On the assessment of sulphur deposition on forests growing over the areas of industrial impact

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 48; no. 2; pp. 125 - 137
• Main Authors: Gytarsky, M.L, Karaban, R.T, Nazarov, I.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Nature B.V 01.11.1997
• Subjects: Air pollution; Coniferous forests; Deciduous forests; Deposition; Ecosystems; emissions; Environmental monitoring; forest damage; forest ecology; Forest ecosystems; Forests; Industrial emissions; industry; kola peninsula; Mathematical models; Nickel; nickel smelting emissions; Plants (botany); pollutants; Smelters; Sulfur; Sulfur dioxide; Terrestrial ecosystems; Russia
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1005744301889

A method of calculation of sulphur deposition values on forests subject to long-term industrial influence is presented. Investigations were conducted in the vicinities of nickel smelters of Kola peninsula. Sulphur dioxide (SO sub(2)) is the major phytotoxicant emitted by these enterprises. Depositions of sulphur were calculated or the basis of ground air layer pollution. To determine it a mathematical model was applied. Field surveys of forest ecosystems response to air contamination were carried out and areas of different forest damage degree were identified. More than 4300 km super(2) of the territory of Kola peninsula is under the impact of nickel enterprises. Average SO sub(2) concentration over the area of slight damage to forests is about 20 mu g/m super(3). It corresponds to the critical level proposed for forest ecosystems (UN ECE, 1993). Sulphur deposition over the area of slight damage varies from 0.6 to 1.0 g/m super(2) yr super(-1) for coniferous forests. For deciduous forests it is about 1.0 g/m super(2) yr super(-1). These values are close to target loads for highly sensitive ecosystems (Nilsson et al., 1991), but they exceed critical loads for the northern regions of Europe (Downing et al., 1993).