Principal Investigator(s):

Gregory McGee, Myron Mitchell, Michelle Peach

Summary:

Project Update (213kb .pdf)

Despite its susceptibility to the impacts of acidic deposition, the economically important Tug Hill region of New York State has not been subject to adequate monitoring efforts. This two-year study will seek to fill the information gap by analyzing the extent to which aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in the region are affected by excess nitrogen (N) and acidic deposition through:

• Synoptic surveys of surface water quality at 40 sites across the Tug Hill region;
• Testing of soil chemistry, forest vegetation composition, and plant tissue chemistry at locations adjacent to the surface water samples; and
• Synthesis of data for site-level assessments of the effects of acidification on soils, including base cation nutrient depletion and potential for N saturation.

Providing much-needed baseline data for the region, the study will significantly contribute to our knowledge of the effects of atmospheric deposition on aquatic ecosystems and forests in the Northeast.

Partners: The Nature Conservancy; NYSDEC; Wagner Forestry; Landvest; numerous small non-industrial woodland owners

Downloads:

Project Update (213kb .pdf)

Project Site(s):

Tug Hill

Latitude/Longitude: (4kb .pdf)

Region(s): North Country

County(ies): Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, Oneida

Sampling:

Sampled Medium(Media): surface water, soil, plant tissue

Analyte(s): acid cations (Aln+, H+), acid neutralizing capacity, anions (Cl-, SO42-), base cations, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved organic nitrogen, organic N, inorganic N (NO3-, NH4+), pH, Plant Tissue (Ca2+, K+, Mg+, lignin, aluminum, carbon)

Sampling Technolog(ies): synoptic surveys, Perkin Elmer 3300DV inductively coupled plasma-atomic emissions spectroscopy (ICP-AES), Perkin-Elmber 2400 CHN analyzer, Daisy II Incubator system

Sampling Frequency: 75 sites during snowmelt (March-April) and baseflow (July-August) conditions

Funding:

Total Costs: $169,228

NYSERDA Costs: $123,762

Funding Source(s): NYSERDA, ESF

Contract Initiated: January, 2005

Estimated Completion Date: December, 2006

Links:

Project Website: http://www.esf.edu/hss/

Related EMEP Projects: Kathy Lambert 6487, Gregory Lawrence 7613_7717_7718, Myron Mitchell 4917, Dudley Raynal 6086, Karen Roy 4915, Ruth Yanai 8649

Related Link(s): http://www.esf.edu/hss/

Contact:

Gregory McGee SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, NY 13210 PH: (315) 470-4814 Fax: (315) 470-6934 Email: ggmcgee@esf.edu
Myron Mitchell SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry One Forestry Drive Syracuse, New York 13210-2788 PH: (315) 470-6765 Fax: (315) 470-6996 Email: mitchell@mailbox.syr.edu
Michelle Peach Tug Hill Project Coordinator The Nature Conservancy Eastern Lake Ontario & Tug Hill Field Office 269 Ouderkirk Road Pulaski, NY 13142 PH: (315) 387-3600 Email: mpeach@tnc.org