“Most studies on acid rain have looked at the soil from one to 10 years or less, ... where we couldn't reliably quantify the chemical changes in the soil exchange complex.”
“This study shows us that as we continue to push growth in managed forests, we will have to add not just major nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous, but also minerals such as calcium and potassium to ensure sustainable production,”
“Soil scientists predicted this improvement more than a decade ago, ... and it has shown us that following sound science will benefit the health of the forest ecosystems in the long run.”
“The great advantage of hydrogen ion budgets is that they integrate information about many chemical and biological processes into a single parameter for comparison, ... In addition, we had the great advantage of soil samples archived from all collection years to evaluate changes in the soil exchange complex and the potential accumulation of sulfate, the predominant component of acid rain within the soil profile.”
