Modification of snowmelt chemistry by forest floor and mineral soil, Northern Michigan
Stottlemyer R and Toczydlowski D. 1996. Modification of snowmelt chemistry by forest floor and mineral soil, Northern Michigan. Journal of Environmental Quality. 25(4):828-836
Precipitation, snowpack, snowmelt, forest floor percolate, soil water, and streamwater chemistry were studied throughout winter for seven years in a small Northern Michigan watershed vegetated by northern hardwoods. The objective was to see how precipitation and snowmelt chemistry is modified before it reaches the stream. Intermittent snowmelt occurred throughout the winter, and 65 to 78% of total snowpack loss of H+, NH4, NO3, and SO4 occurred before peak snowpack and snowmelt. From 70 to 95% of snowmelt H+, NH4, and NO3 was retained in the forest floor and shallow mineral soil by exchange, adsorption, or biological uptake. Sulfate and organic anions were major contributors to base cation flux in the forest floor while SO4 was related to base cation flux in shallow soils. High streamwater Ca, Mg, and HCO3 concentrations indicated that soil mineral weathering was a major process altering snowmelt chemistry at the watershed level.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Stottlemyer, Robert; Toczydlowski, David
- Units
- ISRO
- Keywords
- Aquatic, Northern Michigan, Precipitation, Snowmelt, Soils, streamwater chemistry, Watershed