Empirical Critical Loads of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition for Nutrient Enrichment and Acidification of Sensitive US Lakes

The ecological effects of elevated atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition on high-elevation lakes of the western and northeastern United States include nutrient enrichment and acidification. The nutrient enrichment critical load for western lakes ranged from 1.0 to 3.0 kilograms (kg) of N per hectare (...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bioscience 2011-08, Vol.61 (8), p.602-613
Main Authors: Baron, Jill S, Driscoll, Charles T, Stoddard, John L, Richer, Eric E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acidification
Atmospheric deposition
Atmospherics
Correlation
critical load
Ecological effects
Environmental protection
Freshwater ecosystems
Lakes
Land Use
Lentic systems
Meta Analysis
Mountains
Nitrogen
nutrient enrichment
Nutrient loading
OVERVIEW ARTICLES
Precipitation
Snowmelt
Sulfur
Water pollution
Watershed management
Watersheds
Wet atmospheric deposition
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Summary:The ecological effects of elevated atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition on high-elevation lakes of the western and northeastern United States include nutrient enrichment and acidification. The nutrient enrichment critical load for western lakes ranged from 1.0 to 3.0 kilograms (kg) of N per hectare (ha) per year, reflecting the nearly nonexistent watershed vegetation in complex, snowmelt-dominated terrain. The nutrient enrichment critical load for northeastern lakes ranged from 3.5 to 6.0 kg N per ha per year. The N acidification critical loads associated with episodic N pulses in waters with low values of acid neutralizing capacity were 4.0 kg N per ha per year (western) and 8.0 kg N per ha per year (northeastern). The empirical critical loads for N-caused acidification were difficult to determine because of a lack of observations in the West, and high sulfur deposition in the East. For both nutrient enrichment and acidification, the N critical load was a function of how atmospheric N deposition was determined.
ISSN:0006-3568
1525-3244
DOI:10.1525/bio.2011.61.8.6