Long-Term Trends in the Chemical and Mechanical Denudation in a Small Carpathian Catchment

Quaestiones Geographicae

Volume 44 (2025): Issue 3 (September 2025)

By:

Małgorzata Kijowska-Strugała

, Witold Bochenek

and Sabina Wójcik

Open Access

|Aug 2025

Figures & Tables

A – Location of the study area and environmental characteristics of the Bystrzanka catchment area; B – slope; based on the deM with 10 m resolution; C – geological structure: 1– fault, 2 – minor thrust fault, 3 – major thrust fault, 4 – Inoceramus beds, 5 – Cięzkowickie sandstones, 6 – Magura sandstones, 7 – Sub-Magura sandstones, 8 – Krosno Bed, 9 – variegated shales; based on Wójcik et al. (2003).

Land use an land cover (LULC) changes in Bystrzanka catchment (1 – cultivated land, 2 – forest (deciduous, mixed), 3 – grassland, 4 – orchards, 5 – agro-forestry transitional areas, 6 – urbanised area, industrial or commercial, sports or recreational areas, low-density buildings, roads; based on aerial photos Olędzki 2007, Zwoliński, Gudowicz 2011, Bochenek 2020).

Annual totals of precipitation (P), runoff totals (R) and runoff coefficient (Rc) in 1995–2023.

Annual SF, share of snowfall in annual precipitation and duration of snow cover. SF, snowfall.

A – Number of floods distinguished by genetic classification (Lambor 1965) in 1995–2023; B – layer of water above discharge threshold (mm). Or – continuous rainfall, Ou – heavy rainfall, O(u + r) – mixed rainfall, r – snowmelt, M – mixed rainfall and snowmelt.

Flood runoff and number and hydrological drought duration from 1995 to 2023.

Mean annual pH and electrical conductivity (EC) in precipitation (P) and runoff (R).

Average ion concentration (%) of in A – precipitation and B – runoff.

Variation in the content of individual ions in dissolved yield precipitation (DY_P) and dissolved yield runoff (dY_r) between 1995 and 2023.

Changes in individual nutrients (P–PO43−, N–NO3–, N–NH4+) and total nutrient loads in the Bystrzanka stream between 1995 and 2023.

Chemical denudation balance in the Bystrzanka catchment between 1995 and 2023.

Plot of SSC in the stream against discharge (Q) and precipitation (P) during the A – 3–4 June 2010 and B – 16–17 May 2014 flood events with a hysteresis loop and an example of concentration on an unpaved road in the Bystrzanka catchment. SSC, suspended sediment concentration.

DL_R and SSL changes against runoff (R) between 1995 and 2023. DL_R, dissolved load runoff.

Dependence of SSY and DY_R on the runoff above the flood threshold between 1995 and 2023. DY_R, dissolved yield runoff.

Statistical characteristics of temperature (T), precipitation (P), snowfall (SF), runoff (R) and Rc in the Bystrzanka catchment between 1995 and 2023 (bold: statistically significant p < 0_05)_

Period	Air temperature T		Precipitation P		Snowfall SF		Runoff R		Runoff coefficient Rc
	Average	Trend (per decade)	Average	Trend (per decade)	Average	Trend (per decade)	Average	Trend (per decade)	Runoff coefficient Rc
	[°C]		[mm]						[%]
Year (1995–2023) (min–max)	8.8 (6.2–10.1)	0.73	864.5 (612.4–1180.0)	–4.5	118.2 (17.0–222.8)	–25.0	390.2 (85.0–856.6)	–74.5	45 (13–73)
Cv (%)	10.5		15.5		42.3		35.2
Winter half-year (1995–2023)	2.3	0.91	283.2	–8.2	118.2 (17.0–222.8)	–25.0	199.3	–43.5	70
Summer half-year (1995–2023)	15.2	0.51	581.3	3.7			190.9	–31.0	33
Year (1995–2004)	8.0		850.2		138.3		441.4		52
Year (2014–2023)	9.6		880.0		77.3		317.7		36

Characteristics of dissolved ion in dissolved yield precipitation (DY_P) and dissolved yield runoff water (DY_R) from 1995 to 2023 (bold: statistically significant p < 0_05)_

Parameter	Precipitation			Runoff
	DY_P	Cv	Coefficient	DY_R	Cv	Coefficient
	[kg · ha⁻¹ · a⁻¹]	[%]	Coefficient	[kg · ha⁻¹ · a⁻¹]	[%]	Coefficient
S–SO₄^2–	8.62	40.3	–0.18	48.38	45.7	–1.06
N–NO₃^–	5.50	32.0	–0.05	5.90	39.8	–0.18
Cl^–	6.61	87.5	–0.05	28.48	40.2	–0.39
Na⁺	2.54	63.9	0.09	18.60	33.7	–0.19
K⁺	2.03	37.2	0.03	18.60	40.0	–0.42
Mg²⁺	1.33	45.8	0.01	23.33	40.4	–0.50
Ca²⁺	10.16	39.8	0.21	175.24	38.9	–2.54
N–NH₄⁺	5.60	37.3	–0.19	0.89	92.7	–0.05
HCO₃^–				516.56	33.4	–4.83
P–PO₄^3–				0.41	66.5	–0.02
Load (1995–2023)	4.90	28.6	–0.12	859.9	33.0	–0.14
1995–2004 vs. 2014–2023
p-value (Mann–Whitney U test)
S–SO₄^2–	0.054			0.004
N–NO₃^–	0.241			0.000
Cl^–	0.076			0.031
Na⁺	0.002			0.273
K⁺	0.045			0.002
Mg²⁺	0.307			0.017
Ca²⁺	0.850			0.021
N–NH₄⁺	3.062			0.017
HCO₃^–				0.162
P–PO₄^3–				0.000

Number of days with precipitation and snow cover in 1995–2023_

Precipitation (P)	1995–2023	1995–2004	2014–2023
Precipitation (P)	Number of days
Total	181	184	165
≤1.0 mm	66	68	52
1.0 < P ≤ 5.0 mm	64	67	61
5.0 < P ≤ 10.0 mm	26	26	26
10.0 < P ≤ 20.0 mm	17	16	17
20.0 < P ≤ 30.0 mm	5	3	6
30.0 < P ≤ 50.0 mm	3	3	3
>50.0 mm	1	1	1
Snow cover	67	81	45

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/quageo-2025-0026 | Journal eISSN: 2081-6383 | Journal ISSN: 2082-2103

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Language: English

Page range: 77 - 94

Submitted on: Feb 24, 2025

Published on: Aug 7, 2025

Published by: Adam Mickiewicz University

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 4 times per year

Keywords:

atmospheric deposition,

chemical and mechanical denudation,

Related subjects:

© 2025 Małgorzata Kijowska-Strugała, Witold Bochenek, Sabina Wójcik, published by Adam Mickiewicz University
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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Long-Term Trends in the Chemical and Mechanical Denudation in a Small Carpathian Catchment

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Statistical characteristics of temperature (T), precipitation (P), snowfall (SF), runoff (R) and Rc in the Bystrzanka catchment between 1995 and 2023 (bold: statistically significant p < 0_05)_

Characteristics of dissolved ion in dissolved yield precipitation (DY_P) and dissolved yield runoff water (DY_R) from 1995 to 2023 (bold: statistically significant p < 0_05)_

Number of days with precipitation and snow cover in 1995–2023_

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