Monthly deposition of cadmium in rural and industrial areas of Germany (Bayern, Pfalz, Ruhr District) and its influences upon an agricultural model system.

Monthly depositions of cadmium were collected by a modified Bergerhoff method and measured by AAS during a 3-year period in rural areas of the Pfalz and in an industrial area of the Ruhr district. Another one year period included measurements in rural areas of southern Bavaria and on a Dutch island. The log-normally distributed deposition rates of cadmium at the rural areas in southern Germany amounted to only 20% of those of the industrial district. The depositions on the Dutch island were twice as high as the depositions on the rural areas of southern Germany. The monthly cadmium deposition rates show only little periodical fluctuation during the year and scatter around more or less constant median values of 25 and 120 μg x m-2 x month -1 at the rural and industrial areas, respectively. When open air mass cultures of algae were taken as an agricultural model, the organisms, depending on their growth rate, accumulated 0.4-4.0 ppm of cadmium (dry matter based). The course of the cadmium accumulation reflects the deposition rate of the area where the algae were grown. No growth depression of the algae due to cadmium can be observed under the given deposition rates

A new sunlight simulator for ecological research on plants.

A new sunlight simulator was designed and built which meets the spectral and energetic requirements of experimental ecological plant research. Its radiation is generated by a combination of four commercially available lamp types: metal halide, quartz-halogen, blue and UVB fluorescent lamps. IR radiation is filtered by a layer (20 mm) of circulating water. The plant-damaging, short-wave UV radiation is eliminated by 13 mm of borosilicate glass. The total input power of the system is 40 kW. The net illuminated space for plants is 1.2 m×1.2 m×0.25 m (length×width×height). The geometric arrangement of 184 lamps, located in specially designed aluminium reflectors, and the high reflection coefficient of the aluminium walls result in diffuse incident light. Irradiances reach more than 1000 W m-2, but less than 10-7 W m-2 below 280 nm; the measured illuminance is 102 klx; the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm) is 2200 μmol m-2 s-1. The spatial homogeneity and the temporal variation of the irradiance are satisfactory. The spectral distribution is much more similar to natural global radiation than any other simulator known. By using highly efficient and commercially available lamp types, the running costs remain low. Hence, for the first time, a simulator in the square metre range has been developed, which provides the irradiance and the temporal, spatial and spectral distribution of global radiation at an economically reasonable scale

Clone and soil effects on the growth of young Norway spruce during 14 months exposure to ozone plus acid mist.

Five clones of 3-year old Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst), planted in a soil from the Bavarian Forest (pH 4.4) or a soil from the Calcareous Bavarian Alps (pH 6.9), were exposed for two successive vegetation periods, in closed environmental chambers, to a pollution treatment consisting of acidic mist (pH 3.0) plus ozone levels of 100 μg m-3 with episodes of 130-360 μg m-3; control trees were exposed to mist of pH 5.6 and ozone levels of 50 μg m-3. Climatic and pollution protocols followed the diurnal and seasonal pattern characteristic for the Inner Bavarian Forest in Southern Germany, an area affected by the new-type forest decline. Biometric parameters were strongly related to clone and soil. Pollution treatment had a limited effect on only a few growth parameters. The stem diameter growth increment of two clones was reduced by pollution treatment in both soils, a third clone was affected in the acidic soil only. Two other clones were not affected at all. Stem volume increment of three clones, calculated as D2H, was reduced by pollution treatment in the neutral soil, a fourth clone was affected in the acidic soil only. Bud break was either delayed (two clones) or accelerated (two other clones) by treatment. Depending on soil and clone, needle yellowing was observed in previous years' needles in both treatment and control trees exposed to increased light intensities. The 'spotted' yellowing was not identical to symptoms found in forest decline areas and was most likely a consequence of nutrient deficiencies during the vegetation period preceding the experiment. The results of this experiment are discussed with regard to field observations and forest productivity. The complex pattern of growth responses resulting from interactions between air pollution, soil and genetic factors is considered to reflect different susceptibilities of trees to air pollutants

Simultaneous exposure of forest trees to pollutants and climatic stress.

This paper describes a facility designed to simultaneously generate complex climatic and pollutant conditions for research into the effects of climate and air pollution on plants. The system, commissioned in 1985, consists of a set of 4 environmental chambers which are each equipped with four identical subchambers. The 4 subchambers are subjected to identical climatic conditions, but are equipped with independent gas supplies. The chambers are designed to operate within a temperature range of -20 to +40°C at a relative humidity of 20 to 95% with an illumination system providing high light intensities at a spectrum very close to sunlight. A computer controlled fumigation system allows the injection of various gases singly and in combination at concentrations between 0.005 to 1,000 ppm (SO2, NO(x), O3, CO2, PAN).This paper describes a facility designed simultaneously to generate complex climatic and pollutant conditions for research into the effects of climate and air pollution on plants. The system consists of a set of 4 environmental chambers which are each equipped with four identical subchambers. These 4 subchambers are subjected to identical climatic conditions, but are equipped with independent gas supplies. The chambers are designed to operate within a temperature range of minus 20 to plus 40 degree C at a relative humidity of 20 to 95% with an illumination system providing high light intensities at a spectrum very close to sunlight. A computer controlled fumigation system allows the injection of various gases singly and in combination at concentrations between 0. 005 to 1,000 ppm (SO//2, NO//X, O//3, CO//2, PAN)

Untersuchungen zur Wirkung von Stoffeintraegen, Trockenheit, Ernaehrung und Ozon auf die Fichtenerkrankung am Wank in den Kalkalpen

This is the final report on the project ''Water, nitrogen and phosphorus availability in soil: Stress factors for spruces at the Wank mountain?'' The investigations were conducted during the period from July 1, 1991 to June 30, 1994 and built on a preceding project started in 1985 because of alarming damage in spruces in this site. Apart from pedological aspects, plant-physiological aspects needed to be taken into account, which are influenced by soil, climate and air-chemical factors. Spruce damage at the Wank is to be understood as the result of a complex interaction of natural and man-made effects, which are more visible here because of the unfavourable site conditions due to the labile mountain ecosystem at the Wank. Most important is deficiency in the nutrients phosphorus and nitrogen, owing, probably, originally to human activities in the form of litter utilization and the use of forests as pasture. Their latent threat to spruces is brought to bear particularly by periods of drought. A second pathway of action are high ozone concentrations in summer, also favoured by climatic conditions, which result in heavier loss of green needles. (orig.)Bei der vorliegenden Arbeit handelt es sich um den Abschlussbericht zum Projekt 'Wasser-, Stickstoff- und Phosphorverfuegbarkeit im Boden: Stressfaktoren fuer Fichten am Wank?' Die Untersuchungen wurden im Zeitraum vom 0.1.07.1991 bis 30.06.1994 durchgefuehrt und bauen auf ein vorgausgegangenes Projekt auf, das 1985 aufgrund alarmierender Fichtenschaeden auf dem Standort gestartet wurde. Neben bodenkundlichen Gesichtspunkten waren pfanzenphysiologische Aspekte einzubeziehen, welche durch Boden, Klima und luftchemische Faktoren beeinflusst werden. Die Fichtenschaeden am Wank sind als Resultat eines komplexen Zusammenspiels natuerlicher und anthropogener Wechselwirkungen zu verstehen, welche aufgrund der unguenstigen Standortbedingungen des labilen Gebirgsoekosystems am Wank besonders deutlich sichtbar werden. Im Vordergrund stehen Naehrstoffmaengel hinsichtlich Phosphor und Stickstoff, welche vermutlich durch Streunutzung und Waldweide urspruenglich anthropogen augeloest sind. Ihre latente Bedrohung fuer die Fichten kommt durch klimatisch bedingte Trockenperioden verstaerkt zur Wirkung. Als zweiter Wirkungspfad ist eine ebenfalls klimatisch beguenstigte sommerliche Ozonbelastung festzustellen, welche einen verstaerkten Abwurf gruender Fichtennadeln zur Folge hat. (orig.)Available from TIB Hannover: RO 2674(1995,18) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBayerisches Staatsministerium fuer Landesentwicklung und Umweltfragen, Muenchen (Germany)DEGerman

Untersuchungen zur Wasser- und Stoffdynamik der Boeden am Wank bei Garmisch-Partenkirchen Abschlussbericht

In order to investigate whether and to what extent soil factors in the calcareous Alps contribute to forest damage, pedological studies of seven areas with spruces in an altitude range from 800 to 1700 m above mean sea level are being carried through since 1988 as part of the PBWU research programme ''Wank''. After a general inventory in all seven areas, two of them (no. 5 and 7) were chosen for a continuous follow-up of water and heat dynamics by tensiometer and thermometer and chemical key data concerning soil water. Both the soil solution in the mineral soil and brook water are in the carbonate buffer range with a pH around 8. Acid stress and aluminium toxicity are currently to be excluded for the spruce roots with certainty and are not to be expected within the foreseeable future either. A certain overlapping correlation between needle loss in spruces and stores of C_o_r_g, N, P, S and Mn in the soil was to be noted in the altitude profile. A direct effect of inadequate N, P and Mn supply on the vitality of the spruces and contribution to needle loss therefore seems likely. (orig.)Zur Klaerung, ob und inwieweit Bodenfaktoren in den Kalkalpen an den Waldschaeden beteiligt sind, werden seit 1988 im Rahmen des PBWU-Forschungsschwerpunktes Wank in einem Hoehenprofil zwischen 800 und 1700 m ue. NN 7 Flaechen mit Fichtenbestockung bodenkundlich untersucht. Nach einer ersten Bestandsaufnahme auf allen 7 Flaechen wurden 2 Flaechen (Flaechen 5 und 7) als Intensivflaechen ausgewiesen, auf denen Wasser- und Waermedynamik mittels Tensiometer und Thermometer sowie chemische Kenndaten der Bodenwaesser kontinuierlich verfolgt wurden. Sowohl die Bodenloesung im Mineralboden als auch das Bachwasser befinden sich mit pH um 8 im Carbonatpufferbereich. Saeurestress und Al-Toxizitaet fuer die Fichtenwurzeln sind gegenwaertig mit Sicherheit auszuschliessen und in absehbarer Zukunft auch nicht zu erwarten. Eine gewisse ueberlagernde Korrelation zwischen den Nadelverlusten der Fichten und den Vorraeten an C_o_r_g, N, P, S und Mn im Boden konnte im Hoehenprofil festgestellt werden, so dass es wahrscheinlich ist, dass die mangelnde Versorgung von N-, P- und Mn unmittelbar auf die Vitalitaet der Fichten einwirkt und fuer die Nadelverluste mit verantwortlich sein kann. (orig.)Available from TIB Hannover: F93B 1179 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEBayerisches Staatsministerium fuer Landesentwicklung und Umweltfragen, Muenchen (Germany)DEGerman