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The Loch Dee Project: a Study of the Ecological Effects of Acid Precipitation and Forest Management on an Upland Catchments in Southwest Scotland. 1. Preliminary Investigations
Author(s) -
Burns J. C.,
Coy J S.,
Tervet D. J.,
Harriman R.,
Morrison B. R. S.,
Quine C. P.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
aquaculture research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2109
pISSN - 1355-557X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2109.1984.tb00289.x
Subject(s) - tributary , streams , precipitation , acid rain , trout , ecology , range (aeronautics) , afforestation , aquatic ecosystem , hydrology (agriculture) , invertebrate , biology , environmental science , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , geography , computer network , materials science , geotechnical engineering , meteorology , computer science , engineering , composite material , cartography
A description is given of the preliminary stages of an ecological study of the effects of acid precipitation and coniferous afforestation in the Loch Dee Catchments in the Galloway area of south‐west Scotland. Information on the current chemical, hydrologieal and biological status of the loch and its three major tributaries is presented. Acid precipitation episodes of pH < 4.5 occurred for 20% of rainfall in 1981 and were generally coincident with the movements of air masses from areas of high sulphur emissions to the south, east and north. In 1981 the mean pH of the loch was 5.2 and in recent years artificial slocking of the loch has been employed to maintain a viable trout fishery. The densities of fish populations in two of the major inflowing streams were sometimes < 10 fish per 100 m 2 . During high stream flow, the concentrations of free acidity (H + ) and aluminium were in the range where a significant reduction in the survival of hatching trout would be expected. The impact of various forms of calcium carbonate, spread on the catchments or added directly to one inflowing stream, is being monitored to assess long‐term changes in stream and loch ecology.