CONCENTRATIONS OF NATURAL RADIONUCLIDES IN SOILS OF EASTERN HERZEGOVINA

INTRODUCTION and OBJECTIVES: Soil is one of the most important natural resources. Measurement of natural radioactivity in soil is very important to determine the amount of change of the natural background activity with time as a result of any radioactivity release. Gacko field is a karst field and is virtually the only oasis of arable land in the region studied. Nevertheless, nothing significant has been done in this area over the past decade to protect land resources from damage and permanent destruction. Coal mine and thermal power plant in Gacko field is a very important industrial facility. MATERIAL and METHOD: The content of radionuclides of the soil was examined at Gacko area, slag, ash and mullock dumps in the thermal power plant Gacko and soils of dumps in the process of recultivation. Soil samples were collected in 2010/2019 at more locations in eastern part of the Republic of Srpska. After removing the stones and vegetation, all soil samples for Gamma Spectrometric measurements dried up to 105 0C, sieved, placed in the plastic 500 mL Marinelli beakers and left for four weeks to reach radioactive equilibrium. RESULTS and CONCLUSIONS: The results of gamma emitters spectrometry indicate that the concentrations of natural radionuclides are of the same order of magnitude, as in power plants in other countries. The results point to the necessity of regular monitoring of radioactivity in eastern Herzegovina in order to assess the impact of the technologically increased natural radioactivity.At the same time, the obtained results represent the initial basedata based on which could be predicted level radioactivity since such studies have so far not been carried out in the Republic of Srpska

Meteorological conditions and the dynamics of climate aridity

The article presents the meteorological conditions changes (annual and vegetation season) at Kaunas (Lithuania) and Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in 1997-2015. According to the hydrothermal index, the index of the climate favourable, the index of productivity of ecosystems vegetation and aridity index, analysed of climate dryness riskVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Zalomka-underground stream and Eastern Hercegovina soils

Vytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

SOIL AND RADIONUCLIDES OF EASTERN HERZEGOVINA

Soil is one of the most important natural resources. Measurement of natural radioactivity in soil is very important to determine the amount of change of the natural background activity with time as a result of any radioactivity release. Coal mine and thermal power plant in Gacko field is a very important industrial facility. The content of radionuclides of the soil was examined at Gacko area, slag, ash and mullock dumps in thethermal power plant Gacko and soils of dumps in the process of re-cultivation. The gamma – spectrometric measurements were done in the Institute of Nuclear Sciences “Vinča” in Belgrade.Soil samples were collected in 2010/2014 at more locations in eastern part of Republic of Srpska. After removing the stones and vegetation, all soil samples for Gama spectrometric measurements dried up to 0 105 C, sieved, placed in the plastic 500 mL Marinelli beakers and left for four weeks to reach radioactive equilibrium. Given that there are no specific regulations in the Republic of Srpska, the concentration of natural and produced radionuclides in samples from the working and living environment of thermal power plants, comparison with literature data from the region and the world is one way of evaluating the impact of the plant's operation on the soils. The results point to the necessity of regular monitoring of radioactivity in eastern Herzegovina in order to assess the impact of the technologically increased natural radioactivity

HABITAT TYPES OF EUROPEAN IMPORTANCE IN THE AREA OF WETLANDS GROMIZELJ (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA)

The paper presents the types of wetlands habitat Gromizelj which is of Europeanimportance. The review is made on the basis of studies of flora and vegetation andthe Guide of the types of habitats according to the European Union (EU) HabitatsDirective. Swamp Gromizelj is located in the northeast of Republic of Srpska (RS)and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), in the municipality of Bijeljina. During theresearch the following habitats have been isolated: 3150 Natural eutrophic lakeswith Magnopotamnion-or Hydrocharition-vegetation type, 3270 Muddy river bankswith Chenopodionrubrip. p. and Bidention p. p. vegetation, 6430 Hydrophiloustall-herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels,Reedbeds, tall sedges and vegetation of Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, 91E0 Alluvialforests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnionincanae,Salici-onalbae) and 91F0 Riparian mixed forests of Quercus robur, Ulmus laevisand U. minor, Fraxinus excelsior or F. angusti folia, along great rivers (Ulmenionminoris)

Effect of salinity and drought stress on germination and early seedlings growth of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Salinity is one of the most important environmental stresses that limits soil fertility and has adverse effects on plant growth. In order to increase wheat production under saline conditions, it is necessary to better understand genotypic difference, the physiological and biochemical processes of salt tolerance in wheat. The aim of this study was to determine the most tolerant winter wheat varieties against salinity and osmotic stress at germination stage and early seedlings growth. The salinity and osmotic stress were simulated in controlled environmental conditions by adding different concentrations of NaCl and mannitol solution to the growing media of five winter wheat variety. In all studied varieties the benchmark water potential in which they had germinated and had a good seedlings growth was of -0.3MPa. Under the stronger stress, -0.6 MPa, all varieties showed reduction in the all examined parameters. The variety Bosanka, had the highest final germination and germination energy under both mannitol and salt stress treatments. The parameters defining the development or percentage of strong seeds, coleoptile and root length, fresh and dry weight of root and coleoptile of a seed were more affected by water deficit stress and salt stress than germination and germination energy. Biplot analysis showed that wheat cultivars grown under -0.6MPa osmotic had higher values of root/coleoptile ratio in relation to control and -0.3MPa treatment which is the most reliable for screening properties of the genotypes for drought resistance in seedling stage

Climate and aridity change

Vytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Effect of Bean Cultivars on Soil Microorganisms

The aim of this study was to determine the microbiological activity in soil under beans in organic and conventional production. Organic production was conducted on the field in the village Pivnice (Serbia), while conventional production was conducted in the village Curug (Serbia) during 2014 on the chernosem type soil. Cultivars of beans Belko, Dvadesetica, Maksa, Slavonac, Sremac, Zlatko were used. Before sowing, the bean seeds were inoculated by biofertilizers NS-Nitragin. NS-Nitragin contains a mixture of selected strains of symbiotic bacteria Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli. The total number of actinomycetes, ammonifiers, Azotobacter, bacteria and fungi were determined. At the end of vegetation period in conventional production the highest number of actinomycetes (5.83) and fungi (4.87) was recorded in cultivar Dvadesetica. In organic production the highest number of ammonifires was in cultivar Sremac (9.91). The highest number of bacteria was in cultivar Dvadesetica (9.08) and the highest number of fungi was in cultivar Zlatko (5.14). The results have shown that number of microorganisms was higher in organic production

Climate and aridity change

Significant global warming occurred in the twentieth century and especially in the most recent decades. Climate change is a complex phenomenon, accompanied by a wide variety of effects. Rapid alternation, between severe heat wave/drought and abundant rainfall/ flooding, is more and more obvious. The article presents the annual and vegetation season meteorological conditions changes at Kaunas (Lithuania), Horki (Belarus), Sisak (Croatia) and Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) between 1996-2016. According to the aridity index, based on temperature and rainfall as weather parameters, this study analyzed the climate dryness risk. This study demonstrates how climate change affects traditional temperature and aridity zones. The movement of temperature and aridity zones could trigger ecosystem migration and land use change. However, the evidence and velocity of ecosystem migration and adaptation in response to the shifting of temperature and aridity zones require more researchVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Aridity and soil moisture deficit trends

A change in climate may cause either or both precipitation and potential evaporation to change. The one binding factor to all arid areas is aridity. Aridity is usually expressed as a function of rainfall and temperature. A useful description of aridity is the following climatic aridity index - P/PET. Climatic data (monthly air temperature and sum of precipitation) for four meteorological stations (Kaunas (Lithuania), Horki (Belarus), Sisak (Croatia) and Sarajevo (Bosnia and Hercegovina) for the period 1996–2016, were used for analysis of agrohydrological balance components by Thornthwaite-Mather method (TM). The movement of temperature and aridity zones could trigger ecosystem migration and land use change. According to the aridity index, based on temperature and rainfall as weather parameters, the climate dryness risk was analyzed. The biggest monthly potential evapotranspiration was in July in all stations in the last 20 years. Monthly soil water balance was found negative in all stations: quantity amount bigger in Sisak and Sarajevo, but continuous longer in Kaunas and Horki. Yearly soil moisture deficit was observed nearly every year at all meteorological stations too. Results showed increasing trends in surface air temperature (in all four meteorological stations) and precipitation (decreasing in Sarajevo). The annual summer P/PET of the study areas varied between 0.6 and 0.9. A drought coefficient has been increasing in Kaunas and Sarajevo in the last 20 years. Information regarding changes in P/ETo index as a result of climate change is necessary for policy makers and managers within the context of water resources management, hydrology, agriculture, and environmentVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij