Abstract
On the walls in Zagreb – Gornji grad, Pseudofumaria lutea (L.) Borkh. (= Corydalis lutea (L.) DC.), a new species in the Croatian flora, has been discovered.
Keywords
Pseudofumaria lutea, Croatian flora, new species
2000
Natura Croatica, Vol. 9 No.1
Abstract
The area studied follows the sharp geomorphological boundary at which an abrupt change occurs from a Mediterranean to a cold continental climate. The dominant soils are brown soils developed on limestone and melanosols developed on dolomite. Twenty five elements were analysed in the fine soil sample fraction (– 63(cid:1) m) by ICP-AES after total dissolution in a mixture of concentrated acids (HF, HCl, HNO3, HClO4). The topsoil geochemical data sets of both western Croatia and the national park were processed through R-mode factor analysis to determine the patterns of geochemical association among elements and to detect and identify possible anomalies of elements that could be associated with airborne contamination. A four-factor model accounted for 75 % of the total variance. The association of Pb, Zn, Cd, As and P was interpreted as associated with airborne contamination and acid rain deposition. The factor score map of the Pb-Zn-Cd-As-P association shows high positive scores located along the climate boundary that passes through Risnjak National Park and further to the southeast over Mt Velebit. Along this regional climate barrier, the deposition of airborne contaminants carried by westerly winds from both regional (NE Italy) and local (Rijeka, oil refineries and oil- and coal-fired power plants) sources evidently occurred. With the aid of factor analysis it was possible clearly to identify areas influenced by airborne pollution. Total lead concentrations detected at altitudes higher than 1050 m above sea level in the national park were higher than 80 ppm (maximum 139 ppm Pb) while the regional mean Pb concentration is 43 ppm. Also a stoichiometric approach was applied to compensate for the influence of the amount of the clay fraction by modeling soil geochemical baselines on the basis of the calculation of the Pb enrichment factor (EF). As a basis for these calculations, reference soils with the presumed least anthropogenic influence from the island of Mljet (78 samples) were used. In the area of Risnjak National Park approximately 20% of the samples have an Pb EF higher than 2, which can be considered polluted, while the whole region of Western Croatia (not including Istria) has less Croatian Natural History Museum, Demetrova 1, Zagreb, Croatia 42 Miko, S. et al.: Geochemical baseline mapping and lead pollution assessment of soils ... than 3% of Pb enriched samples. All the samples from the area of Mt Velebit contain Pb within the baseline range (EF < 2).
Keywords
acid rain, soils, airborne pollution, karst, geochemical baseline, lead, enrichment factor, Risnjak national park, Western Croatia
Abstract
The endangered rare xylarialean fungus Poronia punctata has been found recently in Croatia settling the Mediterranean grassland of the maritime slope of Mt. Biokovo (Dalmatia). In fungi conservation in Europe, this species is included in the high-level concern group – a group that is composed of the most endangered macrofungal species in Europe, having become extinct in many national areas. Therefore, any locality in which the species still occurs should be designated a locality of major biodiversity importance. Ecological observations, a brief description of the collection, as well as notes on conservation perspective of the species are given.
Keywords
Poronia punctata, conservation, ecology, morphology, Croatia
Abstract
Mycobioindication research was undertaken in the Kri` stream catchment area, so as to be able to evaluate current forest health. The forest cover within the area mainly consists of acidophilous fir forest. This study was a part of an Environmental Impact Assessment for a planned drinking water reservoir. The study area belongs to the Gorski kotar region (Croatia) which is subject to strong influence by air pollution from a nearby industrial region (Rijeka bay) and the remote transport of pollutants from heavily industrialised northern Italy. The decline of European silver fir forests in the area has been well documented in previous studies by various authors. For the needs of this research, spatial model of the hypothetical lead load distribution in the soil was extrapolated from a model developed for nearby Risnjak National Park. Plot design and spatial location were determined on the basis of this model. The research presented develops a rapid mycobioindication method, which yields results in line with those presented in the literature. Standardised late autumn fructifying ectomycorrhizal macromycete species with clear mycobioindicative values have been selected and analysed for species diversity and sporocarp productivity. This was done on five 2500 m2 plots distributed in such a way as to cover the whole range of the modelled hypothetical lead load levels. The observed mycobioindication showed a high correlation with the hypothetical lead load and fir defoliation. The spatial distribution of forest health proved to be highly mosaic, mainly as a result of the differing exposure of the spatially variable terrain to air pollution. The quality of the water supply from the future drinking water reservoir is highly dependent on the Croatian Natural History Museum, Demetrova 1, Zagreb, Croatia 16 Mato~ec, N. et al.: An estimate of fir forest health based on mycobioindication ... health of the forests within the catchment area. The method described enables water resource managers to undertake in and on-time remediation measures to protect catchment forest cover.
Keywords
ectomycorrhizal fungi, DEM, air pollution, hypothetical lead load, Abies alba, drink- ing water reservoir
Abstract
The model of spatial distribution of major forest types in Croatia was developed as a function of macroclimatic variables (monthly mean temperature, monthly precipitation, monthly mean global solar irradiation and monthly potential evapotranspiration) and variables derived from digital elevation model (terrain aspect and slope). Neural networks were used as modelling tool. The model was developed within the frame of a raster geographic information system with a spatial resolution of 300 × 300 m, and it was based on a forest vegetation map (in scale of 1 : 500000) and interpolation macroclimatic models. The agreement between modelled and mapped forest types was very good, which suggests a strong correlation between macroclimate and the main forest types in Croatia and high model reliability. The model was applied to the entire area of Croatia, aiming at the construction of the potential spatial distribution of major forest types. The model could be useful for reforestation planning and for prediction of vegetation succession under assumed climatic changes.
Keywords
air temperature, DEM, GIS, neural networks, potential evapotranspiration, potential vegetation map, precipitation, solar irradiation