Skip to Main Content
U.S. Forest Service
Caring for the land and serving people
Caring for the land and serving people
United States Department of Agriculture
-
Acid precipitation effects on soil pH and base saturation of exchange sites
Author(s): W. W. McFee; J. M. Kelly; R. H. Beck
Date: 1976
Source: In: Dochinger, L. S.; Seliga, T. A., eds. Proceedings of the first international symposium on acid precipitation and the forest ecosystem; Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-23. Upper Darby, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 725-735
Publication Series: General Technical Report (GTR)
Station: Northeastern Research Station
PDF: Download Publication (418.24 KB)Note: This article is part of a larger document. View the larger documentDescription
The typical values and probable ranges of acid-precipitation are evaluated in terms of their theoretical effects on pH and cation exchange equilibrium of soils characteristic of the humid temperature region. The extent of probable change in soil pH and the time required to cause such a change are calculated for a range of common soils. Hydrogen ion input by acid precipitation is compared to cation inputs from nutrient cycling and other sources. For example it can be calculated that 100 years of acid precipitation (10,000 cm at pH 4.0) could be expected to shift the percentage base saturation in the top 20 cm of a typical midwestern forest soil (cation exchange capacity of 20 meq/100 g) downward 20%, thus lowering the pH of the A1 horizon by approximately 0.6 units, if there are no countering inputs of basic materials.Publication Notes
- Check the Northern Research Station web site to request a printed copy of this publication.
- Our on-line publications are scanned and captured using Adobe Acrobat.
- During the capture process some typographical errors may occur.
- Please contact Sharon Hobrla, shobrla@fs.fed.us if you notice any errors which make this publication unusable.
- We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
- This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.
Citation
McFee, W. W.; Kelly, J. M.; Beck, R. H. 1976. Acid precipitation effects on soil pH and base saturation of exchange sites. In: Dochinger, L. S.; Seliga, T. A., eds. Proceedings of the first international symposium on acid precipitation and the forest ecosystem; Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-23. Upper Darby, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 725-735Related Search
- Short-term effects of a simulated acid rain upon the growth and nutrient relations of Pinus strobus, L.
- Trends in cation, nitrogen, sulfate and hydrogen ion concentrations in precipitation in the United States and Europe from 1978 to 2010: a new look at an old problem
- Long-Term Soil Chemistry Changes in Aggrading Forest Ecosystems
XML: View XML
Show More
Show Fewer
https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/11475