Effect of sulphur dioxide on precipitation and on the sulphur content and acidity of soils in Alberta, Canada

Leaf litter decomposition and soil microarthropods affected by sulphur dioxide fallout

“…It is dicult to be sure whether the lower sulphur concentrations in soil samples from control plots were due to their dierent exposure to air pollutant fallout or simply to a natural variability of soil chemistry. Using soil sulphur background levels as a reference is only a rough approach because sulphur levels in soils show high variability even between contiguous areas (Evans, 1975;Nyborg, et al, 1977). Soils have a large capacity to absorb SO 2 directly from very low air concentrations (Terraglio and Manganelli, 1966;Abeles, et al, 1971;Payrissat and Beilke, 1975).…”

Effects of acid deposition on soils in Alberta /

“…The solution and oxidation of gases such as SO2 and NO2 by cloud and rain droplets has been described by Fowler (1980). (1977,1980) and Hsu and Hodgson (1977) times greater than incident wet deposition (Nyborg et al 1977).…”

“…Some limitations were indicated in the studies of Nyborg et al (1977Nyborg et al ( , 1980 discussed above.…”

“…Total S gains of 12 to 53 kg ha~^were reported for sites downwind from SO2 emitters. The distances from SO2 emitters ranged from 2 to 37 km;the highest S gains were obtained for soils nearest and furthest from the emitters, while intermediate distances were somewhat lower(Nyborg et al 1977). Generally, little of the sorbed S was found in S04^form.…”

The Appalachian Mountains' Copper Basin and the concept of environmental susceptibility

“…This would account for the total barrenness of the basin's central area, which led to large-scale erosion. A denuded ground surface that had undergone significant chemical alteration would be extremely slow to recover naturally, even after sulfur dioxide emissions and acidic rain occurrences were greatly diminished (e.g., Nyborg andothers 1977, McFee andothers 1984). This fact would help explain why so many hectares then remained bare for decades and why, for decades, the principal vegetative cover on many additional surrounding hectares was an acid-tolerant grass, Andropogon virginicu~ L., popularly called broomsedge.…”