It represents the chemistry of the rain reaching the open ground or the top of the forest canopy. Throughfall is the critical component to the forest ecosystem as it is the chemistry of this rainfall that affects plant and animal life. These concentrations can be classified as acidic. The pH of throughfall was higher compared to dustfall for all ten forests. An increase in pH occurs when acidic neutralizing nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium are picked up by rainfall.
Data represent the volume-weighted average of weekly collections.
Samples are sent to Trent University for chemical analysis. Dustfall and throughfall fluxes are determined as the product of elemental concentration and rainfall volume, and extrapolated to a per-hectare basis. So far, chemical analysis of rainfall has indicated a general net loss of nutrients from the forest canopy. When these nutrients reach the forest floor, acid rain may remove them from the soil and cause a nutrient loss to the ecosystem. The removal of essential nutrients from the forest ecosystem affects soil microbes, insects, trees, wildflowers, birds, amphibians, and other wildlife inhabiting the forest.