposition, whereas soils in some regions are sensitive to acidification due to low mineral weathering. However, soil acidification was largely neutralized by such processes as base cation deposition, nitrate (NO3−) denitrification, and sulfate (SO42−) adsorption. Accompanying the decrease in S deposition in recent years, N deposition is of increasing concern in Asia. The acidifying effect of N deposition may be more important than S deposition in well drained tropical/subtropical soils due to high SO42− adsorption. The risk of regional soil acidification is a major threat in Eastern Asia, indicated by critical load exceedance in large areas.

Long-term effects of gap creation and lime application on element input and output in a European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest

Four gaps of 30 m diameter were cut in a mature European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest in 1989. In two of the gaps and their surrounding areas, dolomite lime (3 t ha−1) was applied. The study was designed to examine the long-term effects of lime application and canopy removal on element input via throughfall and output in seepage water at 80 cm depth in this European beech forest. Throughfall and seepage water were collected in the unlimed gap center, the limed gap center and the undisturbed beech stand in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996 and 2012. The canopy opening increased the seepage water acidity from 1991 to 1996. The pH values of the seepage water were higher in the limed gaps than in the unlimed gaps during the five study periods. The amount of annual throughfall and of seepage water were higher in the gaps during the study period; in 2012, the annual amounts of seepage water were significantly higher in the gaps than in the closed stand, whereas the input of most elements decreased from 1991 to 2012. The seepage water in the unlimed gaps had higher nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) concentrations, but lower sulfate sulfur (SO4-S) concentrations than in the limed gaps in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1996. The amount of leaching NO3-N and SO4-S in 2012 was, however, significantly higher in the limed gaps than in the unlimed gaps, while the input of nitrogen (N) and SO4-S was significantly lower in the limed gaps than in the closed stand. In general, the annual amounts of element input via throughfall were higher in the closed stand than in the gaps. However, the element output through leaching was much higher in the gap centers than in the closed stand. The net losses of aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and manganese (Mn) were higher in the unlimed gaps than in the limed gaps and the closed stand in 1991. In 2012, 23 years after liming and canopy opening, the effects of gaps and liming, and the interaction of gap and liming on element leaching, were still significant compared to the untreated stand. Overall, canopy opening reduced N, sulfate, Al, and base cation deposition in the long run. Canopy opening in combination with liming affected the seepage water acidity and the leaching losses of base cations up to 23 years after canopy removal and liming in this European beech forest.