Throughfall chemistry and atmospheric deposition in a Norway spruce - Subalpine climax forest in the Pol'ana Biosphere reserve, Slovakia

Abstract

This work deals with chemistry of precipitation and atmospheric deposition in a climax spruce stand in the Pol'ana Mts. Vertical precipitation and throughfall was sampled on the research plot Predná Pol'ana in years 2004-2006. Precipitation was collected from two plots - a spruce forest stand and open area. The purpose of our work was to interpret the chemical-physical characteristics of vertical precipitation (pH, electric conductivity), to determine concentrations of selected chemical substances (SO4 2-, NO3-, K+, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, NH4+) and to evaluate the wet atmospheric depositions of main elements (H+, S, N and alkaline elements). We observed increasing precipitation acidity and significant pollution more enriching stand precipitation than the open area. The pH values in throughfall ranged from 3.43 to 6.09, in lysimetric waters from 3.29 to 5.86 and in open area from 4.9 to 6.42. The results show an increase in pH values, and decrease in all the followed elements and substances in both concentration and deposition, both on the open plot and in the stand.