public read Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

705 Spear StreetSouth BurlingtonVermont05403United States of America

(802) 656-0683femc@uvm.eduwww.uvm.edu/femcThis dataset contains methylmercury, total mercury, percent mercury as methylmercury, dissolved organic carbon, acid neutralizing capacity, fluoride, chloride, sulfate, nitrate and phosphate concentrations in open precipitation and throughfall. Plots are located in low elevation deciduous zone, mid-elevation coniferous zone, and high elevation alpine zone. Samples were taken monthly in May – August 2015. Forest Ecosystem Monitoring CooperativeJamieShanleycontentProviderCharlesDriscollprincipalInvestigatorJacquelineGersonprincipalInvestigatorJasonDemerscontentProviderAmySauercontentProviderBradleyBlackwellcontentProviderMarioMontesdeocacontentProviderGlobal mercury contamination largely results from direct primary atmospheric and secondary legacy emissions, which can be deposited to ecosystems, converted to methylmercury, and bioaccumulated along food chains. We examined organic horizon soil samples collected across an elevational gradient on Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondack region of New York State, USA to determine spatial patterns in methylmercury concentrations across a forested montane landscape. We found that soil methylmercury concentrations were highest in the mid-elevation coniferous zone (0.39 ± 0.07 ng/g) compared to the higher elevation alpine zone (0.28 ± 0.04 ng/g) and particularly the lower elevation deciduous zone (0.17 ± 0.02 ng/g), while the percent of total mercury as methylmercury in soils decreased with elevation. We also found a seasonal pattern in soil methylmercury concentrations, with peak methylmercury values occurring in July. Given elevational patterns in temperature and bioavailable total mercury (derived from mineralization of soil organic matter), soil methylmercury concentrations appear to be driven by soil processing of ionic Hg, as opposed to atmospheric deposition of methylmercury. These methylmercury results are consistent with spatial patterns of mercury concentrations in songbird species observed from other studies, suggesting that future declines in mercury emissions could be important for reducing exposure of mercury to montane avian species.Whiteface Atmospheric Deposition DataThis dataset contains methylmercury, total mercury, percent mercury as methylmercury, dissolved organic carbon, acid neutralizing capacity, fluoride, chloride, sulfate, nitrate and phosphate concentrations in open precipitation and throughfall. Plots are located in low elevation deciduous zone, mid-elevation coniferous zone, and high elevation alpine zone. Samples were taken monthly in May – August 2015. VMC.1137.2375mySQL/femc/data/archive/project/biological-mercury-hotspots-montane-ecosystems-northern-forest/dataset/whiteface-atmospheric-deposition-data2015-05-012015-08-31ANCANCAcid Neutralizing CapacitydecimalCl_mg_LCl_mg_LNo description for this attributedecimalno dataDOC_mg_LDOC_mg_LNo description for this attributedecimalno dataElevation_mElevation_mNo description for this attributeintno dataForest_Cover_TypeForest_Cover_TypeNo description for this attributetextF_mg_LF_mg_LNo description for this attributedecimalno dataMeHg_Concentration_ng_gMeHg_Concentration_ng_gNo description for this attributedecimalMonthMonthNo description for this attributetextNitrate_mg_LNitrate_mg_LNo description for this attributedecimalno dataPercentMeHgPercentMeHgPercent mercury as methylmercury decimalPhosphate_mg_LPhosphate_mg_LNo description for this attributedecimalno dataSample_TypeSample_TypeNo description for this attributetextSulfate_mg_LSulfate_mg_LNo description for this attributedecimalno dataTHg_Concentration_ng_gTHg_Concentration_ng_gNo description for this attributedecimalno data