engleski

An estimate of fir forest health based on mycobioindication: the Križ stream catchment area, Gorski kotar, Croatia, a case study

Mycobioindication research was undertaken in the Križ stream catchment area, so as to be able to evaluate current forest health. The forest cover within the area mainly consists of acidophilous fir forest. This study was a part of an Environmental Impact Assessment for a planned drinking-water reservoir. The study area belongs to the Gorski kotar region (Croatia) which is subject to strong influence by air pollution from a nearby industrial region (Rijeka bay) and the remote transport of pollutants from heavily industrialised northern Italy. The decline of Europaean silver fir forests in the area has been well documented in previous studies by various authors. For the needs of this research, spatial model of the hypothetical lead load distribution in the soil was extrapolatedfrom a model developed for nearby Risnjak National Park. Plot design and spatial location were determined on the basis of this model. The research presented develops a rapid mycobioindication method, which yields results in line with those presented in the literature. Standardised late autumn fructifying ectomycorrhizal macromycete species with clear mycobioindicative values have been selected and analysed for species diversity and sporocarp productivity. This was done on five 2500 sq. m plots distributed in such a way to cover the whole range of the modelled hypothetical lead load levels. The observed mycobioindication showed a high correlation with the hypothetical lead load and fir defoliation. The spatial distribution of forest health proved to be highly mosaic, mainly as a result of the differing exposure of the spatially variable terrain to air pollution. The quality of the water supply from the future drinking-water reservoir is highly dependent on the health of the forests within the catchment area. The method described enables water resource managers to undertake in and on-time remediation measures to protect catchment forest cover.

ectomycorrhizal fungi; DEM; air pollution; hypothetical lead load; Abies alba; drinking-water reservoir

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