Effects of Acidic Deposition and Soil Acidification on Sugar Maple Trees in the Adirondack Mountains, New York

Abstract

We documented the effects of acidic atmospheric deposition and soil acidification on the canopy health, basal area increment, and regeneration of sugar maple (SM) trees across the Adirondack region of New York State, in the northeastern United States, where SM are plentiful but not well studied and where widespread depletion of soil calcium (Ca) has been documented. Sugar maple is a dominant canopy species in the Adirondack Mountain ecoregion, and it has a high demand for Ca. Trees in this region growing on soils with poor acid-base chemistry (low exchangeable Ca and % base saturation [BS]) that receive relatively high levels of atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen deposition exhibited a near absence of SM seedling regeneration and lower crown vigor compared with study plots with relatively high exchangeable Ca and BS and lower levels of acidic deposition. Basal area increment averaged over the 20th century was correlated (p< 0.1) with acid-base chemistry of the Oa, A, and upper B soil horizons. A lack of Adirondack SM regeneration, reduced canopy condition, and possibly decreased basal area growth over recent decades are associated with low concentrations of nutrient base cations in this region that has undergone soil Ca depletion from acidic deposition.

How climatic conditions, site, and soil characteristics affect tree growth and critical loads of nitrogen for northeastern tree species

“…Sites with low base saturation experience decreased foliar and forest floor Ca, as well as the potential for increased dieback, reduced sugar maple regeneration, and reduced basal area with increased N deposition or N and S inputs Houle 2013, Sullivan et al 2013). Sullivan et al (2013) found little sugar maple regeneration when B horizon base saturation was below 12 percent; the greatest amount of regeneration occurred when base saturation was greater than 20 percent. Unless species specific information is available, mineral soil base saturation greater than 15 percent is associated with upper critical loads while base saturation less than 15 percent is associated with lower critical loads.…”

“…Sullivan et al (2013) found that a B horizon base saturation of 12 percent was the cut-off below which there was a near absence of sugar maple seedling regeneration. Regeneration…”

“…Permeability is generally determined from soil texture ( Table 2.5) and can be used as a modifying factor when soil texture information is not available. Clay soils with very slow permeability and poor drainage higher base saturation have increased growth, decreased mortality, and decreased susceptibility to nutrient imbalance associated with N saturation (Demchik and Sharpe 2000, Duchesne et al 2002, Horsley et al 2000, Sullivan et al 2013. Sites with low base saturation experience decreased foliar and forest floor Ca, as well as the potential for increased dieback, reduced sugar maple regeneration, and reduced basal area with increased N deposition or N and S inputs Houle 2013, Sullivan et al 2013).…”

Partitioning risks of tree mortality by modes of death in managed and unmanaged northern hardwoods and mixedwoods

“…Soil collection procedures and physical and chemical analyses were the same as those described by Gauthier et al (2015). The first selection of soil chemical variables to test was based on results from Ouimet et al (2013) and Sullivan et al (2013) on SM health. From the upper 10 cm of B horizon mineral soil, the selected variables were Ca, Mg and total base cation saturation, the Ca/Mg ratio, the K/Mg ratio, and pH (in H 2 O).…”

Soil nutrients affect sweetness of sugar maple sap

“…Deficiencies of soil calcium and magnesium have been associated with sugar maple decline on the Allegheny Plateau of Pennsylvania and New York (Horsley et al, 2000;Bailey et al, 2004), Green Mountains in Vermont (Schaberg et al, 2006) and the Adirondacks of New York (Sullivan et al, 2013). Leaching losses of soil Ca and Mg are attributed to acid rain caused by air pollution (Driscoll et al, 2001).…”