title: Trace elements and nitrogen content in naturally growing moss Hypnum cupressiforme in urban and peri-urban forests of the Municipality of Ljubljana (Slovenia).
abstract: We monitored trace metals and nitrogen using naturally growing moss Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. in urban and peri-urban forests of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. The aim of this study was to explore the differences in atmospheric deposition of trace metals and nitrogen between urban and peri-urban forests. Samples were collected at a total of 44 sites in urban forests (forests within the motorway ring road) and peri-urban forests (forests outside the motorway ring road). Mosses collected in urban forests showed increased trace metal concentrations compared to samples collected from peri-urban forests. Higher values were significant for As, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl and V. Within the motorway ring road, the notable differences in element concentrations between the two urban forests were significant for Cr, Ni and Mo. Factor analysis showed three groups of elements, highlighting the contribution of traffic emissions, individual heating appliances and the resuspension of contaminated soils and dust as the main sources of trace elements in urban forests.
authors.affiliation: Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berisha
authors.affiliation: Department of Forest and Landscape Planning and Monitoring, Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia. mitja.skudnik@gozdis.si.
authors.forename: M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4120-6748
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skudnik
authors.affiliation: Department of Forest Ecology, Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Vilhar
authors.affiliation: Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Takovska 43, Belgrade, 11000, Serbia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sabovljević
authors.affiliation: Department of Forest Yield and Silviculture and Department of Forest Physiology and Genetics, Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zavadlav
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jeran
mesh_terms: D019068:Bryopsida / Q000737:chemistry*; D002947:Cities; D065928:Forests; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D017524:Slovenia; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Biomonitoring; Elemental analysis; Factor analysis; Heavy metals; ICP-MS; Ljubljana; Traffic emissions