Catchment acidification—from the top down

Three main factors define the speed of catchment acidification: the total input of pollutants; the thickness and character of soils, including the nature of the bedrock; and the size of subcatchments. The aerial input of pollutants in the Harz is among the highest in Central Europe (e.g. SO 4S: 22–...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental pollution (1987) 1992, Vol.77 (2), p.143-150
Main Authors: Matschullat, J., Andreae, H., Lessmann, D., Malessa, V., Siewers, U.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acid deposition
acidification
air pollution
buffering capacity
cation exchange capacity
forest soils
Freshwater
highlands
hydrochemistry
mountains
pollutants
soil pH
soil pollution
soil profiles
streams
water quality
watersheds
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Summary:Three main factors define the speed of catchment acidification: the total input of pollutants; the thickness and character of soils, including the nature of the bedrock; and the size of subcatchments. The aerial input of pollutants in the Harz is among the highest in Central Europe (e.g. SO 4S: 22–70 kg (ha year) −1; NO 3N: 9–10kg (ha year) −1; NH 4N: 10–15 kg (ha year) −1 and Cd: 2·6–8·7 g (ha year) −1; Cu: 34–125 g (ha year) −1; Pb: 150–380 g (ha year) −1; Zn: 105–560 g (ha year) −1). Thick soil profiles (2–4 m) acidify from the top down. Whether the soils will neutralize incoming acids depends on their buffering capacity. The small headwater subcatchments acidify first and subsequently release acidic water with pH values down to ≤4·0. Four brook zones can be divided by the composition of their biocoenoses. The latter depend on the degreee of acidification. These zones are also characterized by different hydrochemical conditions.
ISSN:0269-7491
1873-6424
DOI:10.1016/0269-7491(92)90070-Q