public read Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative

705 Spear StreetSouth BurlingtonVermont05403United States of America

(802) 656-0683femc@uvm.eduwww.uvm.edu/femcThis dataset contains methylmercury concentration, total mercury concentration, percent mercury as methylmercury, percent nitrogen, percent carbon, carbon: nitrogen ratio, and percent sulfur in soil samples. Plots are located in low elevation deciduous zone, mid-elevation coniferous zone, and high elevation alpine zone. Samples were taken in June, July, and September 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 Soil DataThis dataset contains methylmercury concentration, total mercury concentration, percent mercury as methylmercury, percent nitrogen, percent carbon, carbon: nitrogen ratio, and percent sulfur in soil samples. Plots are located in low elevation deciduous zone, mid-elevation coniferous zone, and high elevation alpine zone. Samples were taken in June, July, and September 2015. VMC.1137.2373mySQL/femc/data/archive/project/biological-mercury-hotspots-montane-ecosystems-northern-forest/dataset/whiteface-soil-data2015-06-012015-09-30C_N_RatioC_N_RatioNo description for this attributedecimalno dataElevation_mElevation_mNo description for this attributeintno dataForest_Cover_TypeForest_Cover_TypeNo description for this attributetextLayerLayerNo description for this attributetextMeHg_Concentration_ng_gMeHg_Concentration_ng_gNo description for this attributedecimalno dataMonthMonthNo description for this attributetextPercentCPercentCNo description for this attributedecimalno dataPercentMeHgPercentMeHgNo description for this attributedecimalno dataPercentNPercentNNo description for this attributedecimalno dataPercentSPercentSPercent SulfurdecimalTHg_Concentration_ng_gTHg_Concentration_ng_gNo description for this attributedecimalno data