Sörensen, Rasmus
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
Forest harvest is hypothesized to increase the mercury (Hg) load in aquatic ecosystems. The Balsjo¨ paired catchment study examined the outputs of methylmercury (MeHg) and total mercury (Hgtot) from two boreal catchments during the 2 y following forest harvest but prior to site preparation. This enabled us to separate the effect of the two operations that followed best management practices. Hgtot concentrations increased by approximately 15%, and fluxes by 20–30%. The MeHg concentrations and fluxes either declined or increased by up to 60%, depending on whether annual MeHg peaks during summer low flows were considered to have been influenced by forest harvest. The lack of a severalfold increase in Hg outputs after forest harvest, as reported from other sites, may be the result of minimal soil disturbance during the winter forest harvest operations. If so, there may be a greater Hg response after soil scarification to prepare for planting
Keywords
forestry; harvest; clear-cut; mercury; methylmercury
Published in
AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment
2009, volume: 38, number: 7, pages: 364-372
SLU Authors
Meili, Markus
- Stockholm University
von Brömssen, Claudia
- Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Bishop, Kevin
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Associated SLU-program
Non-toxic environment
Lakes and watercourses
Forest
Global goals (SDG)
UKÄ Subject classification
Fish and Aquacultural Science
Forest Science
Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1579/0044-7447-38.7.364
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/28108