Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

Assessing Biological Mercury Hotspots in Montane Ecosystems of the Northern Forest: Whiteface Soil Data

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Metadata Provider

  • Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

    • Address:
      705 Spear Street
      South Burlington, Vermont 05403
      United States of America

      Phone: (802) 391-4135
      Email: femc@uvm.edu
      Website: www.uvm.edu/femc

Abstract

    Global mercury contamination largely results from direct primary atmospheric and secondary legacy emissions, which can be deposited to ecosystems, converted to methylmercury, and bioaccumulated along food chains. We examined organic horizon soil samples collected across an elevational gradient on Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondack region of New York State, USA to determine spatial patterns in methylmercury concentrations across a forested montane landscape. We found that soil methylmercury concentrations were highest in the mid-elevation coniferous zone (0.39 ± 0.07 ng/g) compared to the higher elevation alpine zone (0.28 ± 0.04 ng/g) and particularly the lower elevation deciduous zone (0.17 ± 0.02 ng/g), while the percent of total mercury as methylmercury in soils decreased with elevation. We also found a seasonal pattern in soil methylmercury concentrations, with peak methylmercury values occurring in July. Given elevational patterns in temperature and bioavailable total mercury (derived from mineralization of soil organic matter), soil methylmercury concentrations appear to be driven by soil processing of ionic Hg, as opposed to atmospheric deposition of methylmercury. These methylmercury results are consistent with spatial patterns of mercury concentrations in songbird species observed from other studies, suggesting that future declines in mercury emissions could be important for reducing exposure of mercury to montane avian species.

People

  • Jamie Shanley: Content Provider

  • Charles Driscoll: Principal Investigator

  • Jacqueline Gerson: Principal Investigator

  • Jason Demers: Content Provider

  • Amy Sauer: Content Provider

  • Bradley Blackwell: Content Provider

  • Mario Montesdeoca: Content Provider

Keywords

  • mercury, methylmercury, soil,

Geographic Coverage

  • Coordinates

    Data Table

    • Title: Whiteface Soil Data
    • Start Date: 2015-06-01
    • End Date: 2015-09-30
    • Description: This dataset contains methylmercury concentration, total mercury concentration, percent mercury as methylmercury, percent nitrogen, percent carbon, carbon: nitrogen ratio, and percent sulfur in soil samples. Plots are located in low elevation deciduous zone, mid-elevation coniferous zone, and high elevation alpine zone. Samples were taken in June, July, and September 2015.

    • Purpose: Quantifying concentrations of total mercury and methyl mercury in soil.

    • Condensed Title: Z1137_2373_30DZV0

    • Object Name: VMC.1137.2373

    • Data Type: mySQL
    • Citation: Gerson, Jacqueline. (2017) Whiteface Soil Data. FEMC. Available online at: https://www.uvm.edu/femc/data/archive/project/biological-mercury-hotspots-montane-ecosystems-northern-forest/dataset/whiteface-soil-data

    • Online Distribution: https://vmc.w3.uvm.edu/vmcdevel/data/archive/project/biological-mercury-hotspots-montane-ecosystems-northern-forest/dataset/whiteface-soil-data

    Attribute List

      Attribute Name: C_N_Ratio
      • Label: C_N_Ratio
      • Storage Type: decimal
      Attribute Name: Elevation_m
      • Label: Elevation_m
      • Storage Type: int
      Attribute Name: Forest_Cover_Type
      • Label: Forest_Cover_Type
      • Storage Type: text
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: Layer
      • Label: Layer
      • Storage Type: text
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: MeHg_Concentration_ng_g
      • Label: MeHg_Concentration_ng_g
      • Storage Type: decimal
      Attribute Name: Month
      • Label: Month
      • Storage Type: text
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: PercentC
      • Label: PercentC
      • Storage Type: decimal
      Attribute Name: PercentMeHg
      • Label: PercentMeHg
      • Storage Type: decimal
      Attribute Name: PercentN
      • Label: PercentN
      • Storage Type: decimal
      Attribute Name: PercentS
      • Label: PercentS
      • Description: Percent Sulfur
      • Storage Type: decimal
      • Measurment Type: nominal
      Attribute Name: THg_Concentration_ng_g
      • Label: THg_Concentration_ng_g
      • Storage Type: decimal

    Methods

    • No methods recorded for this dataset

    Sampling Equipment

    • No sampling equipment recorded for this dataset

    Site Characteristics

    • No site characteristics recorded for this dataset