Impact on Agriculture of the Mount St. Helens Eruptions

Abstract

Ash from Mount St. Helens has fallen over a diverse agricultural area, with deposits of up to 30 kilograms per square meter. Crop losses in eastern Washington are estimated at about $100 million in 1980-about 7 percent of the normal crop value in the affected area and less than was expected initially. Production of wheat, potatoes, and apples will be normal or above normal because the favorable conditions for growth of these crops since the ashfall helped offset the losses. Alfalfa hay was severely lodged under the weight of the ash, but ash-contaminated hay is apparently nontoxic when eaten by livestock. The ash as an abrasive is lethal to certain insects, such as bees and grasshoppers, but populations are recovering. The ash has increased crop production costs by necessitating machinery repairs and increased tillage. On soil, the ash reduces water infiltration, increases surface albedo, and may continue to affect water runoff, erosion, evaporation, and soil temperature even when tilled into the soil. Ash on plant leaves reduced photosynthesis by up to 90 percent. Most plants have tended to shed the ash. With the possible exception of sulfur, the elements in the ash are either unavailable or present in very low concentrations; and no significant contribution to the nutrient status of soils is expected.

Effect of Dust Deposition on Stomatal Conductance and Leaf Temperature of Cotton in Northwest China

“…The chemical composition of dust, its particulate size, age of plants and deposition rate were studied intensively [19,21]. For example, cement kiln dust reduced 73% of the photosynthesis in green beans [22], while ash reduced up to 90% of the rate of photosynthesis of apple trees [23]. Nanos and Ilias [24] described the effects of cement dust, such as a reduced stomatal conductance and transpiration rate of olive trees.…”

Weathering characteristics of some soils formed in White River Tephra, Yukon Territory, Canada

“…This tepha horizon is stratigraphically below the coarser tephra and we attribute it to the older eruptive event. All tephra horizons analysed had bulk densities less than 0.85 Mg m -3 with very low hydroscopic water holding capacities (>1500 kPa), which are typical for the porosity characteristics of recently deposited tephra Cook et al 1980).…”

Resilience to Sudden Climate Change: The Impact of the Bromo 2010 Volcanic Ash Eruption on the Growth of Chillies

“…The prediction of a threat continued until the year 2010. Experiments on the volcanic material showed that rice still thrived in the chemical and physical deficiencies of volcanic materials in Mount Pinatubo, with the application of nitrogen fertilizer [35]. The volcanic eruption of Mt.…”