Flood events play a substantial role in the circulation of catchment phosphate (PO 4 3À ). The purpose of the research was to analyze the factors determining PO 4 3À hysteresis patterns (direction and width) during four types of floods: short and long rainfall floods and snowmelt floods on frozen and thawed soil. The research took place in small catchments (forested, agricultural, mixed-use) in the Carpathian Foothills in Poland. Anticlockwise hysteresis was identified in the forested catchment during short and long rainfall floods. Under the same conditions, the clockwise direction was observed in the agricultural catchment. In the mixed-use catchment, the direction of PO 4 3À hysteresis loops was various, driven by the share of water flowing from each part of the catchment. For snowmelt floods, the PO 4 3À hysteresis pattern was similar in all the streams studied (usually clockwise). The direction of PO 4 3À hysteresis loops depends on water circulation patterns, which are determined by the different influx times of particular runoff components. The stream recharge mechanism during a flood event is affected both by the factor initiating the event (precipitation, snowmelt) as well as by land use in the given catchment. Hysteresis loop width was determined by the pool of PO 4 3À in a given catchment during the time period immediately preceding a flood event as well as by the quantity of PO 4 3À flushed out of the soil. The greater a catchment's pool of PO 4 3À and the greater its ability to flush PO 4 3À out of the soil and into surface flow, the wider the hysteresis loops. a i a -floods caused by short rainfalls, i b -floods caused by long rainfalls, ii asnowmelt and rain-on-snow events with the soil frozen, ii bsnowmelt and rain-on-snow events with the soil thawed. nnumber of samples. 3680 J. SIWEK, J. P. SIWEK AND M. ŻELAZNY

Research has shown that the distribution of springs in flysch areas is affected by complex determinants consisting of interdependent geological and morphological factors. The most important factor appears to be the layering of rocks relative to the slope of the given mountain, which affects both the number and discharge of springs. Some springs arise due to tectonic faults and fractures. In addition, the very presence of any slope positively affects the probability of the occurrence of a spring in a given area.

Organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the soils of the High Arctic play an important role in the context of global warming, biodiversity, and richness of tundra vegetation. The main aim of the present study was to determine the content and spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (Ntot), and total phosphorus (Ptot) in the surface horizons of Arctic soils obtained from the lower part of the Fuglebekken catchment in Spitsbergen as an example of a small non-glaciated catchment representing uplifted marine terraces of the Svalbard Archipelago. The obtained results indicate that surface soil horizons in the Fuglebekken catchment show considerable differences in content of SOC, Ntot, and Ptot. This mosaic is related to high variability of soil type, local hydrology, vegetation (type and quantity), and especially location of seabird nesting colony. The highest content of SOC, Ntot, and Ptotoccurs in soil surface horizons obtained from sites fertilized by seabird guano and located along streams flowing from the direction of the seabird colony. The content of SOC, Ntot, and Ptotis strongly negatively correlated with distance from seabird colony indicating a strong influence of the birds on the fertility of the studied soils and indirectly on the accumulation of soil organic matter. The lowest content of SOC, Ntot, and Ptotoccurs in soil surface horizons obtained from the lateral moraine of the Hansbreen glacier and from sites in the close vicinity of the lateral moraine. The content of Ntot, Ptot, and SOC in soil surface horizons are strongly and positively correlated with one another,i.e.the higher the content of nutrients, the higher the content of SOC. The spatial distribution of SOC, Ntot, and Ptotin soils of the Hornsund area in SW Spitsbergen reflects the combined effects of severe climate conditions and periglacial processes. Seabirds play a crucial role in nutrient enrichment in these weakly developed soils.

The aim of the study is to assess the capacity of the flysch aquifer feeding springs in the Outer Eastern Carpathians using spring recession curves. The four selected springs are located in an area generally believed to be poor in groundwater. However, the selected springs were characterized by remarkably high average discharge of 3.2–9.6 L s−1. Recession coefficients were estimated which enabled an aquifer capacity and groundwater residence time assessment. Despite similarities in elevation, precipitation, and lithology in the study area, a substantial variation in the recession coefficients and aquifer parameters was found. The average aquifer capacity of groundwater subsystems strongly varied in the small study area (4.9–49 m3 × 103). The mean groundwater residence time varied from 11 days to 50 days depending on the volume of groundwater drained by the springs. Differences in discharge, recession coefficients, groundwater capacity, and residence time were related to recharge areas of different size. Simple relationships between the topographic catchment areas of springs and their hydrologic parameters can become altered by local structural features: faults and fissures. The study demonstrates that tectonically produced structures may facilitate a larger supply of groundwater and the occurrence of high-discharge springs in a given area.