Aluminum in soil solutions from a subalpine spruce-fir forest at Whiteface Mountain, New York

E. K. Miller; Thomas G. Huntington; A. H. Johnson; A. J. Friedland

doi:10.2134/jeq1992.00472425002100030007x

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Aluminum in soil solutions from a subalpine spruce-fir forest at Whiteface Mountain, New York

E. K. Miller·Thomas G. Huntington·A. H. Johnson·A. J. Friedland

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Abstract

Direct or indirect Al toxicity has been suggested as a principal factor in forest tree declines. We monitored ambient soil solutions in undisturbed and experimentally manipulated soils from a fir [ Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.]-spruce forest on Whiteface Mountain, NY, in order to characterize soil solution Al concentrations over a range of acid anion loadings. Under both natural and experimental conditions total Al and labile Al concentrations rarely exceeded values (180–250 µmol L −1 ) associated with reduced root growth in red spruce ( Picea rubens Sarg.). Over a 2-yr period ambient soil solutions averaged 76 and 46 µmol L −1 total Al in the organic and mineral horizons, respectively. The highest monthly mean concentrations occurred in winter. Disturbance-induced NO 3 accumulation and simulated acid rain applications produced higher peak Al values in experimental plots than were observed in undisturbed and untreated plots. Although soils of the fir-spruce zone exhibited the potential to yield solutions with phytotoxic Al concentrations, it appears that such concentrations are both spatially and temporally limited and infrequently present a direct stress to root growth in red spruce.

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Journal of Environmental Quality Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 44.32876014234562° to 44.584599008752015° latitude; -74.1412353515625° to -73.78555297851562° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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E. K. Miller, Thomas G. Huntington, A. H. Johnson, A. J. Friedland. 1992. Aluminum in soil solutions from a subalpine spruce-fir forest at Whiteface Mountain, New York. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1992.00472425002100030007x

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