Wet deposition quality from Caspian Sea lowland forests up to 2200 meters altitude

Investigation on precipitation quality from lowland of Vaz Research Forest in Caspian Sea region to upland areas of 1000, 1600 and 2200 meters altitude had been carried out from 2000 to 2004. Nitrate wet deposition in 300, 1000, 1600 and 2200 meters were 250, 275, 193, 104 and Sulfate ion in this way including 21, 45, 28 and 2.5 kg/ha.yr. Chloride ion which originates mainly from spraying of sea-water, includes 1080, 620, 784 and 337 kg/ha.yr regard to mentioned elevation respectively. Ammonium ion (NH4+) also including 19, 4, 8 and 4 kg/ha.yr related to mentioned elevation respectively. Also annual wet deposition of Calcium (Ca++) are 38, 22, 24 and 12 kg/ha.yr regard to mentioned elevation . Increased amount of NO3- and SO4—in 1000 meter altitude is reversed and different with decreased amounts parallel with increasing altitude, which originating from fossil fuel consumption by native community and resident people and anthropogenic effects. Acidity (pH) of precipitation were in neutral and alkaline criteria, and total average of pH for precipitation regards to each elevation were more than 7 in pH value. Measurement of Nitrogen showed that there are annual wet deposition in amount of 56, 62, 44 and 23 kg/ha.yr wet deposition regard to 300, 1000, 1600 and 2200 meters elevation respectively. In order to gathering and collection of precipitation, automatic rain sampler were designed and used in different elevations, from Caspian Sea level to 2200 meters altitude. Chemical factors of precipitation samples were analyzed in analytical chemistry laboratory. Analysis of Variance for Ammonium ion (NH4+) related to precipitation showed that there was significant difference (p = 0.01) for different treatments, different altitudes also between different seasons of sampling. Average amount of Nitrate based on mg/lit is increased parallel with increasing elevation from sea level. Average NO3 – concentration at 300 meters altitude with amount of 27 mg/lit reaches to 46 mg/lit at 1000 meters altitude due to anthropogenic emission.