| 1. |
- Kronnäs, Veronika, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of droughts and climate change on future soil weathering rates in Sweden
- 2023
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Ingår i: Biogeosciences. - Göteborg : IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet AB. - 1726-4170 .- 1726-4189. ; 20:10, s. 1879-1899
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a future warmer climate, extremely dry, warm summers might become more common. Soil weathering is affected by temperature and precipitation, and climate change and droughts can therefore affect soil chemistry and plant nutrition. In this study, climate change and drought effects on soil weathering rates and release of Ca, Mg, K and Na were studied on seven forest sites across different climates in Sweden, using the dynamical model ForSAFE.Two climate scenarios were run, one medium severity climate change scenario from IPCC (A1B) and one scenario where a future drought period of 5 years was added, while everything else was equal to the first scenario. The model results show a large geographical variation of weathering rates for the sites, without any geographical gradient, despite the strong dependence of temperature on weathering and the strong gradient in temperature in Sweden. This is because soil texture and mineralogy have strong effects on weathering.The weathering rates have a pronounced seasonal dynamic. Weathering rates are low during winters and generally high, but variable, during summers, depending on soil moisture and temperature. According to the model runs, the future yearly average weathering rates will increase by 5 %–17 % per degree of warming. The relative increase is largest in the two southeastern sites, with low total weathering rates. At sites in southern Sweden, future weathering increase occurs throughout the year according to the modelling.In the north, the increase in weathering during winters is almost negligible, despite larger temperature increases than in other regions or seasons (5.9 ∘C increase in winter in Högbränna; the yearly average temperature increase for all sites is 3.7 ∘C), as the winter temperatures still will mostly be below zero. The drought scenario has the strongest effect in southern Sweden, where weathering during the later parts of the drought summers decreases to typical winter weathering rates.Soil texture and amount of gravel also influence how fast the weathering decreases during drought and how fast the soil rewets and reaches normal weathering rates after the drought. The coarsest of the modelled soils dries out and rewets quicker than the less coarse of the modelled soils. In the north, the soils do not dry out as much as in the south, despite the low precipitation, due to lower evapotranspiration, and in the northernmost site, weathering is not much affected. Yearly weathering during the drought years relative to the same years in the A1B scenario are between 78 % and 96 % for the sites.The study shows that it is crucial to take seasonal climate variations and soil texture into account when assessing the effects of a changed climate on weathering rates and plant nutrient availability.
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| 2. |
- Akselsson, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
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Critical biomass harvesting - Applying a new concept for Swedish forest soils
- 2018
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Ingår i: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 409, s. 67-73
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The contribution of forest harvesting to base cation losses and soil acidification has increased in recent years in Sweden, as the demand for bioenergy has increased and the sulphur deposition has decreased. Thus, new policy tools are required to evaluate the progress of the recovery from acidification, and as a basis for forest management recommendations. In this study we introduce and test a concept, Critical biomass harvesting. The concept builds on the concept Critical loads, which has been used world-wide for several decades as a bridge between science and policies related to transboundary air pollution and acidification. The basis for the concept is an acidity mass balance, with sources and sinks of acidity. A critical limit defines the highest acceptable acidification status of the water leaving the root zone. Based on the critical limit, the highest allowed biomass harvesting can be calculated, keeping the other parameters constant. In this study the critical limit was set to ANC (Acid Neutralizing Capacity) = 0. Nitrogen was assumed to be affecting acidity only if it leaches from the root zone. The critical biomass harvesting was calculated for almost 12000 National Forest Inventory sites with spruce and pine forest, using the best available data on deposition, weathering and nitrogen leaching. The exceedance of critical biomass harvesting was calculated as the difference between the estimated harvest losses and the critical biomass harvesting. The results were presented as median values in merged catchments in a catchment database, with totally 2079 merged catchments in Sweden. According to the calculations, critical biomass harvesting was exceeded in the southern half of Sweden already at stem harvesting in spruce forests. Whole-tree harvesting expanded the exceedance area, and increased the exceedance levels in southern Sweden. The exceedance in pine forest was lower and affected smaller areas. It was concluded that the concept of critical biomass harvesting can be successfully applied on the same database that has been used for critical load calculations in Sweden, using basically the same approach as has been extensively applied, evaluated and discussed in a critical load context. The results from the calculations in Sweden indicate that whole-tree harvesting, without wood ash recycling, can be expected to further slow down recovery, especially in the most acidified parts of the country, in the southwest.
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| 3. |
- Akselsson, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
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Weathering rates in Swedish forest soils
- 2019
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Ingår i: Biogeosciences. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1726-4170 .- 1726-4189. ; 16:22, s. 4429-4450
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Soil and water acidification was internationally recognised as a severe environmental problem in the late 1960s. The interest in establishing “critical loads” led to a peak in weathering research in the 1980s and 1990s, since base cation weathering is the long-term counterbalance to acidification pressure. Assessments of weathering rates and associated uncertainties have recently become an area of renewed research interest, this time due to demand for forest residues to provide renewable bioenergy. Increased demand for forest fuels increases the risk of depleting the soils of base cations produced in situ by weathering. This is the background to the research programme Quantifying Weathering Rates for Sustainable Forestry (QWARTS), which ran from 2012 to 2019. The programme involved research groups working at different scales, from laboratory experiments to modelling. The aims of this study were to (1) investigate the variation in published weathering rates of base cations from different approaches in Sweden, with consideration of the key uncertainties for each method; (2) assess the robustness of the results in relation to sustainable forestry; and (3) discuss the results in relation to new insights from the QWARTS programme and propose ways to further reduce uncertainties. In the study we found that the variation in estimated weathering rates at single-site level was large, but still most sites could be placed reliably in broader classes of weathering rates. At the regional level, the results from the different approaches were in general agreement. Comparisons with base cation losses after stem-only and whole-tree harvesting showed sites where whole-tree harvesting was clearly not sustainable and other sites where variation in weathering rates from different approaches obscured the overall balance. Clear imbalances appeared mainly after whole-tree harvesting in spruce forests in southern and central Sweden. Based on the research findings in the QWARTS programme, it was concluded that the PROFILE/ForSAFE family of models provides the most important fundamental understanding of the contribution of weathering to long-term availability of base cations to support forest growth. However, these approaches should be continually assessed against other approaches. Uncertainties in the model approaches can be further reduced, mainly by finding ways to reduce uncertainties in input data on soil texture and associated hydrological parameters but also by developing the models, e.g. to better represent biological feedbacks under the influence of climate change.
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| 4. |
- Zanchi, Giuliana, et al.
(författare)
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Simulation of water and chemical transport of chloride from the forest ecosystem to the stream
- 2021
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Ingår i: Environmental Modelling and Software. - : Elsevier BV. - 1364-8152 .- 1873-6726. ; 138
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The study evaluates the biogeochemical model ForSAFE-2D, designed to simulate water and chemical transport from the forest to the stream, by simulating the hydrology and the transport of the chemical tracer chloride (Cl−) along a forest hillslope in Northern Sweden. The simulated Cl− exports were in balance with the simulated inputs but measurements suggested a net release of Cl− from the catchment. Underestimated deposition inputs (deposition peaks and possibly dry deposition) were probably and partially responsible for this mismatch. However, we could not exclude that other soil biogeochemical processes omitted in ForSAFE-2D could also contribute to Cl− exports from the catchment. The study showed that ForSAFE-2D is a promising tool to better understand the factors that regulate the chemical export from the forest to the stream. The results also confirmed that there are limitations in using Cl− as a tracer in forest ecosystems.
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| 5. |
- Ahlberg, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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"Vi klimatforskare stödjer Greta och skolungdomarna"
- 2019
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Ingår i: Dagens nyheter (DN debatt). - 1101-2447.
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Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- DN DEBATT 15/3. Sedan industrialiseringens början har vi använt omkring fyra femtedelar av den mängd fossilt kol som får förbrännas för att vi ska klara Parisavtalet. Vi har bara en femtedel kvar och det är bråttom att kraftigt reducera utsläppen. Det har Greta Thunberg och de strejkande ungdomarna förstått. Därför stödjer vi deras krav, skriver 270 klimatforskare.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Akselsson, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
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Can increased weathering rates due to future warming compensate for base cation losses following whole-tree harvesting in spruce forests?
- 2016
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Ingår i: Biogeochemistry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0168-2563 .- 1573-515X. ; 128:1-2, s. 89-105
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Whole-tree harvesting, i.e. harvesting of stems, branches and tops, has become increasingly common during recent decades due to the increased demand for renewable energy. Whole-tree harvesting leads to an increase in base cation losses from the ecosystem, which can counteract recovery from acidification. An increase in weathering rates due to higher temperatures is sometimes suggested as a process that may counteract the acidifying effect of whole-tree harvesting. In this study the potential effect of increasing temperature on weathering rates was compared with the increase in base cation losses following whole-tree harvesting in spruce forests, along a temperature gradient in Sweden. The mechanistic model PROFILE was used to estimate weathering rates at National Forest Inventory sites at today’s temperature and the temperature in 2050, as estimated by two different climate projections. The same dataset was used to calculate base cation losses following stem-only and whole-tree harvesting. The calculations showed that the increase in temperature until 2050 would result in an increase in the base cation weathering rate of 20–33 %, and that whole-tree harvesting would lead to an increase in base cation losses of 66 % on average, compared to stem-only harvesting. A sensitivity analysis showed that moisture changes are important for future weathering rates, but the effect of the temperature change was dominating even when the most extreme moisture changes were applied. It was concluded that an increase in weathering rates resulting from higher temperatures would not compensate for the increase in base cation losses following whole-tree harvesting, except in the northernmost part of Sweden.
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| 8. |
- Zanchi, Giuliana, et al.
(författare)
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A Hydrological Concept including Lateral Water Flow Compatible with the Biogeochemical Model ForSAFE
- 2016
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Ingår i: Hydrology — Open Access Journal. - : MDPI AG. - 2306-5338. ; 3:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The study presents a hydrology concept developed to include lateral water flow in the biogeochemical model ForSAFE. The hydrology concept was evaluated against data collected at Svartberget in the Vindeln Research Forest in Northern Sweden. The results show that the new concept allows simulation of a saturated and an unsaturated zone in the soil as well as water flow that reaches the stream comparable to measurements. The most relevant differences compared to streamflow measurements are that the model simulates a higher base flow in winter and lower flow peaks after snowmelt. These differences are mainly caused by the assumptions made to regulate the percolation at the bottom of the simulated soil columns. The capability for simulating lateral flows and a saturated zone in ForSAFE can greatly improve the simulation of chemical exchange in the soil and export of elements from the soil to watercourses. Such a model can help improve the understanding of how environmental changes in the forest landscape will influence chemical loads to surface waters.
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| 9. |
- Stendahl, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Pedon-scale silicate weathering : comparison of the PROFILE model and the depletion method at 16 forest sites in Sweden
- 2013
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Ingår i: Geoderma. - : Elsevier BV. - 0016-7061 .- 1872-6259. ; 211-212, s. 65-74
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Weathering of soil minerals is important for the recovery from acidification and for the sustainability of forestry. However, there is still substantial uncertainty about its absolute rate. This study presents a harmonized comparison of field weathering rates estimated with the mechanistic model PROFILE and the depletion method for 16 intensively sampled soil profiles across Sweden representing different site conditions. In general, a correspondence in total weathering rates was found between the two methods except in rare cases where either method yielded deviating results. The weathering rate was higher according to the depletion method than according to PROFILE for Mg, while PROFILE produced higher weathering rates for the other base cations. The Spearman rank correlation (rho) between the two methods indicated significant correlation for Ca (rho = 0.44, p = 0.04) and non-significant correlation for Mg (rho = 0.51, p = 0.09), Na (rho = 0.25, p = 0.34), K (rho = 0.07, p = 0.80), and the sum of the base cations (rho = 0.11, p = 0.67). The variation in weathering rates with depth showed opposite gradients in the upper 50 cm, which reflects the conceptual differences between the methods. This study shows the potential of using multiple methods to identify a probable weathering rate, if harmonized input data are used. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of making comparisons for individual elements in order to interpret differences between methods. Regardless of the method used, weathering rates were below or at the same level as the losses caused by whole-tree harvesting, particularly in southern Sweden, indicating a risk of negative effects on soils and waters. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 10. |
- Pihl-Karlsson, Gunilla, et al.
(författare)
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Försurning och övergödning i mellersta Sverige Resultat från Krondroppsnätet till och med 2021/22
- 2023
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- På uppdrag av Luftvårdsförbundet i Värmlands län, Länsstyrelserna i Stockholms och Södermanlands län samt Swedavia AB, genomför IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet, i samarbete med Lunds universitet, inom Krondroppsnätet mätningar i bakgrundsmiljön av lufthalter, atmosfäriskt nedfall och markvattenkemi i mellersta Sverige. Mätningar har bedrivits i över 30 år. I denna rapport presenteras resultaten i en för mellersta Sverige sammanhållen regional rapport. I rapporten redovisas resultat från aktiva mätningar vid mätplatser inom Krondroppsnätet i mellersta Sverige under det hydrologiska året 2021/22, tillsammans med resultat från tidigare års mätningar och i jämförelse med motsvarande mätningar i övriga delar av landet. I rapporten redovisas även resultat från mätningar av nedfall till öppet fält vid Tyresta och Transtrandsberget inom den nationella miljöövervakningen, SveLoD.Resultaten visas främst som hydrologiska år, vilket omfattar oktober till och med september nästkommande år. I rapporten redovisas även resultat från andra Krondroppsnätsrelaterade projekt samt aktuella händelser från 2022. I Bilaga 1 visas information om de olika länens mätningar och mätplatser.Kvävenedfall och nitrat i markvattnet. Under det senaste hydrologiska året 2021/22 utsattes växtligheten i mellersta Sverige inte längre för ett kväve¬nedfall som överskred den nu använda kritiska belastningsgränsen för barrskog på 5 kg kväve (N) per hektar och år. Tidigare år har kvävenedfallet dock varit högre, med överskridanden, framför allt i de västra delarna av mellersta Sverige. Överskridanden kan leda till påverkan på markvegetationen i skogseko¬systemen samt risk för läckage av nitrat till yt- och grundvatten.Det totala kvävenedfallet till barrskog har minskat med 52 % i Värmlands län, 53 % i Södermanlands län och 57 % i Stockholms län sedan 2001.Nitrat förekommer hittills sällan i markvattnet i ostörda skogsekosystem i Sverige, förutom i de sydvästligaste delarna av landet. Tidigare har nitrat sällan förekommit i markvattnet vid mätplatserna i mellersta Sverige i orörda skogar, men en nyligen anlagd yta i Värmland (Södra Averstad B) visar förhöjda halter, trots att skogen är orörd. Förhöjda nitratkvävehalter i markvatten är det första tecknet på att det finns mer kväve än vad skogs¬eko¬systemet kan ta upp, vilket medför en risk för utlakning till ytvatten. Efter stormskador, avverkning, skogsgödsling eller andra störningar kan halterna av nitrat i markvattnet öka till ganska höga nivåer, vilket i mellersta Sverige har inträffat efter slutavverkningar vid två skogsytor i Värmlands län (Stora Averstad A och Blåbärskullen) där vi bedriver fortsatta mätningar. Även vid Farstanäs i Stockholms län har förhöjda nitrathalter noterats under de senaste två åren, vilket troligtvis förklaras av stormskador och barkborreangrepp i angränsning till ytan. Svavelnedfall och försurningFörsurning av mark och vatten orsakas av både svavel- och kvävenedfall, men även skogsbruket bidrar eftersom trädtillväxt medför upptag av buffrande baskatjoner och därmed försurning, som permanentas när biomassa skördas och förs bort från skogen. I de högst belastade delarna av mellersta Sverige har svavelnedfallet minskat från omkring 10 till under 1 kg per hektar och år sedan början av 1990-talet. Under det hydrologiska året 2021/22 understeg svavelnedfallet 1 kg per hektar och år på samtliga mätplatser i mellersta Sverige. En bidragande orsak till den låga nivån på nedfallet 2021/22 var de låga nederbörds¬mängderna.De minskade svavelutsläppen i Europa har kraftigt reducerat svavelnedfallet i Sverige sedan slutet av 1980-talet.Mätningar i markvattnet insamlat under rotzonen ger ett mått på markens försurningsstatus. Markvattnets försurningsstatus beror på nuvarande och historiskt nedfall av svavel i kombination med markens buffrings¬förmåga. Bortförsel av buffrande baskatjoner vid skogsavverkningar spelar också roll. Effekterna av det minskade svavelnedfallet syns tydligt i minskade svavelhalter i markvattnet på 50 cm markdjup vid samtliga mätplatser i mellersta Sverige och vid flertalet mätplatser med långa tidsserier i Sverige, även om svavelprocesser i marken gör att minskningen ofta inte är lika kraftig som nedfalls-minskningen. Markvattnet är dock fortfarande försurat på många platser i Sverige, framför allt i de sydvästra delarna. I mellersta Sverige har markvattnets pH har visat på måttlig till låg surhet, mellan 5 och 6,4 under de senaste tre åren. Ett mer robust mått på försurning är markvattnets syrabuffrande förmåga, ANC. För att markvattnet ska bidra till en återhämtning från försurning i sjöar och vattendrag måste ANC ha ett värde som är klart större än noll. Den syraneutraliserande förmågan, ANC, har varit positivt i markvattnet vid alla nio mät¬platser i mellersta Sverige under den senaste femårsperioden, med undantag av Blåbärskullen (som avverkades 2021), men som uppvisade negativa värden för ANC redan innan avverkningen. Fyra av sex mätplatser, med långa tidsserier, i mellersta Sverige visar på en signifikant återhämtning från försurning i form av ökat pH och/eller ANC.
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