Is acid rain impacting the Sudetic lakes?
The diatoms and Cladocera (Crustacea) remains from two lakes in the Sudets Mountains were analyzed to indicate an influence of acidification induced by anthropogenic factors during the last 150 years. The border area of the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland, the so-called "Black Triangle", has been strongly impacted by developed industry for several decades. The most visible effect of this process is the destruction of mountain forests in the region by acid rains. The diatom communities of Mały Staw and Wielki Staw show that acid rain has strongly affected water biota. Diatom-inferred pH reconstruction suggests major acidification during the last two decades. This process was controlled mainly by anthropogenic factors. Cladoceran records also presented changes of dominant taxa in this period and point to significant changes in living conditions. The discovery of a pH decrease during the last decade is contradictory to emissions data that suggest decrease in industrial pollution.
Sienkiewicz
Elwira
E
Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw, Poland. esienkie@twarda.pan.pl
Gasiorowski
Michał
M
Hercman
Helena
H
D015258:Acid Rain; D000818:Animals; D033361:Cladocera / Q000145:classification; D017377:Diatoms / Q000145:classification; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000266:history*; D005618:Fresh Water; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D011044:Poland
D015258:Acid Rain; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes