Contemporary habitat and floristic changes in the Sudeten Mts

Abstract

The authors present the view that in the Sudeten for fourty years paralelly eutrophication and acidification processes are taking place, as a result of industrial emissions. This view is based on results of bioindication studies on pollution and accumulation of sulphur, nitrogen and heavy metals. At the same time, after 30 years, vegetation and floristic changes were investigated on permanent plots on the Śnieżnik and in the Karkonosze Mts. In most habitats a decrease of pH over 1.0 has been recorded, even in areas with calcium bedrock. Acid rains containing a lot of nitrates contribute to the fertilization of most of the ecosystems. The yearly fall of total nitrogen in the Sudeten ranges from 38 kg in the Karkonosze, to 59 kg/ha on the Śnieżnik, of nitrates - from 380 to 900 ppm/year, and sulphur, on the average, 1300 ppm/year in the whole Sudeten. The acidification of soil causes the inaccessibility of alcaline elements (magnesium, calcium) and mobilization of harmful for plants aluminium. Overfertilization of habitats, the lack of calcium and magnesium and the excess of aluminium cause unfavourable alterations in all phytocenoses in the Sudeten. The high mountain forests are particularly suffering, but also the high mountain vegetation and above all the subalpine swards exposed to acid rains. Examples of plant species which adapt themselves to the new ecological conditions, and mountain plants which reduce their range are given. In general, the typical mountain flora and vegetation of the Sudeten is endangered in the existing ecological conditions.