CARBON-DIOXIDE DYNAMICS IN ACID FOREST SOILS IN SHENANDOAH NATIONAL-PARK, VIRGINIA

Two soils - one comprised of alluvial infill on a valley bottom, the other covering a steep hillslope - were monitored for CO2 levels and soil temperature and moisture. Carbon dioxide concentrations varied from atmospheric levels during the winter to nearly two orders of magnitude higher in late summer. There were strong correlations of CO2 with soil air temperature, but correlations with soil moisture content were weak. The strong seasonal fluctuations of CO2 may explain variations in stream-water alkalinity and base-cation concentrations. -from Authors