title: Steady-state sulfur critical loads and exceedances for protection of aquatic ecosystems in the U.S. Southern Appalachian Mountains.
abstract: Atmospherically deposited sulfur (S) causes stream water acidification throughout the eastern U.S. Southern Appalachian Mountain (SAM) region. Acidification has been linked with reduced fitness and richness of aquatic species and changes to benthic communities. Maintaining acid-base chemistry that supports native biota depends largely on balancing acidic deposition with the natural resupply of base cations. Stream water acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) is maintained by base cations that mostly originate from weathering of surrounding lithologies. When ambient atmospheric S deposition exceeds the critical load (CL) an ecosystem can tolerate, stream water chemistry may become lethal to biota. This work links statistical predictions of ANC and base cation weathering for streams and watersheds of the SAM region with a steady-state model to estimate CLs and exceedances. Results showed that 20.1% of the total length of study region streams displayed ANC <100 μeq∙L(-1), a level at which effects to biota may be anticipated; most were 4th or lower order streams. Nearly one-third of the stream length within the study region exhibited CLs of S deposition <50 meq∙m(-2)∙yr(-1), which is less than the regional average S deposition of 60 meq∙m(-2)∙yr(-1). Owing to their geologic substrates, relatively high elevation, and cool and moist forested conditions, the percentage of stream length in exceedance was highest for mountain wilderness areas and in national parks, and lowest for privately owned valley bottom land. Exceedance results were summarized by 12-digit hydrologic unit code (subwatershed) for use in developing management goals and policy objectives, and for long-term monitoring.
authors.affiliation: E&S Environmental Chemistry Inc., P.O Box 609, Corvallis, OR 97339-0609, USA. Electronic address: todd.mcdonnell@esenvironmental.com.
authors.forename: Todd C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: McDonnell
authors.affiliation: E&S Environmental Chemistry Inc., P.O Box 609, Corvallis, OR 97339-0609, USA. Electronic address: tim.sullivan@esenvironmental.com.
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.affiliation: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 1133 North Western Ave., Wenatchee, WA 98801, USA. Electronic address: phessburg@fs.fed.us.
authors.forename: Paul F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Hessburg
authors.affiliation: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. Electronic address: kreynolds@fs.fed.us.
authors.forename: Keith M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.affiliation: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 1133 North Western Ave., Wenatchee, WA 98801, USA. Electronic address: npovak@fs.fed.us.
authors.forename: Nicholas A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Povak
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA. Electronic address: B.J.Cosby@virginia.edu.
authors.forename: Bernard J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Cosby
authors.affiliation: USDA Forest Service, 160A Zillicoa St., Asheville, NC 28801, USA. Electronic address: bjackson02@fs.fed.us.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 1133 North Western Ave., Wenatchee, WA 98801, USA. Electronic address: bsalter@fs.fed.us.
authors.forename: R Brion
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Salter
mesh_terms: D001061:Appalachian Region; D017753:Ecosystem; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D013455:Sulfur / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*; D060753:Water Quality; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D013455:Sulfur
keywords: Acidification; Critical load; Southern Appalachian Mountains; Stream; Sulfur