This paper discusses the results of a study on the impact of nitrogen stress on the accumulation of various N forms in young pines and in needles of mature pine trees. With the increase in N content in the growth environment (fertilization), a several fold increase in total N in plants was found while N-NH4 increased tens of times as compared to the treatment without fertilization. At a decreased biomass yield by ca. 50 % the proportion of N-NH4 in the total N pool fluctuated from IO to 15 %, or even more. The share of N-NO3 in the total N amount was several fold lower than that of N-NH4. In needles of trees growing under the impact of N deposition, the observed share of N-NH4 in the total N pool was at a level of ca. 3 %. but the total amount of soluble non-protein N compounds constituted ca. 26 %. In needles of trees under low N deposition only trace amounts of mineral N were detected. Thus it can be suggested that the ratio of total N to soluble non-protein N compounds as well as the total N to mineral N ratio may be used as indices of N stress for pine.

Loads of N-NO3, N-NH4, PO4 and BOD5 carried in surface waters of the upper Dunajec catchment basin (at the section in Krościenko) in the years 1985–1998 are presented in this paper. Water quality of the Biały Dunajec (in Szaflary), Czarny Dunajec (in Ludźmierz) and Dunajec (in Krościenko) was characterised. Annual loads discharged from the area per km2 of the catchment were calculated from mean annual flows (SQ) and concentrations of studied components in river waters. Concentration of N-NO3 in waters of the Biały Dunajec was more than two times higher and that of phosphates – over seven times higher than the respective concentrations in the Czarny Dunajec and Dunajec. Different population density, numerous tourists and low level of water and sewage infra-structure were responsible for these differences.