Impacts of acid deposition on concentrations and fluxes of solutes in acid sandy forest soils in the Netherlands.

This article summarizes the most important impacts of acid atmospheric deposition on the soil solution chemistry of acid sandy forest soils in the Netherlands, by comparing and interpreting data from soil solution monitoring studies (18 stands) and a national soil solution survey (150 stands). Important conclusions are: forest soils are invariably saturated with sulphate (leaching equals deposition); there is generally a relatively large retention of nitrogen, although there are indications that forest soils become nitrogen-saturated at total inputs above 4.0 kmolc per ha per year aluminium mobilization is the major buffer mechanism neutralizing the acidity input.