Lysina & Pluhuv Bor catchments - Czechia

The study is focused on element fluxes, pools, wet and dry deposition, internal cycling in trees, soil exchange processes, chemical weathering, nutritional status of trees and toxic metals speciation assessments, modeling predictions of hydrological, hydrochemical, hydrobiological and soil chemical status. The catchments studied are situated 7 km apart, within a large Norway spruce (Picea abies) forest on a plateau in the Protected Landscape Area Slavkov Forest, near Mariánské Lázně. The catchments have similar altitude, area, topography, air temperature, atmospheric deposition fluxes, and tree cover, but contrasting bedrocks and soils. The granite Lysina catchment represents sites with acid-vulnerable base-poor rock, extremely poor in magnesium (Mg). In constrast, the serpentine Pluhův Bor catchment represents sites with highly acid-resistant rock, extremely rich in Mg. At Lysina, Mg in spruce foliage is deficient and consequent acidification symptoms of needle-yellowing are visible. Annual increment of spruce bole biomass at Pluhuv Bor is low and attributed to potassium and phosphorus deficiency and nickel (Ni) toxicity due to the substrate. Streamwater at Pluhův Bor exhibited high pH, alkalinity, and very high concentrations of Mg, Ni and chromium. Very low pH, negative alkalinity and elevated concentrations of toxic forms of aluminum mobilized from soils by acidification were found in the stream draining Lysina. Contrasting streamwater compositions in the studied catchments were generated mainly by large differences in chemical weathering (Krám et al. 2012, Appl.Geoch., 27: 1854).