Impact of air pollutants on southern pine forests

About this book

Concern over the cumulative effects of ozone and acidic precipitation on the growth and productivity of pine forests and soils in the southern United States and the continuing examination of the role of pollutant and climatic stresses in forest declines in Europe has been a subject of public discussion and scientific debate. Information on forest resources, the chemical and physical environments, and the impacts of abiotic and biotic stressors on the growth and physiology of trees is necessary to understand and preserve the productivity and sustainability of forests, and to use the data as a basis for making policy, management, and legislative decisions. This volume is a synthesis of experimental results from field and laboratory studies and provides the current state of knowledge on the effects of air pollutants and acidic deposition on pine forests of the southern United States. This detailed examination of data, collected over five years in the Forest Response Program from the southern United States and supplemented with additional scientific information from the United States and Europe, illustrates the complexity of forest decline and the dynamic responses of forests to abiotic and biotic stresses. Ecologists, forest and wildlife scientists, land managers, informed environmentalists, and policymakers at the state and federal level will find this compendium of research and critical analysis a valuable synthesis document.