Sulphur Dioxide and Vegetation Physiology, Ecology, and Policy Issues

About this book

Sulphur Dioxide and Vegetation: Physiology, Ecology, and Policy Issues was developed from a symposium held at Asilomar, California, from November 28 to December 2, 1982. The purpose of this meeting was (1) to summarize our current knowledge of the effects of SO₂ on the productivivity of plants, (2) to bring about an integration of the various research approaches – from biochemical to ecological – used to determine the impact of SO₂ on plant productivity, (3) to assess the accuracy of the technology currently used to study SO₂ effects on plant productivity, and (4) to consider present pollution management issues and to establish research priorities for the future.

Sulphur Dioxide and Vegetation: Physiology, Ecology, and Policy Issues represents a summary of the presentations and discussions that took place at the meeting. Issues related to managing air quality are addressed first, and set the stage for discussion of the effects of SO₂ on plant productivity. The analysis of plant responses to SO₂ begins with biochemical considerations and ends with an analysis of the long-term responses of plant communities. How the effects of SO₂ on the biochemistry and physiology of plants translate into changes in plant growth is discussed next, and how these changes in turn affect the structure, function, and productivity of plant communities is then explored. Finally, a summary provides reviews of methods and techniques used in airpollution studies, highlights important concepts from the foregoing chapters, and identifies conceptual cross-links between topics that are related but pertain to different levels of biological organization.

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