The impact of air pollution on terrestrial managed and natural vegetation

Although awareness that air pollution can damage vegetation dates back at least to the 1600s, the processes and mechanisms of damage were not rigorously studied until the late twentieth century. In the UK following the Industrial Revolution, urban air quality became very poor, with highly phytotoxic SO2 and NO2 concentrations, and remained that way until the mid-twentieth century. Since then both air quality, and our understanding of pollutants and their impacts, have greatly improved. Air pollutants remain a threat to natural and managed ecosystems. Air pollution imparts impacts through four major threats to vegetation are discussed through in a series of case studies. Gas-phase effects by the primary emissions of SO2 and NO2 are discussed in the context of impacts on lichens in urban areas. The effects of wet and dry deposited acidity from sulfur and nitrogen compounds are considered with a particular focus on forest decline. Ecosystem eutrophication by nitrogen deposition focuses on heathland decline in the Netherlands, and ground-level ozone at phytotoxic concentrations is discussed by considering impacts on semi-natural vegetation. We find that, although air is getting cleaner, there is much room for additional improvement, especially for the effects of eutrophication on managed and natural ecosystems. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Air quality, past present and future’

Habitat Management: A Tool to Modify Ecosystem Impacts of Nitrogen Deposition?

Atmospheric nitrogen deposition has been shown to affect both the structure and the function of heathland ecosystems. Heathlands are semi-natural habitats and, as such, undergo regular management by mowing or burning. Different forms of management remove more or less nutrients from the system, so habitat management has the potential to mitigate some of the effects of atmospheric deposition. Data from a dynamic vegetation model and two field experiments are presented. The first involves nitrogen addition following different forms of habitat management. The second tests the use of habitat management to promote heathland recovery after a reduction in nitrogen deposition. Both modelling and experimental approaches suggest that plant and microbial response to nitrogen is affected by management. Shoot growth and rates of decomposition were lowest in plots managed using more intensive techniques, including mowing with litter removal and a high temperature burn. Field data also indicate that ecosystem recovery from prolonged elevated inputs of nitrogen may take many years, or even decades, even after the removal of plant and litter nitrogen stores which accompanies the more intensive forms of habitat management

Stability and resilience of ecological systems; the implications for environmental management Part E; pollution

Available from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:85/36909(Stability) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Vegetation - the missing sink in the global cycle of carbonyl sulphate (COS)

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:3106.1337(TPRD/L--2910/N85) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Final report of CEGB research contract (Job no. VJ 538) with Imperial College (London University) to investigate the deposition and metabolism in plants and soils of 35S - carbonyl sulphide Part 1; deposition of carbonyl sulphide to soils plants and soils

Available from British Library Lending Division - LD:3106.1337(TPRD/L--2745/N84) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

An emissions inventory for ammonia arising from agriculture in Great Britain

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:88/02417(Emissions) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

A field study of the uptake of 35S and 14C into crops characteristic of the UK diet

Available from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:1769.7F(TPRD/B--0735/R86)(microfiche / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Training for pollution control in industry Final report to the European Commission

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:86/11785(Training) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo