Ratko Kadovic

ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION EFFECTS ON AGRICULTURAL SOIL ACIDIFICATION STATE - KEY STUDY: KRUPANJ MUNICIPALITY

Abstract Acidification, as a form of soil degradation is a process that leads to permanent reduction in the quality of soil as the most important natural resource. The process of soil acidification, which in the first place implies a reduction in soil pH, can be caused by natural processes, but also considerably accelerated by the anthropogenic influence of excessive S and N emissions, uncontrolled deforestation, and intensive agricultural processes. Critical loads, i.e. the upper limit of harmful depositions (primarily of S and N) which will not cause damages to the ecosystem, were determined in Europe under the auspices of the Executive Committee of the CLRTAP in 1980. These values represent the basic indicators of ecosystem stability to the process of acidification. This paper defines the status of acidification for the period up to 2100 in relation to the long term critical and target loading of soil with S and N on the territory of Krupanj municipality by applying the VSD model. The Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) geostatistic module was used as the interpolation method. Land management, particularly in areas susceptible to acidification, needs to be focused on well-balanced agriculture and use of crops/seedlings to achieve the optimum land use and sustainable productivity for the projected 100-year period.

Land Sensitivity Analysis of Degradation using MEDALUS model : Case Study of Deliblato Sands, Serbia

Abstract This paper studies the assessment of sensitivity to land degradation of Deliblato sands (the northern part of Serbia), as a special nature reserve. Sandy soils of Deliblato sands are highly sensitive to degradation (given their fragility), while the system of land use is regulated according to the law, consisting of three zones under protection. Based on the MEDALUS approach and the characteristics of the study area, four main factors were considered for evaluation: soil, climate, vegetation and management. Several indicators affecting the quality of each factor were identified. Each indicator was quantified according to its quality and given a weighting of between 1.0 and 2.0. ArcGIS 9 was utilized to analyze and prepare the layers of quality maps, using the geometric mean to integrate the individual indicator map. In turn, the geometric mean of all four quality indices was used to generate sensitivity of land degradation status map. Results showed that 56.26% of the area is classified as critical; 43.18% as fragile; 0.55% as potentially affected and 0.01% as not affected by degradation. The values of vegetation quality index, expressed as coverage, diversity of vegetation functions and management policy during the protection regime are clearly represented through correlation coefficient (0.87 and 0.47).

Organic carbon stock in some forest soils in Serbia.

The content of organic carbon (C) was researched in topsoil layers (0-20 cm) in the most represented soils of forest ecosystems in central Serbia: eutric ranker, eutric cambisol and dystric cambisol. The soils were sampled during 2003, 2004 and 2010. Laboratory analyses included the soil physical and chemical properties necessary for the quantification of the soil organic carbon in organic and mineral layers. Mean values of the soil organic carbon (SOC) stores in organic horizons of the study soils varied between: 1.01±0.4 kg(C).m-2 (dystric cambisol), 0.90±0.41 kg(C).m-2 (eutric ranker) and 0.94±0.36 kg(C).m-2 (eutric cambisol). Average values of organic carbon in mineral layers (0-20 cm) ranged between: 3.83±1.70 kg(C).m-2 (dystric cambisol), 6.26±3.41 kg(C).m-2 (eutric ranker) and 4.36±1.91 kg(C).m-2 (eutric cambisol). The average value of total organic carbon stock in the study soils (both organic and mineral layers) was 5.77 kg(C).m-2. This paper addresses the methodological aspects of regional estimation of soil organic carbon content as the potential to be applied in the National Forest Inventory Program.

Heavy metals in the organic soil layer of beech forests in Serbia

During the last decades, forest ecosystems have been strongly exposed to the effect of different harmful pollutants, especially from the atmosphere. Harmful substances from the air, in addition to the direct effect on forest trees, also deposit in the soil, and have an adverse effect on soil chemistry and pedogenetic processes. The results of previous studies in Serbia (Kadovic, Kneževic, 2002, 2004) show some specificities regarding the accumulation and migration of heavy metals in the soil. The highest concentrations were found in the layers of forest litter and in the surface organo-mineral horizons. This paper presents the results of the study of heavy metal contents (Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, Cd, Pb, Ni and Cr) in the organic horizon (forest litter) of beech forests in Serbia. The study of the heavy metal content in the organic horizon (forest litter) is very significant primarily in the aim of monitoring the trend of their migration through the soil profile and the effect on the soil properties and genesis. The soil quality in beech forests in Serbia was assessed within the Project ICP Forest, Level I, by the methodology UN/ECE-EC, 2000.