Effects of Organic Materials Obtained from Different Tree Species on Some Chemical Parameters of Water Quality (Study Case of AndirinAkifiye Forest Management Unit)

Abstract

Mineral substance concentrations are very important in terms of the levels of chemical quality indrinking water. A highly important source of minerals in water comes from the litter layer of the forest floor which is also a source of organic matter. This research investigates the contribution of organic litter formed in pure pine, cedar and beech forests to the quality parameters of water in theAndirin District of Kahramanmaraş province. A total of 90 organic matter samples were systematically collected from three different forest ecosystems. Some chemical properties of water solution wereobtained from the organic matter using the ICP-OES device. This revealed that aluminum, boron,zinc, iron, cadmium, calcium, cobalt, magnesium, manganese, nickel and potassium parameterswere present in the water. In addition, pH, EC and temperature measurements were taken. The results revealed lower amounts of chemicals in the waters obtained from the dead vegetation coversof the beech forests, showing elements such as aluminum, iron, magnesium, cobalt, and nickel levels to be 0.146 mg; 0.114 μg; 5.54 mg; 0.0006 μg and 0.0054 μg, respectively, compared to watersobtained from cedar and pine forest ecosystems. It was found that different organic materials hadsignificantly different mineral concentrations affecting the chemical quality of the water. However,waters affected by the dead vegetation cover of the forest ecosystem were determined to complywith the standards of drinking and irrigation water according to current regulations.