Abstract
The paper is focused on the evaluation of long-term changes in the chemical composition of precipitation in the mountain forests of Slovakia. Two stations with long-term measurements of precipitation quality were selected, namely the station of the EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme) network Chopok (2008 m a.s.l.) and the station of the ICP Forests (International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests) network Poľana-Hukavský grúň (850 m a.s.l.). All basic chemical components were analyzed, namely sulfur (S-SO4), nitrogen (N-NH4, N-NO3), and base cations (Ca, Mg, and K) contained in precipitation. The time changes of the individual components were statistically evaluated by the Mann–Kendall test and Kruskal–Wallis test. The results showed significant declining trends for almost all components, which can significantly affect element cycles in mountain forest ecosystems. The evaluated forty one-year period (1987 to 2018) is characterized by significant changes in the precipitation regime in Slovakia and the obtained results indicate possible directions in which the quantity and quality of precipitation in the mountainous areas of Slovakia will develop with ongoing climate change.
Highlights
IntroductionThe Implementing Protocols have been progressively adopted to this Convention which, among other things, has been designated by the parties to the Convention to reduce the anthropogenic emissions of pollutants involved in global environmental problems
The Slovak Republic is a party of the UN ECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe)Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution
The long-term changes of chemical composition of atmospheric precipitation depends on many factors, but the decisive factors are changes in air pollutant emissions as well as changes in meteorological processes affecting their transformation into a liquid phase in clouds and precipitation [30,31]
Summary
The Implementing Protocols have been progressively adopted to this Convention which, among other things, has been designated by the parties to the Convention to reduce the anthropogenic emissions of pollutants involved in global environmental problems. The Global Environment Report in Europe [1], published by the European. 1990, mainly in Central and Eastern Europe due to economic restructuring. Water 2020, 12, 2920 in most European ecosystems, there is no further acidification, but there are a number of risk areas, especially in Central Europe [2,3,4]. The need of evaluation of the extent and distribution of pollutants over Europe initiated “The co-operative programme for monitoring and evaluation of the long-range transmission of air pollutants in Europe” (unofficially “European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme” = EMEP)
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