Air Pollution Effects on Forests: A Guide to Species Ecology, Ecosystem Services, and Responses to Nitrogen and Sulfur Deposition, Trees (Volume 1)
Citation:
Clark, C., R. Sabo, L. Geiser, S. Perakis, AND P. Schaberg. Air Pollution Effects on Forests: A Guide to Species Ecology, Ecosystem Services, and Responses to Nitrogen and Sulfur Deposition, Trees (Volume 1). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, 2021.
Impact/Purpose:
This report summarizes the potential impacts of N and S deposition on 94 of the most common tree species across the contiguous United States, compiling information from several peer-reviewed Federal and non-Federal sources. We provide information on how the rates of growth and survival for each species respond to N and S deposition, and the ecological roles and ecosystem services provided by these species. This report is part of a three-volume series covering trees (this Volume 1), lichens (Volume 2), and herbaceous understory species (Volume 3). In this volume, we include five categories of information for each tree species: (1) the geographic range and abundance, (2) the associated N and S deposition across that geographic range, (3) how species’ rates of growth and survival change with the rate of N and S deposition, (4) a basic description of the ecology of and ecosystem processes supported by the species, and (5) a summary of the final ecosystem goods and services provided by the species.
Description:
Anthropogenic emissions of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) to the atmosphere from sources such as fossil fuel combustion and industrialized agriculture have increased atmospheric deposition of N and S several times over preindustrial levels in most developed nations. Recent efforts to reduce emissions in the United States, regulated under the Clean Air Act and Amendments, have succeeded in decreasing deposition, especially in the eastern United States. However, current deposition of N and S still remains well above preindustrial levels, and N deposition appears to be increasing or unchanged in much of the Midwest and western United States. N deposition, along with S deposition, is a major stressor to tree species because of its wide-ranging and multi-faceted impacts. N deposition can alter tree growth rates, contribute to soil acidification, alter below-ground mycorrhizal communities essential to tree health, and increase nitrate (NO3 - ) leaching that impairs downstream water quality. N deposition can also increase the vulnerability of tree species to secondary factors such as pest and disease outbreaks, drought, and freezing injury.
