Coastal Red Spruce health along an acidic fog/ozone gradient
Jagels R, Carlisle J, Cronan C, Cunningham R, Gordon G, Piatek KB, Serreze S, Stubbs C. 1988. Coastal Red Spruce health along an acidic fog/ozone gradient. Pages 229-233. In Proceedings of the US/FRG research symposium : effects of atmospheric pollutants on the spruce-fir forests of the eastern United States and the Federal Republic of Germany. Burlington, Vermont. October 19-23, 1987. Northeast Forest Experiment Station. Brommall, Pennsylvania. General Technical Report NE-120
FIELD WORK: June-October 1985, 1986, 1987. WATER QUALITY: Presents average pH, sulfate, and nitrite (NO3) data for rain and fog collected summer 1987 at Isle au Haut and other coastal and montane locations in Maine. pH of Isle au Haut rain average 4.40, fog 3.25. Fog pH data reveals a decreasing acidity gradient from southwest to northeast along the coast. The most acidic coastal fogs were associated with nitrate loadings. Reports on Houghton's (1955) fog pH data, noting that historically, coastal fog is probably at least 10 times more acidic than 41 years ago. AIR QUALITY: Ozone readings were taken on Isle au Haut summer 1986 and 1987, as well as at other coastal and montane sites throughout Maine. Isle au Haut's peak hourly average of .155ppm was recorded in 1987. Ozone levels were noted to be the highest within the coastal corridor. S02 levels were below .1ppm for 3 hour maximum. SOILS: Presents soil characteristics, exchangeable element concentrations, depth, pH, saturation, calcium, magnesium, and percent aluminum content. FLORA - VASCULAR: Gives foliar chemistry for red spruce listing percent nitrogen, calcium, potassium, magnesium, potassium, aluminum, boron, copper, zinc, manganese, sodium, and iron. Gives average chlorophyll and moisture content of red spruce as well. FLORA - LICHEN: Examined corticolous lichens on red spruce on Isle au Haut and other coastal and an inland site in Maine for symptoms of either leaching lichen acids or degradation of photobiont chloroplasts. Isle au Haut showed the most severe degradation of any site. Experimental misting of selected corticolous lichen species in the lab with acidified water (H2SO2 or HNO3) mimicked observed field symptoms, indicating lichens may be affected by acid precipitation on Isle au Haut /STUDY LOCATIONS:/ /ISLE AU HAUT
- Type
- Conference Proceeding Paper
- Authors
- Jagels, Richard; Carlisle, Jonathan; Cronan, Christopher; Cunningham, Robert; Gordon, Geoffrey; Piatek, Kathryn; Serreze, Susan; Stubbs, Constance
- Units
- ACAD
- Keywords
- Acid Rain, Air Quality, Aluminum (Al), Chlorophyll, Copper (Cu), fog, Iron (Fe), Isle Au Haut, Lichen, Manganese (Mn), Nitrogen (N), Ozone (O3), pH, Precipitation, Soil Types, Water Quality, Zinc (Zn)