Purpose: Agricultural land use associated with intensification in plant growing affects the physicochemical parameters of soils and thus soil quality. The aim of this study was to identify the quality of soils in the Peshok catchment in the Eastern Himalayas under different types of land use (tea, horticulture, rice), under high monsoon rainfall conditions. Methods: Physical and chemical analysis were used, e.g. bulk density, pH, TOC, major and trace element content (such as Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ga, Li, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sr and Zn) based on AntonPaar Multiwave 3000 microwave system and nitrogen and sulphur content using CNS Elementar Vario MAX cube analyser. In addition, ecotoxicological analyses were performed using the Microtox test. Soil quality was assessed on the basis of chemical indicators related to the mobility of trace elements (risk assessment code, individual contamination factor and global contamination factor); geochemical indicators (geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor, contamination factor, contamination degree, modified contamination degree, pollution load index and improved Nemerow pollution index); and ecological indicators (potential ecological risk coefficient and potential ecological risk index). A statistical package of Statistica v13 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Soils in the analysed catchment are characterised by low contents of macro- and microelements. It was shown that natural factors, such as high precipitation and steep slopes, favour strong leaching of elements from the soil, and farming systems based on natural and chemical fertilisation, terracing and irrigation are not able to balance them fully. The contents of TOC and N as well as pH were determined mainly by the land use. Results of statistical analyses and geochemical indicators revealed the predominantly natural origins of elements. The higher Ga content indicated a relationship with the local geology and the higher Cu content with the use of fertilisers. Indicators showed a low ecological risk related to the presence of trace elements, and soil ecotoxicity to A. fischeri was generally determined by the acidic pH of the tested soils. Low mobility was observed for most elements, and regardless of the land use, the residual fraction predominated. Conclusion: The study showed that use of many indicators can more fully describe soil quality in relation to land use, especially in the case of a low content of trace elements. Moreover, this approach helps to better understand the changes taking place in soil quality under different land uses in mountains with high rainfall.

Extreme hydro-meteorological event disrupt the balance of natural systems, such as river channels. This paper focuses on changes in mountain valleys associated with a hydro-meteorological event that occurred in the Polish Carpathian Mountain in May and June of 2010. On three rivers (Ropa river, Bielanka and Bystrzanka streams) the geomorphological effects were mapped. Continuous and high intensity rainfalls, the sum total of which exceeded 432 mm in May and June, contributed to the significant increase in water levels and changes in the channel morphology. The dominating process in the upper courses of the streams was erosion while in the middle and lower courses it was erosion with deposition, which led to the building of extensive accumulation forms with woody debris. The calculated high values of the unit stream power indicate that Carpathian streams have tendencies to transform the bedrock channel, which is evidenced by the sizes of the transported boulders. The research confirm the hypothesis that grouping of several events in a short period of time is the most important factor shaping river channels in mountain regions.