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Estimation of Soil Base Cation Weathering Rates with the PROFILE Model to Determine Critical Loads of Acidity for Forested Ecosystems in Pennsylvania, USA: Pilot Application of a Potential National Methodology

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Abstract

Base cation weathering (BCw) rate is one of the most influential yet difficult to estimate parameters in the calculation of critical acid loads of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) deposition for terrestrial systems. Only the clay correlation–substrate method, a simple empirical model, has been used for estimating BCw rates for forest ecosystems in the conterminous USA and may not be suitable for application at all sites without calibration or revision. An alternate model, PROFILE, may offer an improved method to estimate BCw rates. It is a transferable, process-based model that simulates the weathering rates of groups of minerals. The objective of this study was to evaluate PROFILE using national datasets as a method to estimate BCw rates for forests in the USA, focusing on Pennsylvania (PA) as the first test state. The model paired with national datasets was successfully applied at 51 forested sites across PA. Weathering rates ranged from 119 to 9,245 eq ha−1 year−1 and were consistent with soil properties and regional geology. Comparisons of terrestrial critical acid loads with 2002 N and S deposition showed critical load exceedances at 53 % of the sites. This trial evaluation of PROFILE paired with national datasets in PA establishes that there are sufficient data to support the estimation of BCw rates and determination of critical acid loads for forests in the USA. However, the paired method should be applied in other locations to further evaluate the performance of the model in different regions of the country.

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Notes

  1. Although soil series were included in the site selection process, it was beyond the scope of the USGS Landscapes Project to confirm that the soil samples were collected from the dominant soil series. GIS overlays with SSURGO soil series data layers indicated 1 to 5 soil series at each location.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this work was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EPA. The authors wish to thank William Cannon and David Smith for their assistance with the USGS Landscapes Project soil mineralogy dataset, Mike Wilson for his assistance with the USDA-NRCS SSURGO soil database, and Jason Lynch and Tara Greaver for their support and constructive review of the manuscript.

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  1. RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Rd., Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA

    Jennifer Phelan, Scott Guthrie & James Cajka

  2. Belyazid Consulting & Communication AB, Österportsgatan 5C, 211 28, Malmö, Sweden

    Salim Belyazid

  3. EKG Geo-Science, Maulbeerstr. 14, 3011, Bern, Switzerland

    Daniel Kurz

  4. Lund University, Box 124, 221 00, Lund, Sweden

    Harald Sverdrup

  5. Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

    Randall Waite

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  1. Jennifer Phelan
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Phelan, J., Belyazid, S., Kurz, D. et al. Estimation of Soil Base Cation Weathering Rates with the PROFILE Model to Determine Critical Loads of Acidity for Forested Ecosystems in Pennsylvania, USA: Pilot Application of a Potential National Methodology. Water Air Soil Pollut 225, 2109 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-014-2109-4

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