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Sensitivity of Florida lakes to acidic precipitation
Author(s) -
Canfield Daniel E.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr019i003p00833
Subject(s) - alkalinity , environmental science , calcite , environmental chemistry , precipitation , saturation (graph theory) , zooplankton , hydrology (agriculture) , water quality , ecology , oceanography , geology , chemistry , mineralogy , biology , geography , geotechnical engineering , meteorology , mathematics , organic chemistry , combinatorics
To assess the potential vulnerability of Florida lakes to damage by acidic precipitation, data from a survey of 165 lakes located in the major physiographic and geologic regions of Florida were used to determine p H, total alkalinity, calcium hardness, and calcite saturation index values. Mean lake p H ranged from 4.1 to 8.9. Mean total alkalinity concentrations ranged from 0 to 4100 µeq/l and mean calcium hardness concentrations ranged from 20 to 4300 µeq/l. Total alkalinity averaged below 200µeq/l in 49% of the sampled lakes. Calcite saturation index values were greater than 4 in 36% of the sampled lakes. Based on these data, Florida has a large number of lakes that are vulnerable to reductions in p H and alkalinity by acidic precipitation. Data on chlorophyll a concentrations, Zooplankton abundance, and recent fisheries data, however, suggest that Florida lakes may not be as biologically sensitive as the alkalinity and calcite saturation indices might suggest. Low phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations are primarily responsible for reduced animal and plant populations in acidic Florida lakes. Consequently, predictions of future impacts or trends based on current sensitivity indices should be regarded with caution.