Developing Critical Loads and Dynamic Critical Loads for Acidification for Watersheds in the Adirondack region of New York and Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GRSM)
Zhou Q. 2014. Developing Critical Loads and Dynamic Critical Loads for Acidification for Watersheds in the Adirondack region of New York and Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GRSM). Syracuse University
ABSTRACT: Critical loads (CLs) and dynamic critical loads (DCLs) are important tools for the management of ecosystems that are impacted by high sulfate, nitrate and ammonium deposition. In this study, a biogeochemical model (PnET-BGC) was applied to 20 watersheds in the Adirondack region and 12 watersheds in Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GRSM) to calculate CLs and DCLs. I evaluated ecosystem changes in response to historical and potential future changes in acidic deposition. I analyzed factors affecting CLs and DCLs for acidification in the acid impacted Constable Pond Watershed in the Adirondack region, specifically evaluating trade-offs of sulfate and nitrate deposition, supply of dissolved organic carbon, land disturbance and lake hydrological residence time. I also calculated CLs and DCLs for 20 watersheds in the Adirondack Region. Based on chemical indicators (acid neutralizing capacity-ANC and soil base saturation) and biological indicators (fish and total zooplankton species richness). I defined two metrics – historical acidification and maximum recovery based on changes in ANC. I explored the factors affecting historical acidification and maximum recovery. I determined the conditions where acidified lakes can recover and the long-term sustained deposition loads that would be required to achieve such recovery and identified the types of watersheds for which recovery is unlikely, regardless of the emission reductions. I also projected the response of aquatic species (fish and total zooplankton species richness) to historical and potential future changes in acidic deposition. Using methods similar to those developed for the Adirondack region, I also applied PnET-BGC to the GRSM region to obtain CLs and DCLs and evaluated how watershedecosystems changed in response to historical and future decreases in NO3-, SO4 2- and NH4+ deposition....
- Type
- Academic
- Authors
- Zhou, Quingtao
- Date of Issue
- 2014-12
- Publisher
- Syracuse University
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- acid deposition, acidification, air pollution, APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, compliance, critical loads, Dissertation, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, SER, Southeast Region, water quality