Air Pollution and Forests: Interactions between Air Contaminants and Forest Ecosystems byW. H. SmithReview by: Věroslav Samek and Mojmír PagačFolia Geobotanica & Phytotaxonomica, Vol. 17, No. 2 (1982), p. 206Published by: SpringerStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4180343 .

Accessed: 13/06/2014 00:14

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

.

Springer is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Folia Geobotanica&Phytotaxonomica.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 62.122.72.154 on Fri, 13 Jun 2014 00:14:15 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

206 FOLIA GEOBOTANICA ET PHYTOTAXONOMICA, 17, 1982

Boo kreview s

W. H. SMITH

AIR POLLUTION AND FORESTS

Interactions between air contaminants and forest ecosystems

Springer Verlag, New York, Heidelberg et Berlin 1981, XV + 378 pp.

The impact of anthropogenous imissions on the landscape, or on individual landscape compo- nents today is already an important problem in many regions from the-point of view of ecology and human hygiene. The importance of this complex of problems is evident in the growth of literature on the subject. Up to now, however this literature has mostly concentrated on indi- vidual partial aspects, mainly on the plane of eco-physiology, or autoecology. In the world literature there are so far only few synthetic studies of air pollution and forests. The author of this compendium has tried - and it may be stressed that with great success - to offer a synthe- tizing summary of the impact of imissions on forests from the point of view of the ecosystem (synecology). An account is given of a broad spectrum of pollutants. Maximal attention is paid, of course, to sulfur dioxide, further to carbon dioxide, nitrogen pollutants, fluorides, hydrocarbons, ozone, PAN, trace elements, particulate pollutants, including organic ones (pollen) etc. In a de- tailed review problems of the acidification of precipitation and its impact on vegetation are also analyzed, mainly tree species, but also on soil and its biotic component.

The global cycle is given for the main elements C, S, N, and also includes as a rule the role of forests. Special attention is paid to forests as an important sink for many pollutants.

Considerable attention is given to the impact of various pollutants on the forest and its indi- vidual components: tree species (the influence on fructification processes is also included), syn- biotic organisms (fungal symbionts, bacterial symbionts, N-fixing organisms), phytopathogens, phytophagous forest insects, soil etc. Data are presented on the impact of acid precipitation on soil, vegetation and generally of the influence on nutrient cycling and function structure of forest ecosystem.

A detailed description is given of symptomatic foliar damage caused by contaminants and the degradation of forest structure, down to its destruction.

In conclusion an approach to the problem of further development of interactions between air pollution and forest ecosystems is suggested and a summary account of further research lines is given. In addition to other aspects the need for models of impact processes of contaminants on forests is also discussed.

The list of common and scientific names of woody plants and the subject-index provide a useful ewnplement to the text.

Each chapter has its separate literature list. The applied literature is very rich, but mainly of North American and Scandinavian origin. The Central European literature includes mostly German, Swiss and Polish papers.

This is a well-produced, useful and interesting book, reasonably completed by diagrams. The print corresponds to high standard work of the publishing house.

This book is a splendid source of information for all specialists who seriously study problems of the impact of contaminants on forests and landscape.

VWROSLAV SAMEK

MOJMIR PAGA6

This content downloaded from 62.122.72.154 on Fri, 13 Jun 2014 00:14:15 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions