The paper presents results of screening analysis of all Polish national parks (23) contamination with Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn on the basis of a three-level characteristic of heavy metal presence in Norway spruce stands: accumulation on the needle surface, concentration of heavy metals in spruce needles and concentration of bioavailable heavy metals in the soil. Based on the obtained results, the classification of forest ecosystem hazard in national parks with heavy metals was made using synthetic indicators. It was found out that Babiogórski, Magurski, Ojcowski and Gorczański National Parks, located in the southern part of the country, were the most polluted with heavy metals. It is probably due to a higher industrial activity in this part of Poland and the transboundary transport of air pollutants. A little lower level of pollution was observed in Kampinoski National Park located in the middle of the country. The concentration of heavy metals found in needles from national parks does not seem to be harmful for the health status of the trees. Statistically significant correlation between all parameters, which was found for cadmium--the most mobile of the analysed elements--shows that this metal can be proposed as a marker to reflect present effect of industrial emission on forests.
Sediments from the inflow of the river Tordera to the Mediterranean Sea (Catalonia, Spain) were examined for keratinolytic fungi. The horse hair baiting method was used. Out of 100 Petri dishes examined, 84 were found to be positive for keratinolytic fungi. Altogether, 169 of fungal strains belonging to 13 species were observed. Aphanoascusfulvescens (teleomorph+anamorph), Chrysosporium an. Arthroderma curreyi, Ch. keratinophilum, Ch. pannicola, Trichophyton ajelloi, and Ch. tropicum prevailed in the sediments. The qualitative and quantitative composition of keratinolytic fungi depended on both the natural and water pollution factors. The main factors influencing the keratinolytic mycoflora in sediments were: water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, dissolved substances, phosphates, ammonium, nitrates, fecal bacterial contamination, BOD5, and strong summer insolation associated with low water levels.
The purpose of this study was to describe changes in the deposition of air pollutants and the response of spruce trees in the period of 1998-2005. The investigation was carried out in twelve sites, mainly national parks. Air pollution level, that is, SO 2 , NO 2 , and O 3 concentrations in the air, as well as throughfall and soil solution chemical composition was analysed. The reaction of trees was described based on a stand health parameter, that is, defoliation. A decrease in the concentration of SO 2 and NO 2 in the investigated period was observed. In most of the analysed sites, ozone concentrations in the growing season exceeded the level regarded as harmful to plants. Annual loads of nitrogen and sulphur reaching the forest soil exceeded 10 kg/ha. The data collected for the analysed period confirmed that the health status of forests at the investigated sites did not show a general tendency towards improvement. Also, no dependency between the air pollution level and defoliation rate was found.
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