Longitudinal and temporal variation in the hydrochemistry of streams in an Irish conifer afforested catchment

The spatio-temporal variation in hydrochemistry was investigated for 2 years in the afforested catchment of the Douglas river in the Araglia valley, Co. Cork, one of the most westerly catchments in Europe with low atmospheric pollution. There was a general trend of increasing pH and related variables with distance from headwater despite increasing levels of catchment afforestation. In one tributary, pH and related variables increased rapidly as the stream entered the forest, pH increasing by 1.67 units in 1.2 km. There were minor temporal fluctuations in most physico-chemical variables and no acid pulses during spate. There are 43 references.