*34-Uncaittf Farming, Saturday, Dacambar 22,1984
Cornell stressing varied acid rain studies
ITHACA, N.Y. From studying
the effects of liming acidic lakes to
calculating electricity customer
costs of pollution, many Cornell
University scientists are
researching acid precipitation.
More than 50 people here are
involved in research projects
pertaining to the effects of acid
rain, defined as precipitation in
cluding hail, snow, sleet, fog,
gases, and dust that has high
concentrations of sulfuric acid and
nitric acid. Acid rain is a potential
threat to lakes, rivers, agricultural
crops, soils, forests, drinking
water, and even to man-made
objects such as buildings, statues,
and painted surfaces, according to
many scientists.
Several hundred lakes in New
York State’s Adirondack Moun
tains, for example, have become
too acidic to support fish life and
the cause is attributed to acid
precipitation. Damage to forests in
the Northeast, blamed by some on
acid rain, is another concern.
Cornell research ranges from
studies of water and terrestrial
ecosystems, and atmospheric
processes, to monitoring,
economics, and communication.
The following is a sampling of
some of the Cornell projects.
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
* the effects of neutralizing the
acidity of several lakes in the
Adirondacks with lime and how
long those lakes can sustain fish
life again is being studied by Carl
Schofield of the department of
natural resources and Steven
Gloss, Cooperative Fish and
Wildlife Research Unit biologist.
* stream acidification in the
THE CLASSIFIED LIVESTOCK SECTION
HAS BEASTLY SELECTIONS!
Adirondacks and the Smokies, and
aluminum cycling in relation to
acid rain in forestwl watersheds is
being examined by Schofield.
* brook trout that are resistant to
at least marginal conditions of
acidity are being developed by
Schofield and Dwight Webster in
an attempt to preserve the
recreational value of the lakes in
the Adirondacks. The fishery
scientists point out that this is an
interim measure until a per
manent solution to the acid rain
problem is forthcoming.
* how sodium bicarbonate -
commonly known as baking soda -
can neutralize Adirondack lakes
and support fish populations is
being analyzed by James Bisogni,
associate professor of en
vironmental engineering.
* looking for the relationship
between lake water chemistry and
the kinds of algae and sediments
present in acidified lakes is the
project of Jesse Ford, a researcher
in the Ecosystems Research
Center. She is using that in
formation to sort out the history of
the biological and chemical effects
of acid rain on New Hampshire and
Vermont lakes.
* an analysis of why New
Hampshire lakes, which receive as
much acid deposition and have
similar geological features as
lakes in the Adirondacks, are not
as adversely affected as upstate
New York lakes is being conducted
by Ford and Schofield.
* the effects of acid rain on
aluminum transport in stream
ecosystems is being researched by
Christine Shoemaker, associate
professor of environmental
I'M
NOT
L10N...
engineering. She is working on the
development of a model that in
corporates the effects of water
hydrology on stream chemistry
and aluminum mobilization.
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS:
* the biological processes that
take place in soil impacted by acid
rain are being examined by soil
microbiologist Martin Alexander,
professor in the department of
agronomy.
* field and greenhouse ex
periments on the removal of
pesticides from agricultural crops
by acidic rain are being conducted
by Laurence Heller and Joe
Osmeloski of the Boyce Thompson
Institute for Plant Research
located at Cornell.
* To assess possible effects of
acid precipitation on forest
productivity, Philip Dixon, a
graduate student in ecology and
systematics, is analyzing long
term tree growth records from the
eastern U.S. He hopes to determine
whether patterns of tree growth
and mortality have changed in the
past 30 years.
* the effects of acid rain and
other pollutants and their in
fluences on growth and produc
tivity of agricultural plants is
being studied by Jay Jacobson, a
plant physiologist at Boyce
Thompson Institute. He is also
working on interpreting scientific
evidence for the development of
public policy.
* the influence of acid rain and
ozone on photosynthesis and
growth of Northeastern forest tree
species are being examined by
Robert Amundson and Peter
Reich, environmental biologists at
Boyce Thompson.
* how sensitivity of forest trees
to acid rain varies throughout the
Northeast is the thrust of the work
being done by researcher David
Weinstein in the Ecosystems
Research Center.
* how environmental stresses
affect forest-tree physiological
processes and forest ecosystem
dynamics is being pursued by
forest tree ecophysiologist James
Lassoie, associate professor of
natural resources.
* the effects of acid rain on tree
pollen is being studied by Debbie
van Ryn, a graduate student in the
department of natural resources.
* soil chemical mechanisms
responsible for interactions bet
ween forest soils and acid
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
i
» We Sincerely Thank Our Loyal Customers For A
i Good Year In 1984 And We Wish Them A Prosperous
LYearlnl9Bs!
The Farm Building Specialists..
WISHING YOU A
MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
As We Celebrate The Birth of
precipitation as well as spatial
variability of forest soil chemical
properties and the fundamental
chemistry of acid forest soils are
the projects of Susan Riha,
associate professor, and Bruce
James, research associate, both in
the department of agronomy.
ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES
* high elevation forests appear to
be more seriously damaged by
acid deposition than lower
elevations. In an effort to find out
why, Gene Likens, adjunct
professor of ecology and
systematics, is collecting cloud
water chemistry data from several
sites around the U.S., including
Alaska and Hubbard Brook, New
Hampshire.
* particulate aerosols in the
atmosphere, which lead to “dry”
deposition, are being studied by
Thomas Butler, a researcher in
ecology and systematics. He is
trying to characterize
mineralogy of the dust particles to
determine what effect they may
have on the chemistry of rainfall.
MONITORING
* in a long-term monitoring
project, Butler operates a site on
Connecticut Hill (Tompkins
County) which is part of the Multi-
State Atmospheric Power
Production Pollution Study (MAP
3S), a network of nine sites in the
eastern U.S. Butler monitors the
chemistry of every storm.
• the background chemistry of
rain in remote areas of the world is
anchor oroject under Likens. The
Pseudorabies meeting
(Continued from Page A2B)
Dirty boots and human skin are
excellent vehicles for the disease,
but the manure pit is not, said the
veterinarian, who pointed out that
very little virus is shed in feces.
PRV probably does not travel
long distances on the wind, and
ingesting the virus in drinking
water is not a major factor, said
Beran.
One fundamental question raised
at the meeting was whether or not
an eradication program would be
cost effective. Simply put, would it
be cheaper to live with the disease
as present levels, in light of the
fact that PRV has no detrimental
effect on the pork products
themselves?
“The question of the economic
feasibility of a control program
Our Saviour
Global Precipitation Chemistry
Project, with sites primarily in
remote areas of the southern
hemisphere, serves to collect
rainwater that presumably is
unaffected by pollution. The in
formation gathered is to serve as a
comparison for rain that has
become* acidic because of man’s
activities.
* trying to model the physical
and economic aspects of con
trolling sulfur emissions from
power plants is the problem
confronting Tim Mount and
William Deehan, both in the
department of agricultural
economics. By examining in detail
the utility industry in New York,
which releases over half of the
sulfur emissions in the State, the
researchers are developing models
that assess the customer costs of
controlling pollution and the
financial impact of reducing
emissions on utilities.
COMMUNICATIONS
* a project to examine how news
media coverage of research on
sensitive national issues affects
public perceptions has been
initiated by Carolyn Glynn, an
assistant professor in the depart
ment of communication arts. She
will be using acid precipitation as a
case study.
Acid precipitation is a complex,
international issue. To understand
the severity and implications of the
problem requires many research
projects in many fields of study.
hasn’t been answered yet,” con
cluded the lowa veterinarian, “and
this is hopefully one of the answers
that will come out of our pilot
project.”
But one strategy for dealing with
PRV that has proven totally
unacceptable for a number of
stricken Pa. hog producers is
forced depopulation with no in
demnity. In response to a request
from the Pa. Pork Producers
Council, the Department of
Agriculture’s Bureau of Animal
Industry has placed a moratorium
on forced depopulation of infected
herds until May 1, 1985. According
to PPPC spokesman, John Henkel,
the Bureau has asked the Council
to recommend alternative
methods for combating the
disease.
hple H Construction Col
29 S. Charles Street
Ephrata, Pa. 17522
717-738-2142
ECONOMICS