Element fluxes in floodplain forest ecosystems affected by the long-term influence of air pollution

The floodplain forest ecosystems in the region are a part of the Weisse Els ter-Pleisse-Luppe river system which flows into the Saale-Elbe river system . The symbiosis of floodplain forest ecosystems and the City of Leipzig is an extraordinary example of an interacting system between nature and man. L ong-term air pollution resulting from power Station and industrial activiti es belongs to the most important negative anthropogenic effects. The main o bjective of this research was to obtain data on atmospheric deposition and fluxes of nutrients in the ecosystem with regard to site development, growt h, biodiversity and groundwater pollution. Two measuring sites were establi shed to colect precipitation, throughfall, stemflow, seepage water, soil so lution and groundwater. Samples were colected in two-week intervals and ana lysed monthly in laboratory in 1996.