United States
£ GBP
With a population of more than eighteen million people, Mexico City is a major metropolitan area where the effects of urban development on air quality are of immediate concern. Air pollution exposures and effects on forests in the Mexico City Air Basin are in many respects similar to those reported in the Los Angeles, California Air Basin. Studies of air pollution impacts on forests in these two regions may serve as models for urban areas all over the world. Although scientists have studied air pollution and its effects on forests and vegetation in the Mexico City Air Basin for years, this book reviews and synthesizes this body of work for the first time. This synthesis is particularly valuable as air pollution increases at an alarming rate along with global urbanization. A thorough discussion of regional geology, climate and hydrology, historical natural resource utilization, and sociological factors provide the context for evaluating air pollution impacts on the highly valued forests surrounding this megacity. The environmental and ecological consequences of chronic exposure to biologically important pollutants are considered in various case studies. Finally, the editors discuss the state of air pollution research in the Mexico City Air Basin and the outlook for the health and sustainability of forests within the Basin.
From the contents: Historical Summary of the Geology, Climate, Hydrology, Culture, and Natural Resource Utilization in the Basin of Mexico.- Socioeconomic Change and its Impact on Forest Resources in the Basin of Mexico.- Physical Geography, Geology, Hydrogeology, and Forest Soils of the Basin of Mexico.- Forests in the Basin of Mexico.- The Climate of the Mexico City Air Basin.- Air Pollution Levels and Trends in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area.- Emissions Trends and Pollution Control Strategies in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area.- Heavy Metals in Forest Soils, Vegetation and Drainage Waters in the Basin of Mexico.- Oxidant Exposure and Effects on Pines in Forests in the Mexico City and Los Angeles, California Air Basins.- Decline of Sacred Fir in the Desierto de los Leones National Park.- Histological Symptoms of Air Pollution Injury in Foliage, Bark, and Xylem of Abies religiosa in the Basin of Mexico.- Lichens and Air Pollution in the Forests Surrounding Mexico City.- Nitrogen and Sulfur Deposition in the Mexico City Air Basin.- Effects of Oxidants in Ambient Air on Annual Crops in the Basin of Mexico.- Summary of Air Pollutant Impacts on Forests in the Mexico City Air Basin.- Resources at Risk and Research Needs.
From the reviews: "The book makes an important contribution to the development of regulations and strategies designed to control air pollution. It provides an excellent starting point for all those interested in the topic of air pollution and its effects on forests. The book's strength lies in the extensive collection of case studies which clearly depict the impact of pollutants on the species analysed as well as the ecological consequences of such exposure." (Alicia Chacalo Hilu, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Issue 4, 2006)
