International audience

International audience

peer reviewed

peer reviewed | The effects of enhanced (NH4)(2)SO4 (NS) deposition on Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst) fine root biomass, vitality and chemistry were investigated using root-free in-growth cores reproducing native organic and mineral soil horizons. The cores were covered and watered every 2 weeks with native throughfall or throughfall supplemented with NS to increase deposition by 75 kg ha(-1) a(-1) NH4+-N (86 kg ha(-1) a(-1) SO42--S). The in-growth cores were sampled after 19 months and assessed for root biomass, necromass, length, tip number, tip vitality and fine root chemistry. Root biomass and fine root aluminium (Al) concentration were negatively correlated, but NS deposition had no effect on root growth or root tip vitality. NS deposition caused increased fine root nitrogen (N) concentrations in the organic horizon and increased Calcium (Ca) concentrations in the mineral horizon. Fine root biomass was higher in the organic horizon, where fine root Al and potassium (K) concentrations were lower and Ca concentrations higher than in the mineral horizon. Results highlighted the importance of soil stratification on fine root growth and chemical composition.

International audience | Integrated assessment of climate change implies the construction of models describing the very complex interactions among economic processes, geochemical or geophysical phenomena and ecological processes at the Earth level. This attempt is unprecedented in the history of science. To build models of a unique, very large and extremely complex object, the whole Earth, supposes the definition of concepts allowing the comparison of these models through their structures and not only comparisons of their numerical results. The purpose of this paper is to give some preliminary elements of such a structural comparison.

Removal of natural organic matter from water was investigated using granulated activated carbon. Groundwater from northern Banat region (Serbia, Yugoslavia) was used. Samples of raw water and water after coagulation were ozonated and than GAC adsorption was performed. The investigation was carried out under the static conditions to determine the GAC adsorption capacity and kinetic coefficients.

In this investigation the applied method for lead determination in traces, from 10E-6 - 10E-10 mol/cubic dm, was Potentiometric Stripping Analysis (PSA). The main attribute of this method is possibility to detect very low metal concentrations. The investigation results of level concentration of lead into the top, natural and atmospheric water from some towns of Serbia (Yugoslavia), including city of Belgrade, are given. The investigation was carried out in some towns of Serbia (Yugoslavia), including city of Belgrade, during the 1994-1995.

Removal of natural organic matter (NOM) from groundwater by aluminium sulphate and polyaluminium chloride (PACl) was investigated. The maximal decrease of UV absorbance at 254 nm was near 70%. Decrease of permanganate value about 50% was achieved by PACl coagulation. Similar effect can be achieved using 2.5 fold higher concentration of aluminium sulphate. Coagulation process at pH 5.5 was successful with 3-5 times less concentration of coagulant. The heterogenous composition of NOM in water had been changing by coagulation. The total trihalomethane formation potential is 50-60% lower in coagulated water. The greatest removal was success for chloroform precursors.

During three years period from 1991 to 1994, investigation of the river Kolubara (Serbia, Yugoslavia) was carried out along 35 km of water course from Valjevo to Lajkovac. The macrozoobenthos community was composed of 117 determined taxa. Of the found taxa Oligochaeta were the most diverse with 40 taxa determined. The greatest diversity of macrozoobenthos community was foound at the river section in Valjevo, upstream the mouth of Gradac (69), while the community was most uniform downstream Valjevo at Bela Stena (24 taxa). A decrease as well as an increase in the macrozoobenthos diversity was not in accordance with similar decrease or increase in saprobic index values since they were in narrow range from 2.37 to 2.59.