Impact of fertilization on water resources in karst, example of research field site Sinji Vrh | Vpliv gnojenja na vodne vire na krasu, raziskovalni poligon Sinji vrh

English. A research field site (RFS) was established at Sinji Vrh in the western part of Slovenia in order to study flow and solute (particularly pollutant) transport in fractured and karstified rocks, with a focus on the unsaturated zone. RFS consists of surface set-up and a research tunnel, 15 m below the surface. Agrometeorological station was installed on the RFS. A special construction (1.5 m long segments) for collecting water seeping from the ceiling of the research tunnel was developed. At the research field site Sinji Vrh fertilizer application experiments were performed for estimation of impact of fertilization on water resources. Results of the fertiliser application experiments have shown that a thin autochtonous soil cover on karstic rock is insufficient to retain nitrate and prevent pollution of groundwater.

Slovenian. Terenski eksperimentalni poligon na Sinjem vrhu v zahodni Sloveniji je bilo urejeno za raziskave toka vode in prenosa snovi (predvsem onesnažil) v kraško - razpoklinskih kamninah, s poudarkom na nezasičeni coni. Terenski eksperimentalni poligon sestavljata površinski in podzemni del – predor 15 m pod površjem. Nad raziskovalnim rovom je bila nameščena agrometeorološka postaja. V raziskovalnem predoru je bilo nameščeno posebno ogrodje v 1.5 m dolgih segmentih za vzorčenje prenikle vode. Na terenskem eksperimentalnem poligonu je bil izveden poskus z mineralnimi gnojili z namenom ocenit vpliv gnojenja na vodne vire. Rezultati so pokazali, da je tanek sloj avtohotnih tal na površini kraške kamnine nezadostna zaščita pred onesnaževanjem podzemnih voda z nitrati.