Formation of useful waters on the Stara Planina mountain, in the area Visok Kraj

Formation and discharge of useful waters was studied on southwestern slopes of the Stara Planina Mountain, in the area Visok Kraj that is the typical hilly-mountainous region in East Serbia. The catchment’s area of Dojkinacka River was chosen due to numerous and specific edaphic properties. Pump forests (association: Fagetum moesiacea serbicum Rud.) dominate here and were mostly developed on slightly acidic, humus-silicate or on acidic brownish soil. Soils are of a range of depths and development of pedogenetic processes. The aim of this work is to highlight elements that have pronounced influence on supply of useful and small water bodies in the catchment area of Dojkinacka River. Complex relations between geological setting, climate conditions, pedological characteristics, hydrological and hydrogeological conditions, forest vegetation etc. were analyzed. Elements that are significant for proper evaluation of useful water or small domains supply were in this case detected through water balance methods, geological mapping and tracking. It was deduced that the disagreement of topographic and hydrological catchment’s area of Dojkinacka River represents the significant element which should be taken into consideration in order to determine the real reserves of useful, i.e. small water domains

State of elements of the environment in the broader area of former uranium mines in the catchment of the Trgoviski Timok

Mineral field ”Janja” extends over the Southwest slope of Stara Planina Mt., eastward from the village of Kalna in the belt of beech-fir forests. Exploitation of uranium used to be performed in three mines within this area, i.e. ”Mezdreja”, ”Gabrovnica”, and ”Srneći Do”, which are now closed down. One of the consequences of mining around these mines is partial degradation of natural balance. The greatest part of the terrain consists of granite, whereas metamorphic rocks are at the periphery. A geological survey with respect to the concentration of natural radioactive elements in the soil within the area of aforementioned mines has been conducted once so far. Alluvial sediment, ground and surface waters, as well as disposal were also examined. During the field study, radioactivity was measured and the methods of emanation and hydro-geochemical assessment were used, which was followed by collecting of samples for laboratory examination. The state of elements of the environment within the surveyed area is presented hereinafter on the basis of the existing data, having in mind that exploitation of uranium may disrupt natural balance in the long run. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 37008: Održivo gazdovanje ukupnim potencijalima šuma u Republici Srbiji

Zinc concentration in woody and herbaceous plants at Kosmaj area, Serbia

In the paper, the content of heavy metal (Zn) in plants of Kosmaj area was analyzed. Concentration of Zn was measured at four locations, in vegetative parts - leaves of ten plants (eight of them were woody plants and the other two were herbaceous plants). Results showed that samples of plant material from all locations are not contaminated with heavy metal and, at the same time, the results show lack of Zn at some locations, as well. It is important to emphasize that Zn does not endanger the area of Kosmaj