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Acidification of Headwater Streams in the New Jersey Pine Barrens
Author(s) -
Johnson Arthur H.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1979.00472425000800030023x
Subject(s) - streams , pine barrens , hydrology (agriculture) , precipitation , environmental science , acid rain , hydronium , chemistry , ecology , geology , ion , geography , biology , computer network , geotechnical engineering , meteorology , computer science , organic chemistry
Sixteen years of stream pH data indicate acidification of two relatively undisturbed headwater streams of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Average yearly stream pH decreased approximately 0.2 to 0.5 units in the two small streams that have long‐term records. Hydronium ion concentration is correlated with SO 4 in the two headwater streams in approximately a 1:1 ratio by equivalents, suggesting that H 2 SO 4 is an important source of the acidity. A decrease in precipitation pH over the period is suggested in the literature and may be responsible for the decreasing stream pH.