Temporal and Spatial Changes in Spruce Bark Acidity at the Scale of the Czech Republic in the Last Two Decades,and the Current Abundance of Epiphytic Lichen Hypogymnia physodes

Two large-scale national monitoring campaigns investigating changes in spruce bark extract acidity and long-term monitoring of bark acidity along elevation transects have been carried out in the Czech Republic. The investigations have revealed significant average changes in the pH values of bark extracts (4 g: 16 ml) from 2.35 to 2.60 between 1989 and 1995, and from 2.60 to 3.25 between 1995 and 2005. In comparison with 1990, the H⁺ concentrations in bark extracts had decreased by 10–15% in 1995 and by 70% in 2005. National emissions of acidic compounds were reduced by about 58% (1995) and 62% (2005), and the mean annual H⁺ deposition was reduced by about 60% (1995) and by about 80% (2005). However, neither inventoried current absolute amounts nor specific regional amounts of emitted acidic pollutants correlated significantly with bark acidity in 1995 and 2005. Bark acidity was not significantly affected by the elevation of the sampling plots or by the average tree defoliation. Along the altitudinal transects, considerably defoliated trees near the top of mountain ridges showed permanently lower bark acidity than trees lower down the mountain slopes. Significant differences in average bark acidity were found between defined mountain, highland and lowland elevation zones. In 2005, the epiphytic lichen Hypogymnia physodes was found at almost all sampling plots, with the exception of the most industrialised areas of two coal basins. The abundance of the lichen correlated significantly and negatively with spruce bark acidity and with total nitrogen and copper concentrations in moss growing at the bark sampling plots in 2005.