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Effects of Environmental Stress on Forest Crown Condition in Europe. Part III: Estimation of Critical Deposition and Concentration Levels and Their Exceedances

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Abstract

The stress by air pollution at the systematicPan-European 16 × 16 km2 forest (crown) condition monitoring network, is discussed by comparingsite-specific estimates of critical and presentconcentration and deposition levels for S and Ncompounds and ozone. Results indicate that theexceedance of critical levels, related to directabove-ground impacts, decrease going from O3 >SO2 > N compounds. Critical N loads related toeffects on the forest understorey are exceeded atapproximately 25% of the plots, located mainly inWestern and Central Europe. Critical N loads relatedto effects on trees are hardly ever exceeded, but mostlikely, this is an under estimate. Critical aciddeposition levels are exceeded at approximately 30%of the plots with a low base saturation, where acidinputs may release toxic Al. This is especially thecase in Central and Eastern Europe, where presentloads are high and in boreal forest in SouthernScandinavia where critical loads are low. Although theuncertainties in the calculated exceedances is large,the spatial pattern, which is most important for acorrelative study, seems reliable, implying that thecritical load concept is suitable for regional risk assessments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DLO Winand Staring Centre (SC-DLO), Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Wim de Vries, Gert Jan Reinds & Jaco M. Klap

  2. National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands

    Erik P. van Leeuwen

  3. Energie Centrum Nederland (ECN), Petten, The Netherlands

    Jan Willem Erisman

Authors
  1. Wim de Vries
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  2. Gert Jan Reinds
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  3. Jaco M. Klap
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  4. Erik P. van Leeuwen
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  5. Jan Willem Erisman
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Correspondence to Wim de Vries.

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de Vries, W., Reinds, G.J., Klap, J.M. et al. Effects of Environmental Stress on Forest Crown Condition in Europe. Part III: Estimation of Critical Deposition and Concentration Levels and Their Exceedances. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 119, 363–386 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005134310362

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