Effect of deforestation on stream water chemistry in the Skrzyczne massif (the Beskid Śląski Mountains in southern Poland)

Abstract The purpose of the study was to identify the factors affecting stream water chemistry in the small mountain catchments deforested to varying degrees, from 98.7 to 14.1%, due to long-term acid deposition. Water samples were collected monthly in 2013 and 2014 from 17 streams flowing across three distinct elevation zones in the Skrzyczne massif (Poland): Upper, Middle and Lower Forest Zone. Chemical and physical analyses, including the pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total mineral content (M t ), water temperature, and the concentrations of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na + , K + , HCO 3 − , SO 4 2 − , Cl − , and NO 3 − , were conducted. Based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the most important factor affecting water chemistry was human impact associated with changes in pH, SO 4 2 − concentration, and the concentration of most of the main ions. The substantial acidity of the studied environment contributed to the exclusion of natural factors, associated with changes in discharge, from the list of major factors revealed by PCA. All of the streams were characterized by very low EC, M t , and low concentrations of the main ions such as Ca 2+ and HCO 3 − . This is the effect of continuous leaching of solutes from the soils by acidic precipitation. The lowest parameter values were measured for the streams situated in the Upper Forest Zone, which is associated with greater acid deposition at the higher elevations. In the streams located in the Upper Forest Zone, a higher percentage of SO 4 2 − occurred than in the streams situated in the Middle and Lower Forest Zones. However, the largest share of SO 4 2 − was measured in the most deforested catchment. The saturation of the studied deforested catchment with sulfur compounds is reflected by a positive correlation between SO 4 2 − and discharge. Hence, a forest acts as a natural buffer that limits the level of acidity in the natural environment caused by acidic atmospheric deposition.