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SOIL-MEDIATED EFFECTS OF ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION ON EASTERN US SPRUCE-FIR FORESTS
Citation:
Johnson, D. AND I. Fernandez. SOIL-MEDIATED EFFECTS OF ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION ON EASTERN US SPRUCE-FIR FORESTS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/A-92/287.
Description:
The coincident observation of Waldsterben in Germany and red spruce decline in the northeastern U. S. has naturally led to some speculation that similar mechanisms may be involved. n the German situation, soil-mediated hypotheses played (and still play) a major role; namely, soil acidification and aluminum toxicity and base cation deficiencies. n the red spruce case, there has been much concern that cation deficiencies and/or Al toxicity may also play a major role. Other soil -related hypotheses invoke nitrogen, either as deficient or in excess. s a result of these concerns, a considerable amount of research was initiated in the mid 1980s on soils and nutrient cycling in spruce-fir ecosystems in both the northeastern and southeastern U. 5. his research has allowed evaluations of some of the hypotheses for red spruce declining and substantially contributed to our knowledge of the soils, nutrient status, and nutrient cycling of these ecosystems. The purpose of this chapter is to: (I) review some of the basic properties of soils, nutrition, and nutrient cycling in spruce-fir and fir ecosystems, both in the polluted and in the relatively unpolluted regions of the in. 5. and Canada, and (2) to evaluate several soil acidity-related hypotheses for red spruce decline.