Hydrology and Earth System Sciences www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net 1027-5606 1607-7938 12 2 2008 10.5194/hess-12-415-2008 http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/12/415/2008/ http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/12/415/2008/hess-12-415-2008.html http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/12/415/2008/hess-12-415-2008.pdf 415 424 2008-03-05 What affects the nitrogen retention in Tatra Mountains lakes' catchments in Poland? D. Rzychoń rzychon@ietu.katowice.pl A. Worsztynowicz Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas, 6 Kossutha str., 40-844 Katowice, Poland The study of acidification and recovery of two lakes situated in the Polish Tatra Mountains, exposed to similar deposition of acidic substances but differing in altitude, catchment morphology, hydrology, and biodiversity is presented. Measurements were performed in 1992–1996 and 2001–2005. Simultaneously, research on the atmospheric deposition was carried out. The following physical and chemical parameters in lake water and precipitation were measured: pH, conductivity (K₂₅), Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, NH₄⁺, SO₄^2−, NO₃^−, Cl^− and alkalinity. Distinct changes in the chemical composition of precipitation were observed over 14 years (1992–2005). During this time the sulphate concentration decreased significantly, and the concentration of hydrogen ions in precipitation decreased at an average rate of 2.23 meq/m³/yr. There was no significant change in nitrate, ammonium or total nitrogen deposition. The chemical composition of water of both lakes changed significantly and showed signs of chemical recovery with decreases in sulphate concentration and increases in acid neutralising capacity. The concentration of base cations declined. Despite the lack of clear trends in nitrogen deposition, a statistically significant drop in concentration was observed in the two lakes. A significant increase of about 15% in the retention of nitrogen compounds in both catchments occurred. An improvement in nitrogen saturation status in both catchments was observed. This probably resulted mainly from decreasing acidification and global warming which prolongs the vegetative period, changes plant species composition and increases the microbiological activity of soil. Aber, J. D., Nadelhoffer, K. J., Steudler, P., and Melillo, J. M.: Nitrogen saturation in northern forest ecosystems, BioScience, 39, 378–386, 1989. Curtis, C. and Simpson, G. (Eds.): Summary of research under DETR contract "Acidification of freshwaters: the role of nitrogen and the prospects for recovery" EPG/1/3/117, Executive Summary, Research Report no 79, Environmental Change research Centre, University College London, 49 pp., 2001. Davies, J. J. L., Jenkins, A., Monteith, D. T., Evans, C. D., and Cooper, D. M.: Trends in surface chemistry of acidified UK Freshwaters, 1988–2002, Environ. Pollut., 137, 27–39, 2005. Dillon, P. L., Skjelkvåle, B. L., Somers, K. M., and Torseth, K.: Coherent responses of sulphate concentration in Norwegian lakes; relationship with sulphur deposition and climate indices, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 7, 596–608, 2003. EMEP: http://www.emep.int/index_data.html, last access: 20 February 2008, 2005. Evans, C. D. and Monteith, D. T.: Natural and anthropogenic changes in the chemistry of six UK mountain lakes, Water, Air Soil Pollut., 2, 33–46, 2002. Galloway, J. N., Norton, S. A., and Church, M. R.: Freshwater acidification from atmospheric deposition of sulphuric acid: A conceptual model, Environ. Sci. Technol., 17, 541–545, 1983. Gunn, J. M. (Ed.): Restoration and recovery of an industrial region, Springer, New York, 1985. Helsel, D. R. and Hirsch, R. M.: Statistical Methods in Water Resources. Studies in Environmental Science 49, Elsevier Science Publishers, p. 522, 1992. IMGW (Institute of Meteorology and Water Management): available at: http://www.imgw.pl, last access: 20 February 2008, 2005. % %Kopáèek, J., Stuchlik, E., Straskrabova, V., and Psenakova, P.: %Factors governing nutrient status of mountain lakes in the Tatra Mountains, %Freshwater Biology, 43, 369–389, 2000. % % %Kopáèek, J., Cosby, B. J., Majer, V., Stuchlik, E., and Vesel\'y, %J.: %Modelling reversibility of central European mountain lakes from %acidification: Part II – the Tatra Mountains, Hydrol. Earth Syst. %Sci., 7(4), 510–524, 2003. Kopáček, J., Stuchlik, E., and Wright, R. F.: Long-term trends and spatial variability in nitrate leaching from alpine catchment-lake ecosystems in the Tatra Mountains (Slovakia-Poland), Environ. Pollut., 136, 89–101, 2005. Kownacki, A., Galas, J., Dumnicka, E., and Mielewczyk, S.: Invertebrate communities in permanent and temporary high mountain lakes (Tatra Mts), Annals Limnol., 36(3) 181–188, 2000. % %Łajczak A., 1980. Fluctuation of water levels in some Tatra lakes (in %Polish). \textitWszechswiat, 12, 285–287. Łajczak A.: Precipitation and runoff in the polish Tatra in the light of long-term measurements, Geographic Journal LIX, 2, 137–170, 1988 (in Polish). Lydersen, E., Rzycho\'n, D., Worsztynowicz, A., Tørseth, K., Hanssen, J. E., Mill, W. A., Kot, M., Henriksen, A., and Wathne, B. M.: Critical loads of acidity to lakes in the Polish Tatra Mountains, Final report, Report 44/1997, NIVA, Oslo, 49 pp., 1997. Niedzielska, B., Wilczyñski, S., and Wasik, R.: The analysis of changes in the wood tissue of the beech (Fagus silvatica) in Tatra mountains in years 1931–1992, in: Przemiany œrodowiska przyrodniczego Tatr. PTPNoZ. Zakopane-Krakow, 209–212, 2002 (in Polish). Nied\'zwied\'z, T.: Long-term variability of air temperature and precipitation in the Tatra Mountains. Proceedings of the 1st Polish Conference on The Tatra National Park Nature and Man, Present state and perspectives of future Tatra investigation, Zakopane, 6–9 October 1995, 161–163, 1996. Nied\'zwied\'z, T.: Summer temperature patterns over the Tatra Mountains (Central Europe) from 1550 to 2004, Presentation at The 5th Annual Meeting of the European Meteor Society, 12–16 September 2005, Utrecht, The Netherlands, available at: http://www.cosis.net/abstracts/EMS05/00422/EMS05-A-00422.pdf, last access: 20 February 2008, 2005. Oleksynowa, K.: Geochemical characterization of the waters in the Tatra Mountains, Acta Hydrobiologica, 12(1), 100 pp., 1970 (in Polish). Otr\cebska-Starklowa, B., Trepi\'nska, J., Nied\'zwied\'z, T., and Bednarz, Z.: Trends of climatic change in the Polish Tatra Mountains, Proceedings of the 1st Polish Conference on The Tatra National Park Nature and Man, Present state and perspectives of future Tatra investigation, Zakopane, 6–9 October 1995, 168–171, 1996 (in Polish). Rogora, M., Mosello, R., and Arisci, S.: The effect of climatic warming on the hydrology of alpine lakes, Water Air Soil Pollut., 148, 347–361, 2003. Rzycho\'n, D.: Impact of acid precipitation on acidification of the Tatra lakes, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu \'Sl\caskiego, Katowice, 132 pp., 1998 (in Polish). Sickman, J. O., Leydecker, A., and Melack, J. M.: Nitrogen mass balances and abiotic controls on N retention and yield in high-elevation catchments of the Sierra Nevada, California, United States, Water Resour. Res., 37(5), 1445–1461, 2001. Skiba, S.: Studia nad glebami wytworzonymi w ró\.znych pi\cetrach klimatyczno-ro\'slinnych krystalicznej cz\ce\'sci Tatr Polskich, Roczniki Gleboznawcze T. XXVIII, Nr 1, Warszawa 1977, 205–239, 1977 (in Polish). Skjelkvåle, B. L., Stoddard, J., Jeffries, D., Tørseth, K., Høgåsen, T., Bowman, J., Mannio, J., Monteith, D., Mosello, R., Rogora, M., Rzycho\'n, D., Vesel\'y, J., Wieting, J., Wilander, A., and Worsztynowicz, A.: Regional scale evidence for improvements in surface water chemistry 1990–2001, Environ. Pollut., 137, 165–176, 2005. Sommaruga-Wögrath, S., Koinig, K. A., Schmidt, R., Sommaruga, R., Tessadri, R., and Psenner, R.: Temperature effects on the acidity of remote alpine lakes, Nature, 387, 64–67, 1997. Stoddard, J. L.: Long-Term Changes in Watershed Retention of Nitrogen, Its Causes and Aquatic Consequences, Advances in Chemistry Series No. 237, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 223–284, 1994. Stoddard, J. L. and Traaen, T. S.: The stages of nitrogen saturation: Classification of catchments included in "ICP on waters", in: Mapping and modeling of critical loads for nitrogen – a workshop report, edited by: Horning, M., Sutton, M. A., and Wilson, R. B., 69–76, Proceedings of Grange-over-Sands Workshop, 24–26 October 1994, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Edinburgh, UK, 1995. Stoddard, J. L., Jeffries, D. S., Lükewille, A., Forsius, M., Mannio, J., and Wilander, A.: Environmental chemistry – is acidification still an ecological threat?, Reply, Nature, 407, 857–858, 2000. Szafer, W.: The Tatra National Park, Zakład Ochrony Przyrody PAN Kraków, 675 pp., 1962 (in Polish). Trafas, K.: Atlas of the Tatra National Park, Wojskowe Zakady Kartograficzne, Zakopane – Kraków, 1985. Vesel\'y, J., Hruska, J., Norton, S. A., and Johnson, C. E.: Trends in the chemistry of acidified Bohemian lakes from 1984 to 1995. I. Major solutes, Water Air Soil Pollut., 108(1–2), 107–127, 1998. Vesel\'y, J., Majer, V., and Norton, S. A.: Heterogeneous response of central European streams to decreased acidic atmospheric deposition, Environ. Pollut., 120(2), 275–281, 2002. Vesel\'y, J., Majer, V., Kopáček, J., and Norton, S. A.: Increasing temperature decreases aluminium concentrations in Central European lakes recovering from acidification, Limnol. Oceanogr., 48(6), 2346–2354, 2003. % %Warfvinge, P., Mörth, M., and Moldan, F.: Recovery from Acidification %in the Natural Environment. Present Knowledge and Future Scenarios. Swedish %Environmental Protection Agency, Trelleborg, 2000. W\ce\.zyk, P. and Guzik, M.: The use of "Photogrammetry-GIS" (P-GIS) for the analysis of changes in the Tatra Mountains natural Environment, in: A message from the Tatra, edited by: Widacki, W., Bytnerowicz, A., and Riebau, A., Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing in Mountain Environmental Research, Institute of Geography and Spatial Management Jagiellonian University, USDA Forest Service, Kraków, Poland, Riverside, California, USA, 31–46, 2004. Wright, R. F., Alewell, C., Cullen, J. M., Evans, C .D., Marchetto, A., Moldan, F., Prechtel, A., and Rogora, M.: Trends in nitrogen deposition and leaching in acid- sensitive stream in Europe, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 5, 299–309, 2001.