Air pollution cuts help forests
recover
Geneva, 2 September 2003 - The
latest report on forest condition in
Europe indicates that drastic reductions
in sulphur emissions have led to decreasing
concentrations of sulphur in the needles
of Norway spruce and Scots pine (see
graph below).
Model calculations
predict that the current and planned
further cuts in sulphur and nitrogen
emissions will also result in a fast
recovery of many soils. For these, sulphate
concentrations in soil solution will
remain at the low levels already reached
in 2000, while nitrate concentrations
will decrease in most areas by 2010.
Better soil quality will further improve
the health of trees and of forest ecosystems
generally.
These are some of the
conclusions of the latest report on
forest condition in Europe presented
by one of the world's largest forest
monitoring programmes. Under the Convention
on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution
of the United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe (UNECE), the programme is
based on about 7 000 observation plots
across 36 European countries and has
monitored forest condition since 1986.
After 15 years of deteriorating
tree crowns, the report presents encouraging
results, but its authors warn against
premature enthusiasm. Although soil
solution is recovering, the solid phase
of the forest soils will take considerably
longer to recover, probably decades.
Also, in addition to the effects of
air pollution via the soil, the programme
stresses the increasing importance of
the effects of ozone gas on needles
and leaves.
Scientists under the
Convention's programme are well aware
of the need for further cuts in air
pollutants to address the remaining
air pollution problems, including those
of human health. They are continuing
to collect information on the environment
and develop predictive models to demonstrate
to policy makers how much more needs
to be done.
Scientific evidence
of air pollution effects on vegetation,
freshwaters, materials and human health
has been the driving force of air pollution
abatement policies under the Convention
since its adoption in 1979. It has led
to seven legally binding Protocols setting
national emission targets for virtually
all major air pollutants. The increasingly
strict limits of these targets have
been mirrored by decreasing pollution
levels across Europe. Further steps
will produce greater benefits for the
environment.
Even so, much of the
drop in emissions in the countries of
the former Soviet Union is the result
of lower production levels. The work
under the Convention therefore has to
put more emphasis on the introduction
of less polluting technology in these
countries.
The monitoring programme
plans to continue to contribute to the
scientific basis for air pollution control,
but it will also provide important information
on other processes relevant to international
environmental policies, e.g. biodiversity,
climate change and sustainable forest
management.
Proportion of stands
with foliar sulphur concentrations above
1.1 mg S.g-1 in Finland and
Austria
****
For more information
on the report, please contact:
Keith BULL
UNECE Environment and Human Settlements
Division
Palais des Nations, Office 346
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: + 41 (0)22 917 23 54
Fax: + 41 (0)22 907 01 07 or 917
96 21
E-mail: [email protected]
or:
Thomas HAUßMANN
Chairman, ICP Forests
Federal Ministry for Consumer
Protection, Food
and Agriculture
Rochusstr.1
D - 53123 Bonn, Germany
Phone: + 49 228 529 43 21
Fax: + 49 228 529 43 18
E-mail: [email protected]
or:
Martin LORENZ
Programme Coordinating Centre
Federal Research Centre for Forestry
and
Forest Products
Leuschnerstr. 91
D - 21031 Hamburg, Germany
Phone: + 49 40 739 26 119
Fax: + 49 40 739 62 480
E-mail: [email protected]
Ref: ECE/ENV/03/P20