| Autor: |
Lizhong Xia, Yonghong Wu, Ying Xu, Ren-Fang Shen, Xueqiang Zhao, Pengfei Sun, Renkou Xu, Jiuyu Li, Adrian Collins, Sichu Wang, Hongying Li, Mengning Gao, Philip Kerr |
| Rok vydání: |
2020 |
| Předmět: |
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| DOI: |
10.21203/rs.3.rs-134802/v1 |
| Popis: |
Large hydroelectric dams have provided extensive benefits in supporting human socio-economic development but their environmental footprint has come under increasing scrutiny. Lack of continued long-term monitoring of the environment remains a key constraint to the understanding of the correlation between dam operation and the environmental changes. Here we assess the impact of the Three Gorges Dam on upland soils in the reservoir area. By tracking the changing of pH value, a general indicator of soil health, over a period spanning nearly three decades before and after the dam construction, we observe continuous pH decline evidencing ongoing soil acidification. In addition to the intensive proton supply from applied fertilizers, the presence of the megaproject is believed to be a major driver of the accelerated soil acidification. Further analysis reveals that the shifts of microclimatic conditions as a result of the dam leads to the enhanced decomposition of organic species and the concomitant loss of exchangeable base cations, which contribute additional protons to soil and reduce soil acid-buffering capacity, respectively. Our findings identify the ecological impacts of the world’s largest dam and suggest the urgency to initiate environmental protection measures for improved sustainability. |
| Databáze: |
OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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