C-RUI: Calcium Depletion in Adirondack Forests Affected by Acid Deposition and its Effect on Aquatic and Terrestrial Food Chains

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Acid deposition has changed the structure and function of aquatic and terrestrial environments around the world, including notably the Adirondack Mountain Region (Adirondacks) of New York State. The loss of certain nutrients, particularly calcium, is an important mechanism by which acid deposition changes ecosystems. This project will study how calcium availability in soils and surface waters affects organisms in areas impacted by acid deposition. Concurrently, the project will estimate changes in the chemical parameters of soils at sites in the Adirondacks for which historical data has been obtained.Focusing on trophic interactions, the project will examine ambient conditions within watersheds with different sensitivities to acid deposition and manipulate the availability of calcium in soils and streams. The study will focus on litter decomposition, soil invertebrates, and mammalian insectivores in forests and bacteria, algae, and invertebrates in streams. This project will further focus on the role of episodic pulses of acidic water as disturbances affecting community structure and function. By studying both the short- and long-term effects of acid deposition in the Adirondacks, this work will be able to provide information critical to understanding the sustainability, degradation and recovery potential of this complex ecosystem. More broadly, results from this study will aid researchers in the U.S., and other areas around the world impacted by acid deposition, to estimate the potential for chemical and biological recovery of forested ecosystems as pollutant loadings from fossil fuel emissions ameliorate over time.Undergraduate students in the biology, geology, and environmental science programs at Colgate and Alfred universities will be involved in this work, contributing to the project in substantial ways and presenting results to the scientific community and the public. The planned outreach programs will provide opportunities for local science teachers to learn more about acid deposition and its ecological consequences, by actively engaging in scientific research themselves and involving their own students in the process. Thus, the project will hopefully instill a greater understanding of acid deposition, its ecological consequences, and the nature of scientific research in young adults, some of whom may be future scientists. For more information, visit http://crui.colgate.edu.