Skip to main content
SLU publication database (SLUpub)

Research article2011Peer reviewedOpen access

Recovery of Soil Water, Groundwater, and Streamwater From Acidification at the Swedish Integrated Monitoring Catchments

Löfgren Stefan, Aastrup Mats, Bringmark Lage, Hultberg Hans, Lewin-Pihlblad Lotta, Lundin Lars, Pihl Karlsson Gunilla, Thunholm Bo

Abstract

Recovery from anthropogenic acidification in streams and lakes is well documented across the northern hemisphere. In this study, we use 1996–2009 data from the four Swedish Integrated Monitoring catchments to evaluate how the declining sulfur deposition has affected sulfate, pH, acid neutralizing capacity, ionic strength, aluminum, and dissolved organic carbon in soil water, groundwater and runoff. Differences in recovery rates between catch- ments, between recharge and discharge areas and between soil water and groundwater are assessed. At the IM sites, atmospheric deposition is the main human impact. The chemical trends were weakly correlated to the sulfur deposition decline. Other factors, such as marine influence and catchment features, seem to be as important. Except for pH and DOC, soil water and groundwater showed similar trends. Discharge areas acted as buffers, dampening the trends in streamwater. Further monitoring and modeling of these hydraulically active sites should be encouraged

Keywords

Recovery from acidification; Sulfur deposition; Soil water; Groundwater; Streamwater; Hydrological compartments

Published in

AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment
2011, Volume: 40, number: 8, pages: 836-856

      SLU Authors

        • Associated SLU-program

        Lakes and watercourses
        Forest
        Climate
        Acidification
        Use of FOMA data

        Sustainable Development Goals

        SDG6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

        UKÄ Subject classification

        Oceanography, Hydrology, Water Resources
        Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
        Fish and Aquacultural Science

        Publication identifier

        DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-011-0207-8

        Permanent link to this page (URI)

        https://res.slu.se/id/publ/36931