![Sample our Earth Sciences journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5930/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Earth-Sciences.jpg"})
Abstract
A comparative analysis of forest precipitation depositions was performed using pine tree barks as biomonitoring tools and throughfall collectors in pine stands at various test sites in eastern Germany. For the elements sulfate sulfur (SO4-S), nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N), calcium (Ca), and iron (Fe), regression equations with r2 values between 0.81 and 0.96 were derived, enabling yearly conversion of bark loads to throughfall rates (TFRs) in pine stands (g*m-2*year-1).
Applying this method to a network of 53 measuring sites in Dübener Heide nature park, north of Leipzig, lead to discovering spatial patterns of TFRs for SO4-S, NO3-N, and NH4-N in 1994. Differences between the TFRs of sulfur and nitrogen were traced back to different emission sources and the temporal trend related to major infrastructural changes in that region since 1990. Results suggest that the bark method will be particularly suited to identifying forest precipitation depositions of ecotoxicologically relevant airborne pollutants on regional scales.