The Response of Western Forests to Air Pollution

This volume presents a summary of research conducted between 1986 and 1990 by the Western Conifers Research Cooperative on the effects of acid rain and associated pollutants on the forests of the Western United States. The book opens with background chapters on topics including physiography, climate, soil sensitivity to acid rain, and methods of air pollution assessment in forests. The second section of the book presents five regional studies of forest growth and condition in the coniferous forests of the American West. The book concludes with a chapter of summary, projections, and recommendations. The studies in The Response of Western Forests to Air Pollution provide some of the most detailed analyses to date of the impact of air pollution on plant growth, and include research conducted at scales ranging from small (open-tip chambers) to large (regional growth trends), and at biological levels of organization ranging from seedlings to stands. It will be of interest to ecologists, resource managers, foresters, and environmental policymakers.