Air pollution and forest decline in a spruce (Picea abies) forest

Journal Article · Fri May 19 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.244.4906.776· OSTI ID:6969621

Schulze, E D ^[1]

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1. Universitaet Bayreuth (Germany, F.R.)

Symptoms of forest decline of spruce in Europe range from needle yellowing and loss to tree and stand mortality. In a study area in northeast Bavaria, West Germany, where forest decline was initially detected, exposure to high concentrations of gaseous pollutants, SO{sub 2}, NO{sub x}, and ozone has had no long-lasting direct effect on needles, and pathogens have only been secondary agents. Deposition of sulfur, nitrate, and ammonium, however, have significantly modified plant nutrition and soil chemistry. Spruce roots apparently take up ammonium rather than nitrate with an antagonistic effect on uptake of Mg. Nitrate left in the soil solution is leached together with sulfate to ground water, accelerating soil acidification and decreasing Ca/Al and Mg/Al ratios in the soil solution. Soil solution chemistry affects root development, and water and nutrient uptake. Had all nutrients become equally deficient, spruce trees probably could have adjusted by retarding their growth. However, canopy uptake of atmospheric nitrogen in addition to root uptake stimulated growth and caused a nitrogen to cation imbalance to develop; this imbalance resulted in the decline symptoms. 35 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6969621
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (USA), Vol. 244:4906; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
SPRUCES
DAMAGE
AIR POLLUTION
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
DECOMPOSITION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
NITRATES
NITROGEN OXIDES
OZONE
POLLUTION
SOILS
SULFUR
SULFUR DIOXIDE
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONIFERS
DATA
ELEMENTS
INFORMATION
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PINOPHYTA
PLANTS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR OXIDES
TREES
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540220 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)