engleski

Nitrogen deposition measurement in Croatia and Slovenia

Forest condition is influenced by a multitude of stress factors, including air pollution and climatic factors. In Europe, forest condition is assessed by the International Cooperative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests) and EU regulation. In order to detect the influence of various stress factors the continuous monitoring on the plots throughout Europe is carried out. Croatia is participating with 7 Level II plots and Slovenia with 11 Level II plots. Climate change could influence the levels of acidity and nitrogen in forests. Exceedance of their critical loads describes the vulnerability of forests to environmental stress caused by anthropogenic impact. A critical load for nitrogen is exceeded on many plots in Europe. Following the ICP Forests methodology, annual bulk and throughfall deposition of nitrogen was calculated as the means of the yearly sums (kg ha-1 y-1) from 2008 to 2010 for two Level II plots. One plot is located in Croatia (Jastrebarski lugovi, 110) and the other in Slovenia (Murska šuma, 11), both at similar latitude and longitude, with similar age both dominated by Quercus robur L. (Pendeculate oak). The aims of this study are the following: (1) to identify differences in nitrogen deposition and precipitation between the sites and across time ; (2) to evaluate the nitrogen loads in Croatia and Slovenia (3) to compare actual and critical loads of the plot Preliminary results of this study showed that nitrogen loads for bulk and throughfall deposition is not exceeded the critical level on both plots. Therefore, it`s still not influencing the stress on in the Quercus robur L. forest ecosystem. The average nitrogen deposition is higher on plot 11 than on plot 110. The nitrogen deposition was the highest in 2008 on plot 110 and in 2009 on plot 11.

critical load; Croatia; ICP Forests; nitrogen deposition; Slovenia

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