United States
Department of
Agriculture
Proceedings of Symposium on
Forest Service
Effects of Air Pollutants
on Mediterranean and
Temperate Forest Ecosystems Pacific Southwest
Forest and Range
Experiment Station
Berkeley
California 94701
General Technical
Report PSW-43
June 22-27, 1980, Riverside, California
Acknowledgments:
We gratefully acknowledge major conference support from the following
organizations:
National Committee for Man and the Biosphere, Project 2-Temperate
and Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems, U S . Department of State
Environmental Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Corvallis
U.S. National Science Foundation
Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Other organizations providing additional forms of cosponsorship include:
Statewide Air Pollution Research Center, University of California,
Riverside
Department of Forestry and Resource Management, University of California, Berkeley
Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, University of California, Livermore
Southern Plains Range Research Station, Agricultural Research, Science
and Education Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy
International Union of Forestry Research Organizations
Stan Ranch Audubon Sanctuary, Division of Science and Sanctuaries,
National Audubon Society
Society of American Foresters
State of California Air Resources Board
Many individuals deserve recognition for making the Symposium a success. At the University of California's Statewide Air Pollution Research
Center, 0. Clifton Taylor, Neva Friesen, and Merle Johnson deserve special
mention for managing the funding aspects of the conference. As symposium
administrator, Neva Friesen performed many difficult tasks with very effective results. Other staff who helped during the symposium are Marian CarpeIan, Marjorie McDennont, Joe Lick, Mark Seminoff, Mary Cadman, Donna
Shaw, Dave Lick, Ronald Oshima, Patrick Temple, David Duncan, and Rob
Lennox. From the Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station,
Forest Service,' U.S. Department of Agriculture, Berkeley, California, Marcia
Wood handled public information and mass-media contacts; John K.
Publisher:
Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station
P.O. Box 245, Berkeley, California 94701
October 1980
McDonald, Vincent Y. Dong, and Audrey F. Hakim managed the details
necessary to the publicationof these proceedings. Anthony Gomez and Robert
Van Doren of the Station's Riverside staff handled the audiovisual requirements and assisted with the field trip.
Special credit is due Michael A. Fosberg and Lowell Smith who volunteered to substitute for scheduled speakers who canceled within 2 weeks of the
symposium. They also managed toprepare manuscripts on a tight schedule. In
a similar situation, William H. Smith agreed to present a review of the subject
listed as "Forests and Other vegetation as sinks for Air Pollution'' at theiast
minute, in addition to presenting his own scheduled paper.
We are also grateful for the contributions of the Symposium Advisory
Committee at all stages of organization. These individuals are Jay H. Blowers
and Russel M. Bums, both Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB), U.S.
Department of State; Robert Z. Callaham, C. Eugene Conrad, Jimmie L.
Hickman, and Charles W. Philpot, all of the Station staff, Peter F. Ffolliott,
University of Arizona and MAB 2; Jeffrey B. Froke, National Audubon
Society; Herb Hahn, Forest Service and society of American Foresters; James
N. Pitts, Jr., and 0. Clifton Taylor, University of California, Riverside; and
Lawrence C. Raniere, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Technical Program Committee:
Paul R. ~ i i e rPacific
,
Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station,
Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Riverside, California
(Chairman)
Patrick I. Coyne, Agricultural Research, Science and Education Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Woodward, Oklahoma
Leon S. Dochinger, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Forest Services, U S . Department of Agriculture, Delaware, Ohio
Joe R. McBride, Department of Forestry and Resource Management,
University of California, Berkeley, California
Samuel B. McLaughlin, Jr., Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U S . Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
David T. Tingey, Cornallis Environmental Research Laboratory, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, Oregon
Proceedings of Symposium on
Effects of Air Pollutants
Mediterranean and
Temperate Forest Ecosystems
June 22-27, 1980, Riverside, California
Paul R . Miller
Technical Coordinator
CONTENTS
Introduction
Welcoming Remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 James N . Pitts , Jr.
Opening Remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Robert Z . Callaham
Air Pollution in Forests: Social Costs, Predictive Models,
and Public Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Charles F. Cooper
Historical Perspectives and International Concerns About
Air Pollution Effects on Forests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Edwin Donaubauer
Natural Influences of Forests on Local and Regional
Air Quality
Emissions and Air Resource Management Within Forests. . . . . . 13
Michael A. Fosberg and Hollis Record
Hydrocarbon Emissions from Vegetation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 David T . Tingey and Walter F . Burns
Background Levels of Trace Elements in Forest Ecosystems . . . 31
G . Bruce Wiersma and Kenneth W . Brown
Effects of Chronic Exposures to Gaseous Pollutants
on Primary Production Processes
Photochemical Oxidant Impact on Mediterranean and Temperate
Forest Ecosystems: Real and Potential Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 John M. Skelly
Primary Productivity, Sulfur Dioxide, and the Forest Ecosystem:
an Overview of a Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Allan H . Legge
Effects of Airborne F on Forest Ecosystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Robert G . Amundson and Leonard H. Weinstein
Air Pollution-a 20th Century Allogenic Influence
.9 on Forest Ecosystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
William H. Smith
Secondary and Interactive Effects of Chronic
Gaseous Pollutant Exposure of Producers,
Consumers, and Decomposers
Influence of Chronic Air Pollution on Mineral Cycling
inForests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
.
Paul J . Zinke
Forest Genetics and Air Pollutant Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Stefan Biafobok
Interactions of Air Pollutants and Plant Disease. . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Michael Treshow
Studies on Relationship Between Air Pollutants
and Microorganisms in Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Kiyoshi Tanaka
Sensitivity of Lichens to Air Pollution with an Emphasis
on Oxidant Air Pollutants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 Thomas H. Nash III and Lorene L. Sigal
Influence of Air Pollution on Population Dynamics of Forest
Insects and on Tree Mortality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Donald L. Dahlsten and David L. Rowney
Air Pollutants and Their Effects on Wildlife with Particular
Reference to the House Wren (Delichon urbica) . . . . . . . . . . 131 James R. Newman
Chronic Effects of Acidic Precipitation and Heavy Metals
on Forest Ecosystems
The Acidity Problem-Its Nature, Causes,
and Possible Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Lowell Smith
Acid Precipitation Impact on Terrestrial and Aquatic Systems
in Norway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Lars N. Overrein
The Impact of Acidic Precipitation and Heavy Metals
on Soils in Relation to Forest Ecosystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Stephen A. Norton, Denis W . Hanson, and Richard J . Campana
Impact of Heavy Metals on Terrestrial and
Aquatic Ecosystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Tom C . Hutchinson
Effects of Acidic Precipitation on Health and the Productivity
ofForests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Ellis B. Cowling and Leon S. Dochinger
Simulation Modeling of the Effects of Chronic Pollutant Stress
on Plant Processes and Plant Community Dynamics
Modeling Pollutant Uptake and Effects on the Soil-Plant-Litter
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 R. J . Luxmoore
Data-Based Ecological Modeling of Ozone Air Pollution Effects
in a Southern California Mixed Conifer Ecosystem . . . . . . . . 181 Ronald N. Kickert and Barbara Gemmill
Response of Plant Communities to Air Pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 R . Guderian and K. Kueppers
Forecasting Effects of SO, Pollution on Growth and Succession
in a Western Conifer Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. 00 J. R. Kercher, M.C. Axelrod, and G.E. Bingham
Forest Models: Their development and Potential Applications
for Air Pollution Effects Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203 H. H. Shugart, S.B. McLaughlin, and D.C.West
Synthesis Session
Opening Remarks and Summary of Panel/Audience
Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 Walter E. Westman
Integration: a Role for Adaptive Environmental Assessment
andManagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. 21 Nicholas C . Sonntag, Robert R. Everitt. and Michael J. Staley
Poster Summaries
Effects of Oxidant Air Pollutants on Pine Litter-fall
and the Forest Floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225 Rodney J. Arkley and Rudolph Glauser
Regional Air Pollution Impacts on Forest Growth . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Thomas V . Armentano, Orie L. Loucks, and Wayne T. Williams
Canopy Analysis of Pollutant Injured Ponderosa Pine
in the San Bernardino National Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227 M.C. Axelrod, P.I. Coyne, G,E. Bingham, J.R. Kercher, P.R.
Miller, and R.C. Hung
Photosynthesis and Stomatal Behavior in Ponderosa Pine
Subjected to Oxidant Stress: Water Stress Response . . . . . . . 228 Gail E. Bingham and Patrick I. Coyne
Oxidant Impact on Ponderosa and Jeffrey Pine Foliage
Decomposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229 J.N. Bruhn, J.R. Parmeter, Jr., and F. W . Cobb, Jr.
Integrated Lake-Watershed Acidification Study . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 Carl W. Chen and Robert A. Goldstein
Photosynthesis and Stomatal Response to Light
and Temperature in Ponderosa Pine Exposed to Long-Term
Oxidant Stress.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. 33 Patrick I. Coyne and Gail E. Bingham
The Effect of Air Pollution on Western Larch as Detected
by Tree-Ring Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234 Carl A. Fox and Thomas H.Nash 111
Acid Rain: Threshold of Leaf Damage in Eight Species
from a Forest Succession . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. 35 B.L. Haines, M. Stefani, and F . Hendrix
Prioritization of Research on Air Quality Related Resources
of the National Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 E.A. Howard, L.M. Boyd, W.M. Brock,
D.W. Morse, S.S. Shin, and K.L. Steel-Sabo
Estimation of Adverse Effects of Air Pollution
on Danish Forests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. 37 Ib Johnsen
Changes in Southern Wisconsin White Pine Stands Related
to Air Pollution Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 David F.. Karnosky
Effect of 0, and 0, NO2 on Growth of Tree Seedlings . . . . 239 Lance W . Kress
Impact of Oxidant Air Pollution on Ponderosa and Jeffrey
Pine Cone Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240 Robert F. Luck
Lichens as Air Quality Monitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 P.D. Lulman, R.J. Fessenden, and S.A. McKinnon
Acid Precipitation in California and Some Ecological Effects . 242 John G . McColl and Mary K. Firestone
Leaf Litter Decomposition in the Vicinity of a Zinc Refinery . 243 W.D. Mcllveen
Effects of Chronic Air Pollution Stress on Allocation
of Photosynthate by White Pine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 S.B. McLaughlin, R.K. McConathy, and D. Duvick
Effects of SO2 and Ozone on Photosynthesis and Leaf Growth
in Hybrid Poplar.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 Reginald D. Noble and Keith F. Jensen
Behavior of Airborne Flourides in Soils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 Janina Polomski, Hannes Fliihler, and Peter Blaser
Multiple Pollutant Fumigations Under
Near Ambient Environmental Conditions
Using a Linear Gradient Technique. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 P.B. Reich, R .G. Amundson, and J.P. Lassoie
Changes in Plant Communities with Distance
from an SO2 Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Paul R. Scale
Lichens as Ecological Indicators of Photochemical Oxidant
AirPollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 Lorene L. Sigal and Thomas H . Nash 111
The Effects of Air Pollutants on Forest Ecosystems
inS.R.Slovenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 Marjan Solar
Population Differences in Response to Sulfur Dioxide:
a Physiological Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 G.E. Taylor, Jr. and D.T. Tingey
Ozone Injury to Pines in the Southern Sierra Nevada
of California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 Detlev R. Vogler and John Pronos
Modification of Chemical Contents of Precipitation
by Passage through Oak Forests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 George T . Weaver and Jon D. Jones
Seasonal Variation of Inorganic and Organic Sulfur
in Coniferous Needles Intensified by SO, Pollution. . . . . . . . 255 Karl Friedrich Wentzel and Gunther Gasch
Sulfur Dioxide and Oxidant Effects on Californian
Coastal Sage Scrub.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 W.E. Westman and K.P. Preston
+
PREFACE Sulfur dioxide from fuel combustion and ore smelting operations has caused significant damage to forest
communities throughout the industrialized world. In
the temperate regions, notably in Europe, the United
States, Canada, and Japan, examples of damage and
losses resulting from this pollutant are welldocumented. Hydrogen fluoride emissions from aluminum reduction plants, brick kilns, and phosphate
fertilizer plants also have caused significant damage in
many localities. In Mediterranean climates, the combination of abundant sunshine and poorly controlled
emissions of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons has
resulted in extensive forested regions being exposed to
photochemical oxidant air pollution. Ozone is the most
damaging pollutant in this mixture. Acidic precipitation, derived principally from sulfur oxide emissions,
recently has been shown to have severe effects on
aquatic ecosystems in northeastern United States,
Canada, and northern Europe. The projected increase
in the use of coal for energy generation and the continuing growth of urban centers, accompanied by automobile emissions, are two conditions that suggest a continuing and more pervasive influence of air pollution
on terrestrial and related aquatic ecosystems.
A large body of knowledge has been assembled that
describes pollutant effects on individual species as a
result of both field observations and controlled experiments. Efforts are being made to use the tools of
systems analysis (modeling) to interpret and predict
pollutant effects on processes at both the individual
species and plant community levels. The ultimate goal
is to improve interpretation of pollutant effects on
ecological systems so that optimal protective and management measures can be taken to assure a more
healthy environment.
Experimenters and modelers can advance more
rapidly if a better exchange of ideas and essential data
can be stimulated. A symposium was planned to
encourage closer communication between experimentalists carrying out specialized studies of the effects of
major air pollutants on individual forest species and
researchers using computer simulation models to
interpret and predict long-term pollutant effects at the
plant community and ecosystem levels. This Symposium, held in Riverside, California, June 22-27,
1980, was designed to report and discuss the state of
knowledge of single species-single pollutant relationships, the interactions of producers, consumers, and
decomposers under pollutant stress, and the use of
ecological systems models for interpretation and prediction of pollutant effects. In addition, the present
state of knowledge was examined in relation to an
overarching ecological concept: resilience of ecosystems. Another important question was the search for
indicators of systems-level effects of air pollution on
ecosystems. For example, is an effect on nutrient cycling a reliable indicator of system-level change induced by pollution?
Twenty-eight papers were presented in the formal
sessions and 29 poster summaries were displayed concurrently. Registered participants numbered 128. Most
participants attended a field trip to the San Bernardino
mountains for one-half day. Fifteen nations were represented including Austria, Canada, Czechoslovakia,
Denmark, Egypt, West Germany, Japan, Mexico,
Norway, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland,
United States of America, and Yugoslavia.
To facilitate the publication of the Symposium Proceedings, we decided to have each author assume full
responsibility for submitting manuscripts in photoready format by the time the conference convened. The
views expressed in each paper are those of the author
and not necessarily those of the sponsoring organizations. Trade names are used solely for necessary
information and do not imply endorsement by the
sponsoring organizations.
Paul R. Miller
Forest Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture
Technical Coordinator