The acidification of a Long Island, New York forest.
Item
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Title
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The acidification of a Long Island, New York forest.
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Identifier
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AAI9510634
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identifier
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9510634
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Creator
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Blickstein, Joel I.
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Contributor
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Adviser: David Locke
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Date
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1994
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Biogeochemistry | Geochemistry | Biology, Ecology | Environmental Sciences
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Abstract
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Precipitation was collected at Queens College, N.Y., analyzed and compared with the results of similar studies. The average volume-weighted pH was 4.3. Rainfall acidity was primarily associated with sulfate and secondarily with nitrate.;An analysis was made of soil solutions collected with lysimeters from a site on the moraine on the north shore of Long Island, New York. The results indicate that long term acidification and nutrient depletion due to acid rain is ongoing in these sandy, quartz-rich soils. Nitrogen appears to play a substantial role through the process of nitrification or preferential uptake of NH{dollar}\sb4\sp+{dollar} over NO{dollar}\sb3\sp-{dollar} which releases protons to the soil solutions. Soils and soil solutions are more acid than the ambient rainfall and are extremely depleted in nutrients. Disturbance of the forests on Long Island, N.Y. might have devastating effects on the ecosystem.;The suitability of ceramic cup lysimeters in acid soil studies was also considered in both laboratory experiments and a field test. The results indicate that leaching of aluminum from the lysimeters will occur if the pH of the soil solution is less than 5.0 even if the cups have been field "conditioned". These lysimeters are inappropriate for most studies in very acid soils.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
