Ecological Studies. Analysis and Synthesis

Transcription

1 Ecological Studies Analysis and Synthesis Edited by W.D. Billings, Durham () F. Golley, Athens () O.L. Lange, Wiirzburg (FRG) J.S. Olson, Oak Ridge () H. Remmert, Marburg (FRG) Volume 72

2 Ecological Studies Volume 59 Ecology of Biological Invasions of North America and Hawaii Edited by HA Mooney and JA Drake X, 320p., 2S figures. cloth ISBN Volume 60 Amazonian Rain Forests Ecosystem Disturbance and Recovery Edited by Carl F. Jordan X, 133p., 55 figures. cloth ISBN Volume 61 Potentials and Limitations of Ecosystem Analysis Edited by E.-D. Schulze and H. Zwolfer XII, 43Sp., 141 figures. cloth ISBN X Volume 62 Frost Survival of Plants By A. Sakai and W. Larcher XII, 321p., 200 figures, 78 tables. cloth ISBN Volume 63 Long-Tenn Forest Dynamics of the Temperate Zone By Paul A. Delcourt and Hazel R. Delcourt XIV, 45Op., 90 figures, 333 maps. cloth ISBN Volume 64 Landscape Heterogeneity and Disturbance Edited by Monica Goigel Turner XII, 241p., 56 figures. cloth ISBN Volume6S Community Ecology of Sea Offers Edited by G.R. van Blaricom and JA Estes X, 280p., 71 figures. cloth ISBN Volume 66 Forest Hydrology and Ecology at Coweeta Edited by W.T. Swank and DA Crossley, Jr XIV, 512p., lsi figures. cloth ISBN Volume 67 Concepts of Ecosystem Ecology A Comparative View Edited by L.R. Pomeroy and JJ. Alberts XII, 384p., 93 figures. cloth ISBN Volume 68 Stable Isotopes in Ecological Research Edited by P.W. Rundel, J.R. Ehleringer and K.A. Nagy XVI, S44p., 164 figures. cloth ISBN Volume 69 Vertebrates In Complex Tropical Systems Edited by M.L. Harmelin-Vivien and F. 80urliere XI, 200p., 17 figures. cloth ISBN ().() Volume 70 The Northem Forest Border in Canada and Alaska By James A. Larsen XVI. 272p., 73 figures. cloth ISBN Volume 71 TIdal Flat Estuaries: Simulation and Analysis or the Ems Estuary Edited by J. Baretta and P. Ruardij XVII, 3S3p., 1234 figures. cloth ISBN Volume 72 Acidic Depostion and Forest Soils By D. Binkley, C.T. Driscoll, H.L. Allen, P. Schoeneberger, and D. McAvoy p., 34 figures. cloth ISBN X

3 D. Binkley C.T. Driscoll H.L. Allen P. Schoeneberger D. McAvoy Acidic Deposition and Forest Soils Context and Case Studies of the Southeastern United States With 34 Figures Springer-Verlag New York Berlin Heidelberg London Paris Tokyo

4 Dan Binkley Department of Forest and Wood Sciences Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado H. Lee Allen Department of Forestry North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina Charles T. Driscoll Department of Civil Engineering Syracuse University Syracuse, New York Philip Schoeneberger Department of Soil Science North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina Drew McAvoy Department of Civil Engineering Syracuse University Syracuse, New York Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Acidic deposition and forest soils: Context and case studies of the southeastern United States Dan Binkley... [et all. p. cm.-(ecological studies; v. 72) Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Acid deposition-environmental aspects-southern States. 2. Forest soils-southern States. 3. Soil acidity-southern States. I. Binkley, Dan. II. Series. QH545.A17I '2642-dc Printed on acid-free paper 1989 by Springer-Verlag New York Inc. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1 st edition 1989 All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher (Springer-Verlag, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, ), except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, etc. in this publication, even if the former are not especially identified, is not to be taken as a sign that such names, as understood by the Trade Marks and Merchandise Marks Act, may accordingly be used freely by anyone. Typeset by Asco Trade Typesetting Ltd., Hong Kong TSBN-13: DOL: / e-tsbn-13:

5 Preface Knowledge in the field of acidic deposition is expanding rapidly, and both experts and non-experts are challenged to keep up with the latest information. We designed our assessment to include both the basic foundation needed by nonexperts and the detailed information needed by experts. Our assessment includes background information on acidic deposition (Chapter 1), an in-depth discussion of the nature of soil acidity and ecosystem H+ budgets (Chapter 2), and a summary of rates of deposition in the Southeastern U.S. (Chapter 3). A discussion of the nature of forest soils in the region (Chapter 4) is followed by an overview of previous assessments of soil sensitivity to acidification (Chapter 5). The potential impacts of acidic deposition on forest nutrition are described in the context of the degree of current nutrient limitation on forest productivity (Chapter 6). The results of simulations with the MAGIC model provided evaluations of the likely sensitivity of a variety of soils representative of forest soils in the South (Chapter 7), as well as a test of soil sensitivity criteria. Our synthesis and recommendations for research (Chapter 8) also serve as an executive summary. A complementary volume in the Springer-Verlag Ecological Studies series should be consulted for information on European forests. This volume, Acidic Deposition and Forest Decline in the Fictelgebirge, edited by E.-D. Schultze and O.L. Lange, also provides greater detail on the physiologic responses of trees than we present in our regional assessment. Our efforts to provide an up-to-date summary were aided greatly by help from: A. Bartuska, W. FcFee, G. Will, E. Cowling, D. Johnson, L. Pitelka, A.

6 vi Preface Lucier, K. Knoerr, C. Brandt, R. Harrison, D. Richter, J. Woodman, P. Ryan, J. Waide, W. Swank, J. Turner, D. Valentine, U. Valentine, J. Cosby, J. Pye, G. Hornberger, P. Wigington, Jr., and S. Anderson. This assessment was supported by funds provided by the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station (Southern Commercial Forest Research Cooperative), within the joint u.s. Environmental Protection Agency-U.S.D.A. Forest Service Forest Response Program. The Forest Response Program is part of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program. This book has not been subjected to policy review by the EPA or Forest Service, and it should not be construed to represent the policies of either Agency. Parts of the study were also supported by the Electric Power Research Institute's Integrated Forest Study through Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Dan Binkley Charles T. Driscoll H. Lee Allen Philip Schoene berger Drew McAvoy

7 Contents Preface v 1. Introduction Purpose of the assessment Structure ofthe assessment Background on why this has become an important topic Lakes versus forests Concerns over effects on forests Pathways of acidic deposition impacts The uncertain nature of truth in ecosystem studies 2. The nature of soil acidity and H + budgets Weak acid behavior of soils Changes in soil acidity involving the dynamics of weak and strong acids Sulfur, nitrogen and H+ budgets Loblolly pine case studies 3. Magnitudes and patterns of nitrogen and sulfur deposition in the South Sources of acids in the atmosphere Anthropogenic emissions of sulfur and nitrogen

8 viii Contents Modes of deposition 42 Atmospheric deposition in the South 43 Trends in deposition rates Forest soils of the South 52 Climate 52 Regional geomorphology and soils 53 Coastal Plain 53 Mississippi River Valley 59 Piedmont 59 Blue Ridge 60 Ridge and Valley 60 Appalachian Plateaus 60 Interior Low Plateau 61 Ouachita Uplands 61 Ozark Plateau 61 Central Lowlands 62 Importance in soil acidification Previous evaluations of sensitivity of southern soils Site-specific studies Previous regional assessments of soil sensitivity to acidic deposition Critique of criteria for gauging soil sensitivity 6. Nutrient cycles and nutrient limitations in the South The nitrogen cycle The sulfur cycle The nutrient cation cycles Cycles of other elements Nutrient limitations on forest growth in the South Conclusions 7. Simulation of tlie potential impacts of acidic deposition on forest soils in the South The MAGIC model Our approach Simulation results Discussion of simulation results and implications Conclusions from simulations 8. Synthesis and recommendations References Index