Smog nitrogen and the rapid acidification of forest soil, San Bernardino Mountains, southern California

Yvonne A. Wood; Mark Fenn; Thomas Meixner; Peter J. Shouse; Joan Breiner; Edith Allen; Laosheng Wu

doi:10.1100/tsw.2007.74

Smog nitrogen and the rapid acidification of forest soil, San Bernardino Mountains, southern California

Yvonne A. Wood, Mark Fenn, Thomas Meixner, Peter J. Shouse, Joan Breiner, Edith Allen, Laosheng Wu

Hydrology and Atmospheric Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report the rapid acidification of forest soils in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California. After 30 years, soil to a depth of 25 cm has decreased from a pH (measured in 0.01 M CaCl₂) of 4.8 to 3.1. At the 50-cm depth, it has changed from a pH of 4.8 to 4.2. We attribute this rapid change in soil reactivity to very high rates of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen (N) added to the soil surface (72 kg ha^-1 year^-1) from wet, dry, and fog deposition under a Mediterranean climate. Our research suggests that a soil textural discontinuity, related to a buried ancient landsurface, contributes to this rapid acidification by controlling the spatial and temporal movement of precipitation into the landsurface. As a result, the depth to which dissolved anthropogenic N as nitrate (NO₃) is leached early in the winter wet season is limited to within the top ∼130 cm of soil where it accumulates and increases soil acidity.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	175-180
Number of pages	6
Journal	TheScientificWorldJournal
Volume	7
Issue number	SUPPL. 1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1100/tsw.2007.74
State	Published - Mar 21 2007

Keywords

Air pollution
Forest soils
Geochemistry
Landscape-atmosphere interactions
Nitrogen
Soil hydrology
Soil pH
Stone lines

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Environmental Science

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10.1100/tsw.2007.74

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title = "Smog nitrogen and the rapid acidification of forest soil, San Bernardino Mountains, southern California",

abstract = "We report the rapid acidification of forest soils in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California. After 30 years, soil to a depth of 25 cm has decreased from a pH (measured in 0.01 M CaCl2) of 4.8 to 3.1. At the 50-cm depth, it has changed from a pH of 4.8 to 4.2. We attribute this rapid change in soil reactivity to very high rates of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen (N) added to the soil surface (72 kg ha-1 year-1) from wet, dry, and fog deposition under a Mediterranean climate. Our research suggests that a soil textural discontinuity, related to a buried ancient landsurface, contributes to this rapid acidification by controlling the spatial and temporal movement of precipitation into the landsurface. As a result, the depth to which dissolved anthropogenic N as nitrate (NO3) is leached early in the winter wet season is limited to within the top ∼130 cm of soil where it accumulates and increases soil acidity.",

keywords = "Air pollution, Forest soils, Geochemistry, Landscape-atmosphere interactions, Nitrogen, Soil hydrology, Soil pH, Stone lines",

author = "Wood, {Yvonne A.} and Mark Fenn and Thomas Meixner and Shouse, {Peter J.} and Joan Breiner and Edith Allen and Laosheng Wu",

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AU - Wood, Yvonne A.

AU - Fenn, Mark

AU - Meixner, Thomas

AU - Shouse, Peter J.

AU - Breiner, Joan

AU - Allen, Edith

AU - Wu, Laosheng

PY - 2007/3/21

Y1 - 2007/3/21

N2 - We report the rapid acidification of forest soils in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California. After 30 years, soil to a depth of 25 cm has decreased from a pH (measured in 0.01 M CaCl2) of 4.8 to 3.1. At the 50-cm depth, it has changed from a pH of 4.8 to 4.2. We attribute this rapid change in soil reactivity to very high rates of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen (N) added to the soil surface (72 kg ha-1 year-1) from wet, dry, and fog deposition under a Mediterranean climate. Our research suggests that a soil textural discontinuity, related to a buried ancient landsurface, contributes to this rapid acidification by controlling the spatial and temporal movement of precipitation into the landsurface. As a result, the depth to which dissolved anthropogenic N as nitrate (NO3) is leached early in the winter wet season is limited to within the top ∼130 cm of soil where it accumulates and increases soil acidity.

AB - We report the rapid acidification of forest soils in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California. After 30 years, soil to a depth of 25 cm has decreased from a pH (measured in 0.01 M CaCl2) of 4.8 to 3.1. At the 50-cm depth, it has changed from a pH of 4.8 to 4.2. We attribute this rapid change in soil reactivity to very high rates of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen (N) added to the soil surface (72 kg ha-1 year-1) from wet, dry, and fog deposition under a Mediterranean climate. Our research suggests that a soil textural discontinuity, related to a buried ancient landsurface, contributes to this rapid acidification by controlling the spatial and temporal movement of precipitation into the landsurface. As a result, the depth to which dissolved anthropogenic N as nitrate (NO3) is leached early in the winter wet season is limited to within the top ∼130 cm of soil where it accumulates and increases soil acidity.

KW - Air pollution

KW - Forest soils

KW - Geochemistry

KW - Landscape-atmosphere interactions

KW - Nitrogen

KW - Soil hydrology

KW - Soil pH

KW - Stone lines

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Smog nitrogen and the rapid acidification of forest soil, San Bernardino Mountains, southern California

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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