An inconvenient truth: sketch shows prominence of highly acidic, calcium-deficient/high aluminum forest soils in Nova Scotia. Sketch after Keys et al. (2016), Fig 3.
SUMMARY As a result of the inherently poorly buffered soils that cover more than 60% of our landscape and acid rain, exacerbated by intensive logging and climate warming, Nova Scotia has some of the most acidic, high aluminum & low calcium surface waters and some of the poorest soils for forestry in North America.
Recovery of surface waters and soils following reductions in the acidifying components in fossil fuel emissions has been much slower than expected, but we are beginning to understand the mechanisms, thanks largely to aquatic scientists.
Impacts on aquatic life, particularly salmon, are well recognized and efforts are being made to address them, e.g. by raising salmon fry separately and releasing them into the acidified waters, and by liming.
We have been slower to recognize the impacts on our forest ecosystems, and have not taken the precautionary measures we could have 11 years ago or even earlier. However, some really good science has been conducted in the interim and finally the Forest Nutrient Budget Model published in 2016 has been incorporated into manuals guiding forestry practices on Crown lands and should be come functional in 2023.
Some significant concerns remain, in particular that we will still push the forests too hard, especially in the Ecological Matrix of Crown lands and on many private lands.
Read more