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The Effects of Forest Harvesting on Total and Methylmercury Concentrations in Surface Waters Depend on Harvest Practices and Physical Site Characteristics

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Title: The Effects of Forest Harvesting on Total and Methylmercury Concentrations in Surface Waters Depend on Harvest Practices and Physical Site Characteristics
Authors: Karin Eklöf, Heleen de Wit, Chris S. Eckley, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, Susan L. Eggert, Robert W. Mackereth, Ulf Skyllberg, Liisa Ukonmaanaho, Matti Verta, Craig Allan, Erik J. S. Emilson, Karen A. Kidd, Carl P. J. Mitchell, John Munthe, Tapani Sallantaus, Joel Segersten, Andrea G. Bravo, Randall K. Kolka, Colin P. R. McCarter, Petri Porvari, Eva Ring, Stephen D. Sebestyen, Ulf Sikström, Therese Sahlén Zetterberg
Contributors: Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning, King Carl XVI Gustaf 50th Anniversary Fund for Science, Technology and the Environment, US Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Jarislowsky Foundation, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)
Source: Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Publisher Information: American Chemical Society (ACS), 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Subject Terms: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, Soil disturbance, Forestry, Methylmercury, Clear-cut, Mitigation methods
Description: Forest harvesting can lead to mercury (Hg) mobilization from soils to aquatic habitats and promote the transformation of inorganic Hg to highly neurotoxic and bioaccumulative methyl-Hg (MeHg). Multiple past studies reveal broad variation of stream water MeHg and total Hg (THg) concentration responses to forest harvesting, which has confounded messaging to forest and resource managers. To advance beyond divergent and sometimes contradictory findings, we synthesized information for 23 previously studied catchments in North America and Fennoscandia and compiled a uniform set of soil, landscape, and harvesting properties to identify forest management, riparian, and hillslope factors that influence responses of stream water MeHg and THg concentrations. From this synthesis, we found catchments with high soil moisture and organic soil layers >100 cm to be at highest risk for disturbance-induced increases in MeHg formation after harvest but not necessarily affecting concentrations of MeHg in stream waters. Instead, the combination of MeHg formation in soils along with factors that affect mobilization with runoff to streams most influenced how forest harvest affects MeHg concentrations in stream waters
This project was funded by the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning, project 2017-00974. Complementary funding was also provided through the King Carl XVI Gustaf 50th Anniversary Fund for Science, Technology and the Environment to K. Eklöf. The contributions of S.L. Eggert, R.K. Kolka, and S.D. Sebestyen were supported by the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station and of C.A. Eagles-Smith by the U.S. Geological Survey. The contribution of Robert W. Mackereth was supported by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. The contribution of Karen Kidd was supported by the Jarislowsky Foundation. The contribution of E.R. and U.S. was supported by Skogforsḱs framework agreement funding. The contribution of Andrea Garcia Bravo was supported by the Ramón y Cajal program (RYC2019-028400-I, AEI Spain)
This work contributes to the Institut de Ciències del Mar "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" accreditation CEX2024-001494-S funded by AEI 10.13039/501100011033 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation
12 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, supplementary material https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c02787
Document Type: Article
Language: English
ISSN: 1520-5851
0013-936X
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c02787
Access URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10261/397725
Rights: CC BY
Accession Number: edsair.doi.dedup.....a27f54c9f580c5f6d9b064a926b0fc0d
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:Forest harvesting can lead to mercury (Hg) mobilization from soils to aquatic habitats and promote the transformation of inorganic Hg to highly neurotoxic and bioaccumulative methyl-Hg (MeHg). Multiple past studies reveal broad variation of stream water MeHg and total Hg (THg) concentration responses to forest harvesting, which has confounded messaging to forest and resource managers. To advance beyond divergent and sometimes contradictory findings, we synthesized information for 23 previously studied catchments in North America and Fennoscandia and compiled a uniform set of soil, landscape, and harvesting properties to identify forest management, riparian, and hillslope factors that influence responses of stream water MeHg and THg concentrations. From this synthesis, we found catchments with high soil moisture and organic soil layers >100 cm to be at highest risk for disturbance-induced increases in MeHg formation after harvest but not necessarily affecting concentrations of MeHg in stream waters. Instead, the combination of MeHg formation in soils along with factors that affect mobilization with runoff to streams most influenced how forest harvest affects MeHg concentrations in stream waters<br />This project was funded by the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning, project 2017-00974. Complementary funding was also provided through the King Carl XVI Gustaf 50th Anniversary Fund for Science, Technology and the Environment to K. Eklöf. The contributions of S.L. Eggert, R.K. Kolka, and S.D. Sebestyen were supported by the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station and of C.A. Eagles-Smith by the U.S. Geological Survey. The contribution of Robert W. Mackereth was supported by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. The contribution of Karen Kidd was supported by the Jarislowsky Foundation. The contribution of E.R. and U.S. was supported by Skogforsḱs framework agreement funding. The contribution of Andrea Garcia Bravo was supported by the Ramón y Cajal program (RYC2019-028400-I, AEI Spain)<br />This work contributes to the Institut de Ciències del Mar "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" accreditation CEX2024-001494-S funded by AEI 10.13039/501100011033 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation<br />12 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, supplementary material https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c02787
ISSN:15205851
0013936X
DOI:10.1021/acs.est.5c02787