Soil and soil water studies at the HUMEX site: Fid-Bau Portal

Soil and soil water studies at the HUMEX site

Vogt, R.D. / Seip, H.M. / Ranneklev, S.

AbstractChanges to natural organic compounds by acid deposition and subsequent effects on Al mobilization are not well understood. The HUMEX catchment-scale acidification experiment in western Norway offers a unique possibility for an integrated assessment of these interactions. In this report, the soil and soil water chemical data from the HUMEX site, from before and after the onset of experimental acidification, are used to characterize the catchment. Changes in soil water chemistry are discussed and controls on dissolved organic carbon are addressed in relation to Al mobilization. Decreases in the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and organic Al fractions were found in soil water after the treatment started. These changes were related to an increase in soil water sulphate concentrations. The sulphate levels showed a significant increase (on a 95% level) in four of ten soil horizons while nitrate remained nearly unchanged. In organic soils, where the dissolved organic carbon content was high, the major control for monomeric aluminum concentration appeared to be the amount of exchangeable aluminum in the soil. In mineral soils, the gibbsite dissolution may govern inorganic Al concentrations in soil water, though substantial undersaturation was found when DOC was high.