Other Forestry and Forest Sciences Commons^™

Determination Of The Baseline Concentration Of Mercury And Percentage Of Organic Material In Sub-Alpine Forest Soil Before Clear Cutting Within The White Mountain National Forest, Daniel Sunghoon Hong

Senior Theses and Projects

Clear-cutting has been practiced for centuries to provide timber for our societal needs. It is the most economically profitable method of timber harvesting but can create disturbances in the ecosystems when practiced irresponsibly. Clear-cutting vast parcels of land can have adverse effects on the quality of the soils, including erosion, loss of nutrients due to rapid runoff, and disruption of habitats and wildlife. Moreover, with large parcels of trees cut, soils are more exposed to direct airborne fallout and rapid runoff of trace metals such as mercury (Hg) into nearby fluvial systems. In the summer of 2013, soil samples were …