NiepoŁomice forest—a gis analysis of ecosystem response to industrial pollution

The Niepołomice Forest is located near the city of Kraków (Southern Poland). Since the erection of large iron works in the 1950’s, the forest has suffered from heavy pollution with SO2 and industrial dusts containing heavy metals. During the last 10 years this impact was significantly reduced. In the same period the Niepołomice Forest ecology has been intensively studied. With the advent of modern, computer intensive techniques, data gathered in the past are being reanalysed with respect to the spatial and temporal variation of the forest ecosystem response to the industrial pollution. To that end, the effects of natural conditions (soil, vegetation) and of industrial pollution (heavy metals, sulphur dioxide) upon the pine stands (tree volume increment, crown injuries) in the Niepołomice Forest were studied using a geographic information system. Procedures of statistical analysis involving bootstrapping were developed. Results suggest fertilization of forest stands due to industrial pollution, an effect not revealed in former studies.