Bulk deposition and aerosol-gaseous input of elements in the forested area of a coastal region [Pomerania, North Poland]

The study was conducted in the region of Pomerania in North Poland (Człuchów Forest) 85 km south-east from the coast of the Baltic Sea, in the growing season (April–October) 2001–2002. Using collectors with artificial leaves of known surface areas (2, 4 and 6 m² m⁻²), the aerosol-gaseous input was determinated in addition to element input into standard rain collectors. It was found, that input of Ca²⁺ was the highest (mean 772 g ha⁻¹ month⁻¹), followed by N-NH₄⁺, S-SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻, N-NO₃⁻, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and P-PO₄³⁻, while the input of H⁺ was the lowest (mean 5g ha⁻¹ month⁻¹). The input of great majority of elements clearly increased with surface area of the artificial leaves (Na⁺, N-NH₄⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, N-NO₃⁻, S-SO₄²). In general, with the increase of artificial leaves area from 0 to 10 m² m⁻² (Q₁₀ index), the rise of input varied from 1.72 (S-SO₄²⁻) to 2.26 (Cl⁻). The process did not take places only for Ca²⁺, P-PO₄³⁻, H+, atmospheric water, and dust. These tendencies occurred in both two years of studies, and the differences of the results were small. Atmospheric input of elements in the Człuchów Forest was relatively small comparing to other parts of Poland. As far as the aerosol-gaseous fraction of input was concerned, the greatest role had the elements related to aerosol of seawater origins, like chlorine, sodium and magnesium.