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Title: Forest decline from air pollution

Abstract

Scientists in West Germany and the USA are involved in intensive efforts to ascertain the cause or causes of the declines in their forests. Ongoing research was discussed at an October 1983 symposium on air pollution and forest productivity, held in Washington, D.C., and sponsored by the Izaak Walton League of America and Pennsylvania State University. The dieback of spruce in the Northeast is relatively well-known. It was revealed at the symposium, however, that forests in other areas of the U.S. may be showing signs of stress and damage and that species other than spruce are affected. Samuel B. McLaughlin of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) pointed out that red spruce, shortleaf pine, hickory, yellow birch, pitch pine, hemlock, and Fraser fir are declining in East Tennessee. He noted that these decline together with those in New England suggest that decreased productivity in several tree species has been occurring over a broad scale during the past two decades. One commonly held view is that acid deposition is causing the decline of forests in both Europe and the U.S. At the symposium, a number of different opinions about possible causes were expressed, ranging from drought to ozone to combinations of pollutants,more » including acid deposition, ozone and trace metals. Possible causes that were not subjects of active inquiry were disease and insects. Most researchers in the field believe there is little evidence that one of these is the primary damaging agent.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
6808890
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 18:1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; AIR POLLUTION; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; FORESTS; PRODUCTIVITY; ACID RAIN; FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY; METALS; OZONE; TRACE AMOUNTS; USA; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; ELEMENTS; EUROPE; NORTH AMERICA; POLLUTION; RAIN; WESTERN EUROPE; 500200* - Environment, Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)

Citation Formats

Hileman, B. Forest decline from air pollution. United States: N. p., 1984. Web. doi:10.1021/es00119a605.
Hileman, B. Forest decline from air pollution. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/es00119a605
Hileman, B. 1984. "Forest decline from air pollution". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/es00119a605.
@article{osti_6808890,
title = {Forest decline from air pollution},
author = {Hileman, B},
abstractNote = {Scientists in West Germany and the USA are involved in intensive efforts to ascertain the cause or causes of the declines in their forests. Ongoing research was discussed at an October 1983 symposium on air pollution and forest productivity, held in Washington, D.C., and sponsored by the Izaak Walton League of America and Pennsylvania State University. The dieback of spruce in the Northeast is relatively well-known. It was revealed at the symposium, however, that forests in other areas of the U.S. may be showing signs of stress and damage and that species other than spruce are affected. Samuel B. McLaughlin of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) pointed out that red spruce, shortleaf pine, hickory, yellow birch, pitch pine, hemlock, and Fraser fir are declining in East Tennessee. He noted that these decline together with those in New England suggest that decreased productivity in several tree species has been occurring over a broad scale during the past two decades. One commonly held view is that acid deposition is causing the decline of forests in both Europe and the U.S. At the symposium, a number of different opinions about possible causes were expressed, ranging from drought to ozone to combinations of pollutants, including acid deposition, ozone and trace metals. Possible causes that were not subjects of active inquiry were disease and insects. Most researchers in the field believe there is little evidence that one of these is the primary damaging agent.},
doi = {10.1021/es00119a605},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6808890}, journal = {Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 18:1,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984}
}