Impact of regeneration cutting on sulphate concentration and amount in throughfall water in conditions of submontane beech forests in the Western Carpathians Mts

Abstract

This work summarises the values of amount and concentration of SO 42– , measured in precipitation totals on open plot and in throughfall in submontane beech forests in the Kremnické vrchy Mts, Western Carpathians Mts over a 4-year research period. The measurements were carried out in beech forest stands with stocking density modified (reduced) to various degrees in years 1989 and 2004 by regeneration cutting. The maximum concentration of SO 42– was recorded on the former clear cut: 33.34 mg l –1 in year 2002. The lowest value of 6.57 mg l –1 was obtained in year 2005 on the partial plot subjected to intensive intervention leading to the stocking density of 0.3. Higher sulphate concentration values was recorded in the autumn and winter, the lower ones in the spring and summer. No inter-annual differences in S-SO 42– content and concentration have
been confirmed.