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The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of weathering processes on the distribution of n-alkanes in unweathered and weathered samples of badland material. Organic matter (OM) of both the weathered and unweathered zones in badland environments is derived from the same sources such any differences between the n-alkane pattern of the two zones can be attributed to the impact of weathering processes under different climate conditions. Organic geochemical and mineralogical characterizations were employed to investigate twenty-one samples from weathered badland environments in Italy, Spain, and Canada that originally derive from marine, distal alluvial, and fluvial depositional settings, respectively. According to the distribution of n-alkanes and diterpanes, unweathered samples from Italy have an original mixed aquatic-terrestrial origin of OM, with a variable (low to moderate) contribution of terrestrial plants as precursors, while unweathered samples from Spain predominantly contain OM originating from submerged/ floating macrophytes deposited under reducing conditions. Unweathered samples from Canada predominantly consist of terrigenous OM. Intensity of changes in n-alkanes distribution when subjected to weathering depends on the type of precursor biomass and quantity of smectite. Predominantly terrigenous OM under semi-arid conditions shows the highest affinity for adsorption is in contact with smectite surfaces. Mid- and long-chain odd n-alkanes have a tendency to build colloidal particles with polar organic compounds such as fatty acids by strong binding and thus their preservation from degradation is possible.

This study aims to determine the palaeoenvironmental characteristics and activity patterns of Obrovac-type archaeological sites in Western Serbia, dated to the Late Neolithic/Early Eneolithic period, ∼5th millennium BC. These mound-like sites, enclosed by a wide ditch, that are not known in other parts of the central Balkan area, have long intrigued archaeologists investigating their origin and function over the last few decades. In this study, for the first time, organic-geochemical analysis of paleosol samples from the Obrovac-type sites was applied with the aim of palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Additionally, organic carbon content and anion analysis of 58 subsoil samples from these settlements were performed to determine the use of space and activity zones. The analysis of biomarkers from selected sites suggests significant plant biodiversity in the Macva region during the Late Neolithic/Early Eneolithic. Distribution of n-alkanes with the maximum at n-C25 and predominance of C30 hop-22(29)-ene among hopanoids in samples from Obrovac type-sites indisputably indicates that macrophytes are a dominant source of organic matter, implying a marshy and floodplain depositional environment. On the other side, a strong signal of long-chain n-alkanes indicates the input of terrestrial plants into the precursor biomass, confirming that this environment was habitable for the first settlers in this region. Anion-based analysis delineates certain activity zones, demonstrating that Obrovac type-sites manifest rather complex spatial behavior despite their relatively small size and available space.

Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements, but they are regarded as significant environmental pollutants due to their high density and high toxicity even at low concentrations. The aim of this paper is the evaluation of the pollution level of heavy metals in the river and riverbank sediments, as well as the estimation of their origin and spatial differences along the course of the Vrbas River through Banja Luka. The concentrations of metals have been assessed using the Inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometry and Advanced mercury analyzer for mercury determination. The anthropogenic impact on heavy metal concentration in sediments was estimated by the calculating of pollution indices: geoaccumulation index (Igeo ), contamination factor (Cf ), pollution load index (PLI) and potential ecological risk index (Er). Obtained results indicate that there is no statistically significant spatial difference in metal concentration, indicating that heavy metals in sediments have a constant source. The anthropogenic impact expressed by the values of pollution indices showed that sites are generally uncontaminated by Co, Cr and V and moderately contaminated by Zn, Cu and Ni. On the contrary, lead, mercury and cadmium pose the highest ecological risk. The anthropogenic source of Pb, Hg and Cd is industry, municipal waste and the combustion of fossil fuels. The obtained results demonstrate the high ecological risk and the need for environmental monitoring, with the aim to support an efficient strategy to reduce local pollution and contamination of the investigated system. Тешки метали су елементи природног порекла, али се сматрају значајним полутантима животне средине због велике густине и токсичности, чак и при малим концентрацијама. Циљ овог рада је процена нивоа загађености речних и приобалних седимената тешким металима, као и процена њиховог порекла и просторне расподеле дуж тока реке Врбас кроз Бањалуку. Концентрације тешких метала одређиване су помоћу индуктивно спрегнуте плазме – оптичке емисионе спектрометрије и наменског живиног анализатора. Антропогени утицај на концентрацију тешких метала у седиментима процењен је израчунавањем различитих индекса загађења: индекса геоакумулације (Igeo),фактора контаминације (Cf), индекса оптерећења загађењем (PLI) и индекса потенцијалног еколошког ризика (Er). Добијени резултати указују да не постоје статистички значајне просторне разлике у концентрацији метала, што указује на то да тешки метали у испитиваним седиментима имају константан извор. Антропогени утицај изражен у вредностима индекса загађења показао је да су локације генерално незагађене кобалтом, хромом и ванадијумом, а умерено загађене цинком, бакром и никлом. С друге стране, кадмијум, жива и олово представљају највећи еколошки ризик. Антропогени извори ових метала су индустрија, комунални отпад и сагоревање фосилних горива. Добијени резултати показују висок еколошки ризик и потребу за мониторингом животне средине, подржавајући развој ефикасне стратегије за смањење локалног загађења и загађења испитиваног подручја.

With the goal of enhancing the quality of the environment, urban green infrastructure (UGI) is an essential element in sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions (NBS) are being carried out as new infrastructure solutions that increase the resilience of cities. In this research, the method of theoretical analysis and the content analysis as the basic fact-gathering technique was applied to answer to following questions: What are the hindrances and bottlenecks in implementing NBS? Are the current decision-making mechanisms helping NBS get in route to shape cities? Is there any binding policy in practice that promotes NBS? In Belgrade is planned Type 3 of the degree of intervention/level and engineering type—Creation and new ecosystem management in the classifications of intensive urban green space management; urban planning strategies; urban water management; ecological restoration of degraded terrestrial ecosystems; and restoration and creation of semi-natural water bodies and hydrographic networks. In the future, it is essential to implement policies and incentives on national, regional, and local scales that help encourage the usage of NBS in the development of urban infrastructure.

The quality and vitality of cities largely depend on the design, management, and maintenance of green areas, including urban protected areas (UPAs), since they provide multiple benefits for the city. Due to urbanization and higher anthropogenic pressure, green areas are decreasing which directly afects natural habitats and biodiversity. This study aims to assess soil and vegetation chemical status in UPAs in the city of Belgrade, Serbia, and to understand how their distance from pollution hotspots affects soil and vegetation quality. Additionally, this paper considers the inclusion of soil and vegetation conditions in the urban protected areas management as a basis for introducing a connectivity approach to expand green infrastructure throughout the city. Chemical properties, the content of nutrients (C, N, P, and K), and microelements (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Sn, Pb, Zr, U, and Th) in soil and conifer needles were analyzed. Results showed that the distance of pollution hotspots does not affect nutrient and microelements concentrations in soil, i.e., they do not vary significantly between sites and do not exceed remediation intervention values. However, the microelements status of vegetation is affected since Cr, Cu, Zn, Sn, and Pb are higher in needles from trees from the city center. The state of soil and plant composition supports the establishment of a network of green corridors and should become a part of management strategies, thus helping biodiversity protection, climate change mitigation, and human well-being in the cities.

The main objective of this study was to analyze the capacity of Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carrière 1855 to accumulate macro- and microelements in order to assess the environmental status. The element concentrations were measured using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis. The obtained pH values in this study show that the urban soils are neutral to slightly alkaline with low OM content. Macroelements with the highest mean concentrations in soil are Si, Al, Fe, K, Mg, and Ca. The ratio > 2 was determined for mean concentrations of Ca in the soil and Mg in needles from the Zvezdara forest, and for mean concentrations of Cl, Ti, and Fe in needles from the Byford’s forest in relation to the reference site. The accumulation pattern of the macroelements based on the Biological Concentration Factor (BCF) values > 1 for needles is for P, S, Cl, and Ca. Microelements with the highest mean values in soil are Ba, Zr, Ce, Cr, Zn, Rb, Sr, V, and La. Microelements with the highest mean values in Atlas cedar needles are Ce, La, Ba, and Cs. The ratio > 2 was determined for Cr and V concentrations in the needles from the Byford’s and Zvezdara forests and for Cu concentrations in needles from the Byford’s forest in relation to the reference site. The accumulation pattern of the microelements based on the BCF for needles is higher for I, Cs, Mo, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, and Tl. Since differences in the concentrations of macro- and microelements in the urban areas and the reference site can be identified C. atlantica can be recommended for assessing the environmental status.

Process-based models and empirical modelling techniques are frequently used to (i) explore the sensitivity of tree growth to environmental variables, and (ii) predict the future growth of trees and forest stands under climate change scenarios. However, modelling approaches substantially influence predictions of the sensitivity of trees to environmental factors. Here, we used tree-ring width (TRW) data from 1630 beech trees from a network of 70 plots established across European mountains to build empirical predictive growth models using various modelling approaches. In addition, we used 3-PG and Biome-BGCMuSo process-based models to compare growth predictions with derived empirical models. Results revealed similar prediction errors (RMSE) across models ranging between 3.71 and 7.54 cm2 of basal area increment (BAI). The models explained most of the variability in BAI ranging from 54 % to 87 %. Selected explanatory variables (despite being statistically highly significant) and the pattern of the growth sensitivity differed between models substantially. We identified only five factors with the same effect and the same sensitivity pattern in all empirical models: tree DBH, competition index, elevation, Gini index of DBH, and soil silt content. However, the sensitivity to most of the climate variables was low and inconsistent among the empirical models. Both empirical and process based models suggest that beech in European mountains will, on average, likely experience better growth conditions under both 4.5 and 8.5 RCP scenarios. The process-based models indicated that beech may grow better across European mountains by 1.05 to 1.4 times in warmer conditions. The empirical models identified several drivers of tree growth that are not included in the current process-based models (e.g., different nutrients) but may have a substantial effect on final results, particularly if they are limiting factors. Hence, future development of process-based models may build upon our findings to increase their ability to correctly capture ecosystem dynamics.

A combined inorganic and organic geochemical study was carried out on marls and mudstones collected from the Lower Miocene Lopare Basin, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 46 samples collected from two boreholes, Pot 1 (depth of 193 m) and Pot 3 (depth of 344 m), showed that element abundances like boron (B), lithium (Li), strontium (Sr), uranium (U), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na) and calcium (Ca) are much higher than average than in the upper continental crust (UCC). Chemical composition indicates at least two sources: (i) Mesozoic ophiolites occurring in the north of the investigated area, and (ii) dacito-andesitic pyroclastics (Mesozoic to Cenozoic). Lopare Basin sedimentation was influenced by strong evaporation resulting in a partly hypersaline lake, which formed during a warm climatic period, probably during the Miocene Climatic Optimum. A brief episode of humid climate conditions resulted in the basin filling-up and deposition of felsic sediments enriched in thorium (Th). Organic geochemistry shows that the majority of studied sediments contains predominantly immature to marginally mature algal organic matter (OM). The biomarker patterns are generally in agreement with the geological history of the Lopare Basin and inorganic and mineralogical data. Conversely, the molecular distribution of n-alkanes as reliable climatic and δ-MTTC as paleosalinity indicators do not support this conclusion.

Badlands are areas with limited vegetation, reduced or no human activity, and a great variety of geomorphic processes present. Besides lithology, the climate has a crucial role in the initiation and development of badlands. Controlled conditions during laboratory experiments provide detailed insight into processes that occur in the nature. Many studies have shown that the type and content of clay minerals, specifically presence of smectite is important for predicting the behavior of sediments subjected to different weathering treatments like freezing, thawing, wetting, and drying.This study is aimed at comparing changes in physico-chemical properties of sediments caused by simulations of climatic conditions. For these experiments, three unweathered samples with different mineralogical content were taken from the Vallcebre and Bagà badlands in Spain. Besides quartz and calcite as dominant minerals, one sample contained smectite and gypsum, the second smectite, and the third neither smectite nor gypsum. The experiment was set up in a way that each sample had three sub-samples from which one was subjected to rain, the second to snow, and the third was the control sample. The experiment had two parts. In the first part, after simulation of rain (~140 ml) or snow (~150 g), samples together with a control sample were placed in a climate chamber at a temperature of -3 °C. After initial 15 cycles, in the second part of the experiment, all samples regardless of the previous treatment were subjected to rain (~140 ml), after which together with the control sample were placed in a climate chamber at a temperature of 50 °C. These treatments were repeated 8 times. Throughout the experiment, after each cycle, samples were photographed for monitoring surface changes, while the leached solution was collected and its volume, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and ion concentrations were measured. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) results showed that the changes in microstructure occurred after weathering experiments, while Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis confirmed that the sample with only smectite had the highest specific surface. Also, it was corroborated that temperature without simulation of rain or snow does not affect the decomposition since the control samples remained intact during the whole experiment. Results have shown that snow is a more destructive agent, especially for the sample with smectite. Due to the content of gypsum, which increases the weathering resistance of the material, the sample with smectite and gypsum has shown a lower degree of degradation than the sample with only smectite, while sample without smectite and gypsum has shown the lowest degradation of the structure. Furthermore, the sample with smectite and gypsum has shown significantly different values of leachate pH, and EC. The concentration of sulphate was the highest in the sample with smectite and gypsum, which is a consequence of the dissolution of gypsum. The obtained results confirm that the response of sediment to different climatic factors depends on their mineral and physico-chemical properties and provide a basis for further research of prediction land degradation in conditions of climate change.

The formation of badlands is commonly linked to the presence of dispersive deposits. Meanwhile, the sediments having more resistance to disintegration might also cause badlands formation given the time and adequate climate conditions. Although the notable influences of climate conditions have been highlighted on badlands morphologies so far, only a few attempts illustrated how materials weather in response to the diverse climate conditions. Supportingly, this research aims to learn about the primary weathering processes in various types of badland landforms (sharp-edged, rounded-edged, tower type, and calanchi mammellonari) in the Mediterranean arid, semi-arid, and humid climate of Turkey. For that purpose, we have used 11 badlands bedrock samples and determined climate conditions to simulate realistic weathering conditions in the laboratory condition. Bedrock samples were marl from the arid region, poorly sorted and packed sandstones from the Mediterranean region, highly consolidated sandstones from the humid region, pyroclastic sediments from the Cappadocia – semi-arid region. We have conducted four cycles representing each season during one water year to simulate precipitation and temperature variations. In this regard, we compiled the total amount and type of precipitation and insolation data for each season. Prior to the experiment, we have determined grain size, mineralogical composition, physico-chemical properties, the content of major elements of badland samples that enable us to discuss their morphological variety.Regarding the temperature conditions, we simulated day spring/autumn (~20°C), mild winter (4-5°C), winter (-2°C), summer (~25 – 35°C) conditions considering fluctuation of temperature along the different seasons. After precipitation in each cycle, represented by either rain or snow, we collected leachates to quantify the variations between the seasons by measuring volume, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), concentrations of anion, and cations.The laboratory experiments testing weathering processes under the different climate conditions and various types of badland materials show that the apparent differences in crust and desiccation crack emerged between the seasons. Although the obtained highest sediment flux in Mediterranean badlands having the deep crack systems, especially in autumn after high drying in summer, the ponds were formed relatively temporarily (a few hours) to long-lived (a few days) by filling the cracks with the sediments during spring seasons due to the scarcity in drying during the winter. The badland materials under arid climate conditions are highly likely to disintegrate because of their critical susceptibility to dispersivity; after one year of simulation (4th cycle), they became highly unstable due to their higher content of clay swelling capacity. However, the humid badland materials subjected to harsh climate conditions -snow and freezing conditions appeared to be the most durable samples reason for which is the strong cementation of coarse-grain sandstone. Seasonal trends in sample leachates' properties were also obtained. We can conclude that drying and wetting are more effective than the cooling and thawing processes in weathering of the bedrock from sampled badlands.This study has been produced benefiting from the 2232 International Fellowship for Outstanding Researchers Program of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) through grant 118C329.

The main objectives of this research were to (i) investigate the concentration; (ii) characterize the distribution; (iii) determine the sources apportionment; (iv) estimate environmental and health risks of heavy metals in soil from mountain beech forest. A total of 76 soil samples from 20 pure beech forest stands from Bosnia and Her- zegovina (BA), Bulgaria (BG), Check Republic (CZ), Germany (DE), Italy (IT), Poland (PL), Romania (RO), Serbia (RS), Slovakia (SK), Slovenia (SL), and Spain (ES) were collected. The content of major elements was measured by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). The content of heavy metals was measured by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP/OES). Heavy metals had a specific concentration range, which fol- lowed in soil samples from depth 0–40 cm the common order (low to high): Hg < Cd < As < Co < Pb < Ni < Cu < Cr < Zn, and from depth 40–80 cm: Hg < Cd < As < Pb < Co < Ni < Cu < Cr < Zn. The grouping of the examined parameters according to rock types, soil types, and localities indicated the separation of carbonate rocks from other substrates, luvisol, and rendzina from other soil types, and samples from BA, SL, and IT from other localities. According to sources apportionment As, Pb and Zn are of anthropogenic origin, Cd, Co, Cr, and Ni are of geogenic origin, while the middle position of Cu and Hg indicates a combined contribution of both sources. Elements Cd and Hg indicated severe to extremely severe enrichment with a mean value of 24.3 and 70.6, respectively. Based on the determined values Ni, Cr, As and Cd do not pose a health risk.

Dripping rainfall simulators are important instruments in soil research. However, a large number of non-standardized simulators have been developed, making it difficult to combine and compare the results of different studies in which they were used. To overcome this problem, it is necessary to become familiar with the design and performances of the current rainfall simulators. A search has been conducted for scientific papers describing dripping rainfall simulators (DRS) and papers that are thematically related to the soil research using DRS. Simulator design analysis was performed integrally, for simulators with more than one dripper (DRS>1) and with one dripper (DRS=1). Descriptive and numerical data were extracted from the papers and sorted by proposed categories, according to which the types and subtypes of used simulators are determined. The six groups of elements that simulators could consist of have been determined, as well their characteristics, representation and statistical analyses of the available numerical parameters. The characteristics of simulators are analyzed and presented, facilitating the selection of simulators for future research. Description of future simulators in accordance to the basic groups of simulator elements should provide all data necessary for their easier replication and provide a step closer to the reduction of design diversification and standardization of rainfall simulators intended for soil research.

Purpose The Great War Island (GWI) is a landform of exceptional features and a protected area located in the center of Belgrade at the Sava and Danube River’s confluence. The position of GWI causes a large number of possible hydrocar- bons inputs that influence the quality of both river waters and sediments. The main objective of this research is to assess the distribution and source of hydrocarbons in sediments deposited at the GWI depending on the river’s flow regimes and depositional environment. Material and methods Sediment samples were collected from 16 sites (11 sites along the GWI’s coast, 4 sites from the inner of the Island, and 1 specific wetland site). The grain size was determined using a standard wet sieving procedure. The extractable organic matter (OM) was quantified after Soxhlet extraction, and aliphatic and aromatic fractions were isolated by column chromatography. n-Alkanes, diterpanes, terpanes, steranes, and 16 PAHs are analyzed by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry. Results and discussion Sand fraction predominates in coastal samples, and clay size fraction in the samples from the inner island environment. The predominance of odd higher n-alkanes indicates the terrestrial origin of OM, while the distribution of lower n-alkanes indicates a certain proportion of algae, bacteria, and/or high maturity of OM. The presence of oil-type pollutants is confirmed by thermodynamically stable biomarker isomers and/or the presence of unresolved complex mixture (UCM). Inner island samples are characterized by the largest amount of Corg (up 6%), indicating high bioproductivity and good preservation of OM. Samples from wetland environment are distinguished by the domination of pimaranes and phyl- locladanes among saturated hydrocarbons. Conclusions This study revealed that sediments of the GWI mainly contain native OM with a certain anthropogenic input. The native OM predominately comes from higher terrestrial plants (Salix alba, Populus nigra, Fraxinus viridis, Taxodium distichum Rich.), followed by various types of grasses, macrophytes (Salvinia natans, Nymphaea alba), bacteria, algae, and phytoplankton. Anthropogenic OM originates from petroleum, but also combustion products arrived by deposition from the air and runoff.

Models to predict the effects of different silvicultural treatments on future forest development are the best available tools to demonstrate and test possible climate-smart pathways of mountain forestry. This chapter reviews the state of the art in modelling approaches to predict the future growth of European mountain forests under changing environmental and management conditions. Growth models, both mechanistic and empirical, which are currently available to predict forest growth are reviewed. The chapter also discusses the potential of integrating the effects of genetic origin, species mixture and new silvicultural prescriptions on biomass production into the growth models. The potential of growth simulations to quantify indicators of climate-smart forestry (CSF) is evaluated as well. We conclude that available forest growth models largely differ from each other in many ways, and so they provide a large range of future growth estimates. However, the fast development of computing capacity allows and will allow a wide range of growth simulations and multi-model averaging to produce robust estimates. Still, great attention is required to evaluate the performance of the models. Remote sensing measurements will allow the use of growth models across ecological gradients.

Badlands, between researcher also known as natural field laboratories, present areas formed in a wide range of lithologies and different climate conditions. Complex mineralogical and physico-chemical sediment composition make them suitable for numerous laboratory experiments that can replicate changes that occur in the field.As climate is one of the most significant factors in badlands forming and since climate changes are one of the biggest environmental concerns nowadays in this research badlands material was exposed to different conditions with the aim to monitor changes caused by extreme climate.Three samples of badlands from China were organized in twelve sets and treated with rain, acid rain, ice (presenting snow) and acid ice (frozen acid rain). Six sets were treated with rain and acid rain of different intensity and under high and low temperatures during fifteen cycles, while the other six were treated with ice and acid ice during fifteen cycles, dried at 50°C for three cycles and then treated with ice and acid ice for additional five cycles. All of the samples were photographed after each cycle to follow physical change occurring on the sample surface Leachate was collected and volume, electrical conductivity, pH and ion concentration were measured.Generally parameters did not oscillate much neither between samples, nor between treatments except electrical conductivity that was higher in the samples treated with ice and acid ice. Physical changes that occurred during the experiment present the main difference. In all of the samples high temperature caused the most noticeable decay, in samples treated with rain, sediment decay was minimal, while in samples treated with ice a noticeable decay occurred.This experiment confirmed that high temperature/drought has great impact on land degradation, but interestingly pointed out that ice/snow and its thawing have greater impact on degradation then rain and its intensity. These kind of result opens up a new perspective on climate impact on forming and badlands evolution that should be further examined.

Quantifying rock weathering processes, especially in ways of nondisturbance and on-site investigation, is one of the most critical tasks in predicting rocks erosion rates and understanding the sediment transportation. We proposed a more reproducible approach to test how image analysis can quantify the changes in the size and shape of fragments during the weathering process. Four artificial models were designed to select suitable metrics among over 20 parameters. To validate the efficiency of image analysis, we analyzed rocks from badlands in Nanxiong Basin, Southeast China, under three different ranges of temperature differences (TD) during cyclic wetting and drying (WD). Our results show that TDs can accelerate the disintegration rate, and even if there is only a 20°C difference in the range of TDs, an apparent difference in fragment size was observed. Moreover, the shape of fragments became more round as the increasing number of cyclic treatments, and for samples that went through the same number of treatments, the larger the temperature difference, the more round the shape became. All that serves as another evidence for landscape evolution response to climatic warming.

A diversity of factors, led by lithology, weathering, and erosion processes, plays a significant role in the formation and future of badland terrains. Then on previous observations it can be concluded that surface flow processes are the first trigger of erosion and that intense soil erosion combined with rapid and deep weathering are tightly connected to high erosion rates. Since climate change presents a global issue that gains increasing attention and due to the complexity of the interactions and processes that are a part of general badlands origin and evolution, a weathering experiment on badland sediments from China was conducted. Explaining temporal changes, the impact of different precipitation types and its durations of exposure on sediments during weathering processes, as well as its impact on leachate ions behaviour are the aims behind this experiment. Red clayey siltstone and mudstone badland sediments selected for the laboratory experiment were organized in four sets that included three different samples, making a total of 12 treated samples. Based on field climate data, in laboratory conditions samples were exposed to rain, acid rain, snow, and acid snow through fifteen daily cycles. Leachate was collected after each cycle and its volume, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and ion concentrations were measured and analysed from the leachate. Changes occurring on the surface of the sample were observed through photographs taken at the end of each cycle. Based on obtained results it can be said that the main differences occur when comparing rain and snow treatments generally. Temporal, cyclic changes were, to a certain extent, noticed through sediment decay. More importantly, durations of sediment exposure to precipitation proved to be crucial for weathering processes of tested siltstones and mudstones, having exclusion and ionic forces - ion exchange chromatography as dominant chemical processes.

This chapter addresses the concepts and methods to assess quantitative indicators of Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF) at stand and management unit levels. First, the basic concepts for developing a framework for assessing CSF were reviewed. The suitable properties of indicators and methods for normalization, weighting, and aggregation were summarized. The proposed conceptual approach considers the CSF assessment as an adaptive learning process, which integrates scientific knowledge and participatory approaches. Then, climate smart indicators were applied on long-term experimental plots to assess CSF of spruce-fir-beech mixed mountain forest. Redundancy and trade-offs between indicators, as well as their sensitivity to management regimes, were analyzed with the aim of improving the practicability of indicators. At the management unit level, the roles of indicators in the different phases of forest management planning were reviewed. A set of 56 indicators were used to assess their importance for management planning in four European countries. The results indicated that the most relevant indicators differed from the set of Pan-European indicators of sustainable forest management. Finally, we discussed results obtained and future challenges, including the following: (i) how to strengthen indicator selections and CSF assessment at stand level, (ii) the potential integration of CSF indicators into silvicultural guidelines, and (iii) the main challenges for integrating indicators into climate-smart forest planning.

Mountain forests in Europe have to face recently speeding-up phenomena related to climate change, reflected not only by the increases in the mean global temperature but also by frequent extreme events, that can cause a lot of various damages threatening forest stability. The crucial task of management is to adapt forests to environmental uncertainties using various strategies that should be undertaken to enhance forest resistance and resilience, as well as to maintain forest biodiversity and provision of ecosystem services at requested levels. Forests can play an important role in the mitigation of climate change. The stand features that increase forest climate smartness could be improved by applying appropriate silvicultural measures, which are powerful tools to modify forests. The chapter provides information on the importance of selected stand features in the face of climate change and silvicultural prescriptions on stand level focusing to achieve the required level of climate smartness. The selection of silvicultural prescriptions should be also supported by the application of simulation models. The sets of the various treatments and management alternatives should be an inherent part of adaptive forest management that is a leading approach in changing environmental conditions.

Understanding tree and stand growth dynamics in the frame of climate change calls for large-scale analyses. For analysing growth patterns in mountain forests across Europe, the CLIMO consortium compiled a network of observational plots across European mountain regions. Here, we describe the design and efficacy of this network of plots in monospecific European beech and mixed-species stands of Norway spruce, European beech, and silver fir.First, we sketch the state of the art of existing monitoring and observational approaches for assessing the growth of mountain forests. Second, we introduce the design, measurement protocols, as well as site and stand characteristics, and we stress the innovation of the newly compiled network. Third, we give an overview of the growth and yield data at stand and tree level, sketch the growth characteristics along elevation gradients, and introduce the methods of statistical evaluation. Fourth, we report additional measurements of soil, genetic resources, and climate smartness indicators and criteria, which were available for statistical evaluation and testing hypotheses. Fifth, we present the ESFONET (European Smart Forest Network) approach of data and knowledge dissemination. The discussion is focussed on the novelty and relevance of the database, its potential for monitoring, understanding and management of mountain forests toward climate smartness, and the requirements for future assessments and inventories.In this chapter, we describe the design and efficacy of this network of plots in monospecific European beech and mixed-species stands of Norway spruce, European beech, and silver fir. We present how to acquire and evaluate data from individual trees and the whole stand to quantify and understand the growth of mountain forests in Europe under climate change. It will provide concepts, models, and practical hints for analogous trans-geographic projects that may be based on the existing and newly recorded data on forests.

Materials held within mine tailings pose a serious risk to the environment in cases of tailings dam failure. Collapse of the tailing dam at the Stolice antimony mine in West Serbia caused a spilling of tailing slurry into the nearby river watersheds. Medium-term effects of As, Pb, Sb, Zn, and Cd from the tailings material that remained in the flooded zone 3 years after the initial exposure were evaluated. Mobility of these elements was determined by analyzing their distribution between exchangeable, reducible, oxidizable, and residual phases. Results indicate that Fe-Mn oxides represent important sinks for As, Cd, Pb, and Sb. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that concentrations of the analyzed elements were related to sand-sized fractions, as they tended to adsorb or co-precipitate as coatings on larger particles (particularly feldspar and quartz) upon the change of redox conditions. Assessment of the most relevant physico-chemical factors, metal(loid) concentration, and mobility can be used as tool to characterize the degree of contamination of impacted sites. Percentage of sand-sized particles, content of investigated metal(loid)s, and their amount in the reducible fractions are factors determining the best remediation techniques for the area impacted by tailing spill. Supplementary material: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3967]

Red beds cover approximately 9.5% of China, and are home to approximately 144 million people. In total, 83% of these lands are distributed in humid regions making it an important part of research on red bed soil erosion in China in these areas. This paper presents the main types of land degradation in red bed landscapes and the status of current soil erosion in a typical red bed basin, the Nanxiong Basin located in the north of Guangdong Province, China, and establishes the connection between management strategies and regional economic development in humid red bed regions of China. The soil erosive modulus was calculated in the Nanxiong Basin by using RUSLE (The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation). The results of overlapping analyses demonstrated that appropriate measures, such as the Return Farmland to Forests initiative, should be taken at the junction of central red bed areas and mountainous areas in order to mitigate current soil erosion. Two examples are presented to demonstrate this: the tourism development in Mt. Danxiashan, a noted scenic mountainous area near Nanxiong Basin, and the land degradation mitigation in the Nanxiong Basin. Both examples promote local economic growth while simultaneously protecting the environment. A ‘stakeholder’ strategy is pursued at Mt. Danxiashan, which can help residents to understand their positive effects on the environment as well as increase their income. The second example, in Nanxiong City, showcases how local farmers became stakeholders by implementing contract responsibility and self-support systems for economic forests and terraced land in the 1980s.

Human activities have changed ecosystems and today ≈ 60% of the world’s ecosystems are already degraded. These changes have caused growing environmental costs, including biodiversity loss and land degradation, which in turn has resulted in many economic, social and cultural losses. Protected areas (PAs) are the key tool in biodiversity conservation, moreover they may help to maintain water supplies and food security, strengthen climate resilience and improve human health and well-being. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defined PA as „a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated, and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services (ES) and cultural values”. Such areas represent Earth systems in which influence of human interactions with preserved ecosystems are readily evident. The coverage of PA is a widely used indicator of sustainable development, because the loss of biodiversity is recognized as one of the most serious global environmental threats. The “Big Five” threats to global biodiversity are fragmentation, habitat loss, overexploitation of natural resources, pollution, and the spread of invasive alien species. New interventions for governing nature are captured by the umbrella of nature-based solutions (NBS) in the European Union (EU) policy context. NBS can offer accessible, sustainable, and feasible benefits via a range of areas affecting public health and social well-being. According to IUCN NBS are defined as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits”. NBS address these societal challenges over the delivery of ES. The main objective of this study is to use the effect of NBS to enhance the sustainability of management of the PAs that would have environmental, social and economic benefits. The methodology includes determination of heavy metals in soils and needles of Picea alba, and quantification and qualification of PAs benefits based on Protected Areas Benefits Assessment Tool + (PA-BAT+) in six sites: Zlatibor, Golija, Tara, Đerdap, Stara planina, and Fruška gora. Zlatibor, Golija, and Stara planina are protected as a Nature Park – protected areas of international, national, i.e., exceptional importance Category I (first) in accordance with the Law on Nature Protection ("Off. Gazette of RS", No. 36/2009, 88/2010 , 91/2010 and 14/2016). By the decision of the UNESCO commission within the MAB program in 2001, Golija was declared as Biosphere Reserve ”Golija - Studenica”. Tara, Đerdap, and Fruška gora are protected as National Parks – protected area of international, national, i.e., exceptional importance Category I (first) in accordance with the Law on National Parks ("Off. Gazette of RS", No. 39/1993, 44/1993-correction, 53/1993, 67/1993, 48/1994, 101/2005 and 36/2009). According to categorization of the IUCN Zlatibor, Golija, and Stara planina are classified in Category V, while Tara, Đerdap, and Fruška gora are classified in Category II. Based on heavy metals content in soils and needles, different interventions in managed ecosystems are proposed.

The study investigated the influence of maturity, biomass type, and depositional settings on the distribution and relative abundance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for lacustrine sediments collected from depths up to 1000 m of Prebreza and Čučale stratigraphic units (the northwest part of the Toplica Basin). A recently proposed benzo[ghi]perylene/(perylene + benzo[ghi]perylene) parameter, along with commonly used Phenanthrene Alkylation Index and benzo[e]pyrene/(perylene + benzo[e]pyrene) indices, pointed out differences in maturity levels between stratigraphic units by displaying a positive linear relationship with vitrinite reflectance. However, in several immature Prebreza sediments, a substantial presence of algae and/or anoxic, mesosaline/hypersaline conditions were suitable for forming β-substituted methylphenanthrenes and 6-ring benzo[ghi]perylene. Generally, high molecular weight unsubstituted PAHs (HMWPAHs), particularly perylene, predominated Prebreza sediments. Anoxic conditions appeared to be decisive for accumulating and preserving the perylene carbon skeleton in studied stratigraphic units. Besides, more intense volcanism in the Čučale unit favored combustion processes, which prompted the accumulation of low molecular weight unsubstituted PAHs (LMWPAHs), especially phenanthrene. A general prevalence of retene over cadalene in Prebreza sediments, in which alginite and liptodetrinite predominated, implied algae as retene precursor. Selective degradation of retene or hindered demethylation of 9-methylphenanthrene under anoxic and more saline environmental settings had occurred notably in the Prebreza unit, which led to the formation of 1-methylphenanthrene and/or pimanthrene (1,7-dimethylphenanthrene). Čučale sediments with substantial amounts of vitrinite macerals or saturated diterpenoids had a predominant simonellite derived from conifers. Non-degraded and well-preserved Pinaceae conifers predominated in Prebreza sediments deposited under semi-arid climatic conditions, whereas mixed degraded/non-degraded conifers characterized Čučale sediments deposited in a wide range of climatic conditions, from semi-arid to semi-humid. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. Supplementary material: [https://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/4564]

Soils are a natural capital which support life on Earth and are responsible for many ecosystem services that are the foundation for human wellbeing. However, soils have been intensively used and subject to degradation, particularly in urban areas. The main objective of this study is: i) to give an overview of soil conditions in urban protected areas (UPAs), and ii) to provide suggestions how the nature-based solution (NBS) can enhance the soil health in three UPAs located near or in the city of Belgrade, Serbia (Byford’s and Zvezdara forests, and Avala mountain). In this study pH values and soil organic matter content were analyzed as main parameters for the soil characterization. The Byford’s and Zvezdara forests have similar slightly alkaline soil pH, while the Mt. Avala soils are slightly acidic as a consequence of geological settings. The lower content of soil organic matter (1.26%–5.73%) in the Byford’s and Zvezdara forests might be improved with appropriate management practices. Introducing the principles of the NBS (e.g., incorporation of compost and biochar) in soil management practices in the protected areas, combined with conservation and restoration of forests, can provide enhanced soil health and supporting new green infrastructure (GI). The citizens and the society would highly benefit from a network of small green areas connected with UPAs in a number of ways, such as cleaner air, mitigation of noise stress, maintaining everyday wellbeing, recreation opportunities, contribution to employment and supporting social cohesion.

The study investigates the influence of alluvial-lacustrine processes and paleoclimate variations on the distribution of terpenoids and unsubstituted Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). The XRF, ICP-MS, Rock-Eval, and organic geochemical analyses were employed to investigate thirty Lower and Middle Miocene sedimentary samples from the Prebreza and Čučale formations, collected from boreholes BL3 and BL5, situated in the central part of the Toplica Basin (Serbia). The development of the studied basin part was influenced by alluvial-lacustrine processes, which affected the type of organic matter (OM) and the paleoenvironment. Sandy silt and gravel layers in the profile of the BL3 borehole indicate the contribution of thicker clasts brought by rivers. In the BL5 borehole, there are fine-grained intrabasinal lacustrine sediments in the lower part, and swamp sediments in the upper part. The lowest total organic carbon (TOC) content is in alluvial sediments of BL3 and some lacustrine sediments of BL5. Based on Hydrogen Index (HI) and C/N ratio, various mixtures of terrigenous and algal organic matter are present in the sediments, while an increase in the proportion of terrestrial organic matter with higher HI (Type II kerogen) is recorded in upper parts of both boreholes, which may be related to paleoclimatic changes. Based on Tmax, the OM is immature and/or in the initial stage of maturity. The presence of plant terpenoids and unsubstituted PAHs, which reflected paleoflora and paleoclimate changes, was associated with the suggestion of predominating Type III kerogen in the studied sediments. Various factors influenced the application of gymnosperms/angiosperms parameters. For instance, the progressive aromatization of triterpenoids occurred in the BL5, whereas the process was hindered in the upper part of the BL3, probably as a result of high sedimentation rates. Based on C-value, Sr/Cu, and Rb/Sr ratios, during the deposition of the Lower and Middle Miocene formations of Čučale and Prebreza, a warm and humid climate prevailed, reflecting the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO). The production of unsubstituted PAHs in the studied samples probably relates to paleo-wildfires, anoxic conditions, or the presence of specific biomass precursors. © 2021 Sciendo. All rights reserved.

Urbanization alters natural hydrological processes and enhances runoff, which affects flood hazard. Interest in nature-based solutions (NBS) for sustainable mitigation and adaptation to urban floods is growing, but the magnitudes of NBS effects are still poorly investigated. This study explores the potential of NBS for flood hazard mitigation in a small peri-urban catchment in central Portugal, prone to flash floods driven by urbanization and short but intense rainfall events typical of the Mediterranean region. Flood extent and flood depth are assessed by manually coupling the hydrologic HEC-HMS and hydraulic HEC-RAS models. The coupled model was run for single rainfall events with recurrence periods of 10&minus, 20&minus, 50&minus, and 100&minus, years, considering four simulation scenarios: current conditions (without NBS), and with an upslope NBS, a downslope NBS, and a combination of both. The model-simulation approach provides good estimates of flood magnitude (NSE = 0.91, RMSE = 0.08, MAE = 0.07, R2 = 0.93), and shows that diverting streamflow into abandoned fields has positive impacts in mitigating downslope flood hazard. The implementation of an upslope NBS can decrease the water depth at the catchment outlet by 0.02 m, whereas a downslope NBS can reduce it from 0.10 m to 0.23 m for increasing return periods. Combined upslope and downslope NBS have a marginal additional impact in reducing water depth, ranging from 0.11 m to 0.24 m for 10&minus, year floods. Decreases in water depth provided by NBS are useful in flood mitigation and adaptation within the peri-urban catchment. A network of NBS, rather than small isolated strategies, needs to be created for efficient flood-risk management at a larger scale.

The contribution corrects an equation from the paper: Hagemann, L.; Kasanin-Grubin, M.; Gajica, G.; Strbac, S.; Sajnovic, A.; Jovancicevic, B.; Vasic, N.; Schwarzbauer, J. Four Decades of Organic Anthropogenic Pollution: A Compilation for Djerdap Lake Sediments, Serbia. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 2019, 230 (10). [https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-019-4277-8]

The investigation of the relationship between paleoenvironmental conditions and distribution and relative abundance of specific saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons was the main objective of this study, thus marking the parameters, which were most sensitive to environmental changes. Insights on the type, generative potential, and maturity of organic matter (OM), as well as paleoclimate conditions, along with the reconstruction of depositional settings of the northwest part of the Toplica basin (Serbia), were provided. Organic petrographic, palynofacies, organic geochemical, mineralogical, and XRF analyses were carried out to investigate 40 sediment samples of the Prebreza and Cucale sedimentary units. Investigated samples were deposited in the saline and anoxic environment, under semi-arid to semi-humid/humid climate conditions, along with the constant inflow of volcanoclastic material. The predominance of δ-methyltrimethyltridecil chroman (δ-MTTC) within euxinic portions of the stratified water column was associated with an increase in salinity, which was noticed for sediments of the Prebreza unit. Sediments from this stratigraphic unit showed a higher contribution of algae precursor, whereas sediments of the Cucale unit suggested higher participation of microbiologically reworked OM. Most of the samples contained oil-prone kerogen type II. Maturity of the OM for sediments of the Prebreza unit ranged from immature to early-mature, while for samples of the Cucale unit varied from early-mature to mature stages. Distribution of hopane biomarkers typical for crude oil indicated that depth of 1 km was a boundary for the genesis of thermodynamic, more stable compounds. A significant portion of semifusinite was correlated with the paleofire event, which affected the distribution of n-alkanes. The high production of hydrocarbons was related to volcanic activity. Parameters, which proved to be highly susceptible at the stratigraphic boundary between the Prebreza and Cucale units, were C-value, S/H, α-MTTC, δ-MTTC, β-/γ-MTTC, and (1,3- + 1,6-)/(1,4 + 1,5-DMC), respectively.

The scale of human impacts on the natural environment is now considerably larger than at any point in history. The concept of geomorphic sensitivity can help to understand the rate, magnitude and nature of landscape adjustment to perturbation in a given natural system. Aim of this research is to show that geochemical and mineralogical data are important factors in determining landscape sensitivity. To test the suggested premise Neogene lacustrine Kremna basin (Serbia) was selected since sediments found in lacustrine basins are usually prone to dispersion and erosion. Furthermore, lacustrine basins often bear fossil and mineral resources and because of that are often undergoing land use changes. For the purpose of this study, samples of serpentinite, carbonates, marly carbonates, oil shale and tuff were analyzed. Besides mineralogical and petrographic analyses, samples were subjected to the weathering experiments. Obtained results indicate that marly carbonates and tuff are most prone to dispersion primarily due to presence of clay minerals. However, oil shale which also contains clay minerals showed minor leaching characteristics due to high content of organic matter. It can be concluded that mineralogical and geochemical characteristics are important for determining landscape sensitivity to erosion processes of an area.

In this paper an applied organic geochemical approach in studying the nature of organic matter (OM) in water and sediments of the River Ibar (upsteream and downstream of towns Kosovska Mitrovica and Kraljevo) was used. A forensic approach that relies on the fact that the composition of OM of recent sediments and oil varies due to geological age and maturity was applied. The content of bitumen, its group composition of saturated, aromatic and NSO compounds (nitrogen, sulphur, and oxygen compounds) and the distribution of n-alkanes in saturated fractions identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (in almost all samples incorporated into the colloidal micelles formed by water and NSO compounds) could not answer the question whether OM in isolated extracts has native or anthropogenic origin. However, the presence of sterane and terpane, with the distribution of structural and stereochemical isomers characteristic of oil, as a form of most matture OM in sediments, unambiguously confirmed presence of oil type pollutants in anlayzed samples. Based on significant differences in the distributions of these polycyclic alkane (water–water, sediment–sediment and water–sediment), it was concluded that they have more than one source of pollution, and that the River Ibar is permanently exposed to this form of pollution. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 176006]

The objective of this study is geochronological investigation of sedimentological and inorganic composition, in the Danube Djerdap Lake sediments in order to obtain reliable information about former pollution. Eleven samples were taken from the 135-cm-deep sediment core drilled at the Orlova location. Since the core represents sediments deposited during 1972–2016, the sedimentation rate of ~ 3 cm year−1 was estimated. Grain size, mineralogical and geochemical composition was determined. Sediments are sandy silts and clayey silts, and only the deepest and shallowest layers contain > 30% of sand-size fraction. The highest concentrations of minor elements are found in the oldest sediment (1972–1977) as a consequence of the high flux of the material from variable sources. During the sedimentation period (1975–1990), the concentrations of analyzed elements are generally decreasing until the beginning of 1990s. After this period, there are two distinct decreases and two distinct increases in concentrations of elements. The fluctuations in minor element concentrations are a consequence of both natural and anthropogenic sources. Granitic rocks situated south are source of minerals that carry minor elements. Enrichment Factor, Geoaccumulation Index, Contamination Factor and Pollution Load Index indicate that concentrations of certain minor elements at specific depositional periods have anthropogenic source.

This research examined the distribution features of red beds and 1,100 Danxia landform sites across China, while probing the relationship between these spatial patterns and geological elements. This study is based on geological and tectonic maps of China. ArcGIS software was used to process the adjacent index, then perform a spatial analysis of Danxia landforms and red beds, and a coupling analysis of Danxia landforms and red beds with tectonics. Based on a point pattern analysis of Danxia landforms, the adjacent index is 0.31, and the coefficient of variation verified by Thiessen polygon reaches 449%. These figures reflect the clustered distribution pattern of the Danxia landforms. Across the country, Danxia landforms are concentrated into three areas, namely, the Southeast China region, the Sichuan Basin region and the Qilian-Liupan region. The exposure of red beds covers 9.16 × 105 km2, which accounts for 9.5% of the total land area of China. With this research background, the geological elements of tectonics and their effects on the distribution, number, and spatial pattern of Danxia landforms and red beds were analyzed.

Analysis of limnic sediments can serve as a tool to assess sedimentary pollution for both the status quo as well as changes over time. However, in environmental studies, often only a small number of established well-studied contaminants are considered. This study focused on a more comprehensive investigation of sedimentary pollution of Djerdap Reservoir. Therefore, complementary analytical approaches were applied covering lipophilic organic contaminants and heavy metals. Investigations were performed on limnic sediment layers representing a period of 43 years of reservoir functioning. The core was sectioned on 11 samples and analyzed for, loss on ignition (LOI), and organic compounds (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). Here, we report the quantitative data of 43 lipophilic organic compounds indicating both domestic and industrial emissions. Measured concentrations are generally low. Surprisingly, no polychlorinated biphenyls have been detected. Data concerning grain size, sedimentological, and inorganic composition were measured and published by in Kasanin-Grubin et al. (Kasanin-Grubin et al. 2019). This article has been corrected. Link to the correction: [https://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/4275]

The Great War Island (GWI) is an area of importance for the protection of the environment, cultural and historical heritage of Belgrade, Serbia. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) this area belongs to the IV category - Habitats and Other Regulated Areas. The main objectives of this paper are to evaluate the potential impacts of pollution on ecosystem services of the Great War Island and to explore different scenarios for future urban development of the Great War Island that will have implication for human well-being. The aims of this paper are set up based on the evaluation of ecosystem services of the Great War Island and assessment of the pollution status of the Great War Island. In order to evaluate pollution status of the GWI inorganic and organic composition of sediments were examined. Additionally, the content of microelements was determined in the leaves of the Salix alba L. Pollution indices indicate that all investigated sampling sites are polluted and correspond to high and very high degree of contamination. Cd and Cu show high to extremely high degree of contamination while Sb has extremely high degree of contamination. Content of As, Co, Cu, Ni and Zn in leaves of Salix alba L. is in sufficient to normal range, while content of Cd is between the sufficient and excessive values generalized for various species. Typical oil distributions of terpanes and steranes and values of the corresponding maturity parameters clearly indicated that the sediments of the GWI, in addition to native organic matter, contained oil pollutants of anthropogenic origin. GWI provides provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural ecosystem services. In relation to ecosystem services two possible scenarios can be predicted: first - losing the status of a protected area due to urbanization; and the second - increasing the degree of protection by admission into international protection lists. Supplementary material: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/3845]

In this study, a multidisciplinary approach was used for a detailed characterization of sediments from the archaeological site Vina. - Belo Brdo, Serbia, one of the most important Neolithic settlements in Europe. This research aimed to determine the paleoenvironmental conditions during Pleistocene and Early Holocene sedimentation prior to Early Neolithic settlement (similar to 5800 cal BC) and provide novel insight into the interaction between humans and the environment during the Middle and Late Neolithic (5300-4550 cal BC). For the first time, organic geochemical characterization, combined with organic petrography, grain size, mineralogy, and inorganic analysis were done on sediment samples from geological and archaeological sections of the Vina. - Belo Brdo site. In the archaeological section, the layer with remains of the burned house and the overlaying leveling layer were particularly interesting. The samples from the oldest geological layers were characterized by the relatively high content of carbonates, the largest amount of soluble organic matter (OM), predominance of liptinite macerals, along with the prevalence of short and mid-chain n-alkanes indicating a marsh-lake depositional environment. The sedimentation of overlaying geological layers continued in an oxbow lake, followed by a shallow depositional environment with stronger input of vascular plants. This was indicated by an increase of the terrigenous component, a high amount of huminite maceral, especially textinite, the predominance of odd long-chain n-alkanes, as well as the presence of diterpanes, pimarane, and 16 alpha(H)-phyllocladane. Quartz was the most abundant mineral in paleosol, while the OM had a mixed origin with a major input of microorganism in the precursor biomass. Estimated average paleosol temperature around 12-16 degrees C and mean annual precipitation of 938 mm/yr were favorable for ancient civilization settlement. In archaeological samples, the OM was predominantly formed by microorganisms, with a certain contribution of terrestrial plants. Their occurrence was substantiated by the presence of telohuminite, detrohuminite, resinite, and sporinite. The prevalence of n-alkane C-18, along with the occurrence of inertinite macerals, semifusinite and fusinite, in the layer with the burned house remains confirmed the incomplete combustion of woody biomass at temperatures lt 500 degrees C. Organic and inorganic geochemical parameters for the leveling layer covering the destroyed buildings showed analogous composition as the lowest geological layers. This proved that Vina inhabitants excavated material for leveling at a site in their vicinity, and used it for covering the burnt debris, clearing the areas for a new settlement. In this context, the decades long archaeological dilemma of the origin of the leveling material was resolved.

A typical Danxia stone pillar, Leipishi I, in the World Natural Heritage site at Mt. Langshan, China, collapsed on 2 November 2009. To understand the mechanism controlling this rockfall event, uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength, resistance against sulfuric acid, and freezing and thawing properties were analyzed from 44 sandstone and conglomerate cores collected from the Lanlong Formation, the only exposed formation on Mt. Langshan. In addition, four rock slices were created for analysis under a polarizing microscope. A detailed reconstruction of the geometry and restraint conditions of the stone pillar in place before the rockfall occurred permitted an estimation of the stress state before collapse using 3D finite-element code. The results show that the rapid retreat of soft, intercalated rock layers due to weathering can profoundly change the stress state within the rock body, causing compressive or tensile stresses to rise above compressive or tensile strengths in specific sections ...

On a global scale, it has been found that in the last decades the surface of the vulnerable land and land affected by degradation is increasing and that unsustainable land management is one of the key drivers of land degradation. In order to assess the effect that these changes have on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and to carry out the appropriate planning and management actions for conserving the environment it is essential to identify and quantify changes caused by land degradation. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of geological setting i.e. type of bedrock, and land use on soil physico-chemical properties in vulnerable mountainous areas of Fruškagora. For the purpose of this study the total of 30 soil samples at 0-20 cm depth were collected at four locations on the Fruškagora Mt. Geological setting was serpentinite and marl and land cover was forest and meadow. Following soil properties were determined: pH, redox potential (Eh), electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), concentrations of available cations Ca, Mg, K, Na, contents of organic carbon (Corg) and nitrogen (N). The correlation between the obtained parameters was tested with two-way ANOVA and Principal Component Analyses (PCA). All of the obtained results indicate that the soil physico-chemical properties depend on geological setting and that rock composition has to be taken into consideration during land management. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 176006 i br. 173011]

Badlands can develop on bedrock and/or weathered material, the characteristics of which play a key role on hillslope processes in a range of climate conditions. Therefore, fundamental attention should be given to badland materials, the main features of which are grain size, clay mineralogy and physico-chemical characteristics. The typical weathering profile consists of crust, subsurface and unweathered material, but depending on climatic, lithological, topographic and hydrological factors, the properties and appearance of both surface and subsurface materials change over time. Through time, regolith formed on erodible and dispersive bedrock materials tends to stabilize, again as a function of slope and climate conditions because prolonged precipitation can cause decrease in surface strength and runoff and reduce the dispersivity of the surface. Vegetation also has distinct role in stabilizing the clayey sediments due to lowering the dispersivity in the upper horizon of the badland material, even though such stabilization is often not permanent and erosion processes can sometimes reoccur. Finally, all the above cited factors and properties of badland materials play a complex and key role in the development of different geomorphic processes and related landforms.

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate how a choice of different background values may affect assessing the anthropogenic heavy metal pollution in sediments from Tisza River (Serbia). The second objective of this paper is to underline significance of using geochemical background values when establishing quality criteria for sediment. Enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (I (geo)), pollution load index (PLI), and potential ecological risk index (PERI) were calculated using different background values. Three geochemical (average metal concentrations in continental crust, average metal concentrations in shale, and average metal concentrations in non-contaminated core sediment samples) and two statistical methods (delineation method and principal component analyses) were used for calculating background values. It can be concluded that obtained information of pollution status can be more dependent on the use of background values than the index/factor chosen. The best option to assess the potential river sediment contamination is to compare obtained concentrations of analyzed elements with concentrations of mineralogically and texturally comparable, uncontaminated core sediment samples. Geochemical background values should be taken into account when establishing quality criteria for soils, sediments, and waters. Due to complexity of the local lithology, it is recommended that environmental monitoring and assessment include selection of an appropriate background values to gain understanding of the geochemistry and potential source of pollution in a given environment.

Overland flow is usually regarded as an important contributor to storm channel flow. This observation is certainly applicable to dryland areas, where base flow is often irrelevant, particularly in small watersheds. This study examines channel runoff generation in the extensive loess-covered areas that characterize the mildly arid area of western Israel, where the average annual rainfall is 280 mm. Hydrological data point to a peculiar hydrological behavior of the ephemeral streams that experience a high frequency of sporadic channel flow events. Even in extreme rain events, peak discharges are exceptionally low, indicative of a limited contributing area. Hydrographs are characterized by very steep rising and falling limbs, usually representative of saturated areas, located in the vicinity of the runoff recording station. Based on this observation, we advanced the hypothesis that storm runoff originated in the limited area of the active channel, with negligible runoff from the adjoining hillslopes. We argue that a quasi-permanent surface seal, at the top of the alluvial deposit, drastically limits the hydraulic conductivity of the alluvial fill, allowing runoff generation at very low rain intensities. The occurrence of the surface seal is ascribed to the combination of two main factors. A high clay content (~40%), where the dominant clays are smectite and illite, characterized by a laminar structure and a high-water absorption capacity. The swelling of the clay particles considerably reduce the porosity of the alluvial material, allowing runoff generation at very low rain intensities while limiting the depth of water penetration in the channel itself. Data presented fit the concept of “Partial Area Contribution” identified in humid areas. However, the application of this concept to dryland areas is based on completely different reasons.

Natural climate change and human activities are the main driving forces associated with vegetation coverage change. Nanxiong Basin is a key ecosystem-service area at the national level with a dense population and highly representative of red-bed basins, which are considered as fragile ecological units in humid regions. In this study, the authors aimed to determine the trends in vegetation cover change over past two decades and the associated driving forces in this study area. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of 2000–2015, derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) remote sensing dataset along with the application of statistical methods and GIS (geographic information system) techniques were used to quantify vegetation cover change. The results show that human-induced factors can explain most variations at sites with significant cover change. That is to say that human activities are the main drivers of vegetation dynamics in this study area, which shows a significant reduction trend in vegetation cover during the industrialization and urbanization processes of the study period and noticeable recovery trend in 2000–2015 under the plantation and enclosed forest policy.

Comprehensive and important work has been done in understanding badland processes on both the big scale, and more recently on smaller scale in order to understand the subtle differences between sites. However, most studies lack important information regarding clay mineralogy and their importance for weathering processes. Type and rate of weathering depend on material physico-chemical properties, climatic regimes and slope characteristics. As weathering progresses, the surface conditions change, influencing erosion processes. Usually badland lithologies are reported as sodium-rich, highly dispersive materials but that is not invariably true. The primary objective of this study is to show that clay minerals have an important role in defining surface and subsurface processes on badland hillslopes. Field studies conducted in Dinosaur Park badlands, Alberta, Canada, Chinguacousy badlands, Ontario, Canada and Sestino badlands, Tuscany, Italy, have shown that there are two dominant clay-rich lithologies: smectite-rich and smectite-poor mudrocks. Different surface crust and weathering profiles were observed on smectite-rich mudrocks during two field years with distinct precipitation inputs. After a dry fall-winter season, the “popcorn” surface was very well developed (~ 2–3 cm). The subsurface layer, 10–15 cm thick, overlaid the layer of smaller shards, followed by the unweathered material. After a very wet fall-winter season the surface layer was denser and thinner (~ 0.5 cm), with wider cracks and a thin subsurface layer attached to the crust. Weathering profiles on smectite-poor lithologies did not show any differences with variable climatic conditions. A thin surface layer was composed of soft, thin and small (0.5 × 0.3 × 0.1 cm) shards. A layer of larger shards, overlying unweathered material was beneath it. In order to better understand the described occurrences badland materials were monitored in controlled laboratory conditions during an incremental weathering experiment. Six samples of each material were subjected to 10 cycles of simulated rainfall which duration ranged 10–60 min. Very short rainfalls (10–20 min) can cause swelling of clay minerals in smectite-rich materials and formation of “popcorn” surface during drying periods. During subsequent wetting-drying periods, the crust becomes flatter and denser, and desiccation cracks become wider and deeper. Samples subjected to 50 and 60 min of rainfall showed maximum swelling after only one cycle of rainfall. After this swift swelling, samples became unstable and dispersive. During subsequent wetting, dispersion became dominant, resulting in flatter surfaces, thinner crust and narrower desiccation cracks. Smectite-poor mudrocks appeared to be resistant to variable wetting and drying. Large shards broke down into smaller due to differential swelling of illite and chlorite. Once they were reduced to tiny, flaky shards the surface became compacted. The surface cracks served as the initial pathways for sediment and water movement. Knowing if the material is smectite-rich or smectite-poor can help in prediction of processes and the erosion rates. The amount, intensity and duration of precipitation will determine not only the rate of weathering but also the type of the weathered surface on smectite-rich surfaces. Smectite-poor materials appear to be more resistant to change in precipitation.

Rills and rill networks are important geomorphological features in clay-rich badland areas. Rill network geometry varies with climate and topography, but the lithological properties are also critical. Rill systems on mudrock and sandstone in Alberta badlands were studied to examine progressive changes in material properties as smectite-rich mudrocks and sandstones undergo weathering, and the impact of seasonal changes in precipitation patterns. Three plots with well developed rill systems on each unit were examined in May 2001 and 2003. Geometric properties were determined along a dense grid and surface and subsurface samples were analyzed for texture, crust structure (SEM), mineralogical composition (XRD), content of major elements (XRF), aggregate stability, and moisture content. The rill width/depth ratio decreased from 2001 to 2003 on mudrock rill networks. The “popcorn” crust found in 2001 changed to a thin dense crust in 2003. 2001 materials had higher Na and Ca concentrations and the 2003 materials have higher Al, K concentrations. Unweathered mudrock shards were subjected to incremental weathering in controlled laboratory conditions. Depending on moisture input, different crust types developed on materials after 10 wetting–drying cycles. Material responded to different amounts of precipitation by alteration from swelling to dispersion.

The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of Al, As, B, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, and Zn in liver, gills, gonads, and brain of four ecologically different fish species in Serbia: piscivorous northern pike, benthivorous sterlet and silver bream, and omnivorous common carp. Fish were caught at four sites along the stretch of the River Tisza in the Pannonian part of Serbia during October 2010. Results revealed that heavy metals and microelements with the highest values in fish samples were Fe, Al, and Zn. The highest concentration of heavy metals and microelements was recorded in omnivorous common carp, and organs that most intensively accumulated the greatest number of metals were liver and gills, whereas the locality did not exert a marked impact on level of bioaccumulation.

The geochemical composition of the soils and underlying sediments in the Kremna Basin was investigated. The aim was to assess whether the observed heavy metal concentrations in the soil samples represent geogenic or anthropogenic contamination. The second objective was to show that geochem­ical data of underlying sediments should be used as a tool in the determination of the potential hazard for soil contamination. For this purpose, the contents of As, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn of soil samples were compared with standard values, a reference soil sample and local background values of the underlying sediments. The s oil samples were unpolluted regarding the contents of As, Hg, Pb and Zn . All samples had higher contents of Cr and Ni, whereas three samples had higher contents of Cu than the limit standard values. Geochemical parameters showed that the higher concentrations of Cr, Cu and Ni in the soils could be attributed to geogenic impact. This conclusion was supported by the Chemical Proxy of Alteration and Chemical Index of Weathering values , which indicated intense weathering of the sediments. The obtained results show ed that the Kremna area is under slight to moderate hazard if a land use change would occur, and proved the importance of the geochemical composition of under­lying sediments in the interpretation of heavy metal pollution.