Changes in foliar elements in red spruce seedlings after exposure to sulfuric and nitric acid mist

Abstract

Red spruce ( Picea rubens Sarg.) seedlings were exposed repeatedly at a field site or in a greenhouse to acidic mist containing the major sulfur and nitrogen pollutants of wet deposition in the eastern U.S.: sulfate alone, nitrate alone or with ammonium ion, and a combination of these ions. Acidities and ion concentrations ranged from below the mean to above the maximum concentration for cloudwater in the eastern U.S. Effects on elements in current-year foliage were examined after continuous or intermittent overnight exposures to mist performed over periods of 6 to 19 weeks. Principal findings from five experiments conducted over a three-year period were that acidic mist 1) increased the foliar S and/or N content when exposures were intermittent with repeated opportunities for drying of liquid on foliage; 2) decreased foliar calcium, and/or magnesium content, especially when exposures to acidic mist were continuous rather than intermittent; and 3) gave inconsistent results for foliar iron and aluminum probably because of deposition of soil particles and contamination with metals from the mist delivery system. These results indicate that long-duration exposures to cloudwater with pH below 3 may alter foliar nutrient composition and change relationships between N, S, Ca, and Mg, with potential consequences for growth and resistance to natural stress factors.