Forestry and Mercury: Understanding the connection in order to break it (Invited)
Abstract
Mercury in fish remains both a major environmental problem and a scientific puzzle. Research from the boreal-nemoral zone indicates a connection between forestry operations and the input of mercury/methylmercury to aquatic ecosystems. As more studies are completed, however, large differences are appearing in the magnitude of the Hg response to forest operations (harvest, site preparation, drainage, drain-blocking) with respect to leakage and bioaccumulation of methylmercury. It is hoped that understanding why there are differences in catchment sensitivity can improve management strategies to mitigate the contribution of forest operations to the mercury problem in freshwater fish. This presentation will synthesize results from recently completed and ongoing studies in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Canada.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2010
- Bibcode:
- 2010AGUFM.B13G..05B
- Keywords:
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- 0478 BIOGEOSCIENCES / Pollution: urban;
- regional and global;
- 0496 BIOGEOSCIENCES / Water quality;
- 1879 HYDROLOGY / Watershed