There is not much question that plants are sensitive to air pollution, nor is there doubt that air pollution is affecting forests and agriculture worldwide. In this book, specific criteria and evaluated approaches to diagnose the effects of air pollution on trees and forests are examined.

During the last decade, forest decline has become increasingly apparent. The decline in forest health was often reported to be associated with air pollution. The present study on Norway spruce stands in the Fichtelgebirge analyses various processes interacting within forest ecosystems. It covers transport and deposition of air pollutants, the direct effects of pollutants on above-ground plant parts, the responses of soil to acid rain, and the changing nutrient availability, and the accompanying effects on plant metabolism and growth. The role of fungi, microorganisms and soil animals in the decline of these stands is also assessed. The volume is concluded with a synthesis evaluation of the influence of different factors, and their interactions on forest decline.

In the early 1980s there were several published reports of recent, unexplained increases in mortality of red spruce in the Adirondack Mountains and the northern Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. These reports coincided with documentation of reductions in radial growth of several species of pine in the southeastern United States, and with the severe, rapid, and widespread decline of Norway spruce, silver fir, and some hardwoods in central Europe. In all of these instances, atmospheric deposition was hypothesized as the cause of the decline. (Throughout this volume, we use the term "decline" to refer to a loosely synchronized regional-scale deterioration of tree health which is brought about by a combination of stress factors. These may be biotic or abiotic in nature, and the combinations may differ from site to site. ) Heated public debate about the causes and possible cures for these forest declines ensued. Through the course of this debate, it became clear that information about forest health and air pollution effects on forests was inadequate to meet policymakers' needs. Ecology and Decline of Red Spruce in the Eastern United States addresses that gap for eastern spruce fir forests and represents the culmination of a great deal of research conducted in recent years. The focus is on red spruce because the decline of red spruce was both dramatic and inexplicable and because of the great amount of information gathered on red spruce.

This is the only book to offer an up-to-date overview of air pollution in East Asia and the effects of air pollutants such as ozone, acid deposition and aerosols on Asian crops and trees. It is unique in that it discusses the fundamentals of environmental plant science and research advances in the area at the plant ecophysiology level. It addresses various topics, including gaseous air pollutants such as ozone; soil acidification and atmospheric nitrogen deposition due to acid deposition; PM2.5 and the effects of air pollutants on growth, yield and physiological functions such as photosynthesis of crops and trees in East Asia. It is a valuable resource for environmental scientists, plant scientists, government officials, industrialists, environmentalists, undergraduate and graduate students and anyone interested in the application of the latest findings to agricultural production and protection of forest ecosystems in Asia. It also provides useful information for professionals involved in research, development, production, processing and marketing of agricultural products, including those in developing countries who are interested in advanced environmental science in this field.