Poster. Click on image for larger version
From the MTRI announcement:
The Department of Lands and Forestry started a provincial forest soil sampling program in 2015 to acquire up-to-date chemistry data for nutrient budget modelling and monitoring purposes. In 2017, the Department also worked with Kejimkujik National Park to re-sample soils at two forest sites first sampled more than 20 years ago. This presentation will provide an overview of results from these projects with a focus on western Nova Scotia conditions
This presentation will provide a rare opportunity to learn about L&F’s progress towards incorporating nutrient budgeting into its Crown land harvest decisions, once promised for mid-2010.
Nutrient depletion of the soils has resulted in severe acidification of surface waters of SW Nova Scotia in particular (but not exclusively). The Map shows watersheds of the endangered Southern Upland salmon populations and the average pH of surface waters. Salmon populations in SW Nova Scotia have been the most severely impacted by acid rain. “Salmon populations in extremely acidified systems ([RED] pH <4.7) are thought to be extirpated (13 rivers), reduced by 90% in moderately impacted systems ([YELLOW] pH = 4.7-5.0; 20 rivers), reduced by about 10% in slightly impacted systems (pH = 5.1-5.4; 14 rivers), and apparently unaffected when pH >5.4 (13 rivers) based on research in the 1980s.” Keys et al. (2016) concluded that clearcutting contributes to further nutrient depletion and soil acidification.
Click on the image for a larger version and source.
A Nutrient Budgeting Project Team is notably absent from the list of Project Teams highlighted by L&F in their recent updates on Ecological Forestry Implementation, as is any discussion or highlighting of research by Kevin Keys & Co on this topic on the L&F website or in the most recent State of the Forest Report.
A recent related post:
Why is the low base saturation/soil acidification/nutrient depletion/extreme surface water acidity in SW Nova Scotia still ignored in Crown land harvest decisions?
Post on NSFN, Feb 3, 2019
Also view
– CALCIUM DEPLETION
– CALCIUM DEPLETION/ More Lit and links