Land Pollution in Forests & Grasslands Study
20 Year University Research Shows Results of Environmental Problems
Jun 18, 2009
For twenty years various agencies in Germany monitored the pollutants in certain forest and grasslands in Southwest Germany. A division of The University of Hohenheim, in Germany, collected and evaluated the data. The land pollution data revealed which pollutants affected the condition of forests and grasslands.
The study results showed reduction over time of certain pollutants, and a major increase in one pollutant family. The article is published on the PubMed web site and titled, “Twenty Years of Biological Monitoring of Element Concentrations in Permanent Forest and Grassland Plots In Baden-Württemberg.”
“...cleaner technologies have already led to significant improvements of the air and water quality...the discharge and deposition of anthropogenic [caused by humans] long-range transported pollutants often remain above the critical thresholds...” states the twenty year study article dated May 20, 2009. The research was conducted by The Institute for Landscape and Plant Ecology, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany. The authors of the study are Franzaring J, Holz I, Zipperle J, and Fangmeier A.
Air Pollution & Water Pollution Link
The Southwest Germany forest and grassland data showed that over time lead and sulfur concentrations from air pollution and rain water pollution steadily decreased, evidenced by tree foliage and grassland sample testing. The most decrease was in the 1990s. The reason provided by the study was environmental legislation and the implementing of cleaner technologies, such as unleaded gasoline and improved sulfur release control from heavy industries.
Nitrogen Environmental Problems
A steady increase of nitrogen concentrations, as evidenced by the study of beech leaves and soil samples, is ongoing according to the Southwest Germany study. The article points to evidence of “serious nutrient imbalances in many beech forests...due to heavy reactive nitrogen oxide (NOx) concentrations.” Also, the study claims NOx concentrations have caused land pollution by changing the soil chemistry and negatively affected plant nutrition, due to pollutants from the air and agricultural fertilizer runoff.
The twenty-year study included 64 forests and 18 grasslands ecosystems, in Southwest Germany, where samples were collected and analyzed during the study period. The article does not list the total details of accumulation of samples and testing because the complete study has not yet been published.
The article concludes that plant biological monitoring is effective in understanding environmental changes. The recommendation is that damaging element concentrations, and forests and grasslands nutrient imbalances, should continue to be monitored as an important part of overall environmental land pollution research. In addition to a chemical analysis the study advises testing:
- Biometric Parameters.
- Thousand needle or leaf weights.
- Biomass production in grassland plots.
- Stem increments in forest plots.
Lists of Environmental Problems From NOx
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists the health and environmental damaging family of nitrogen oxides as nitrogen dioxide, nitric acid, nitrous oxide, nitrates, and nitric oxide, in an (author unknown) EPA web site article. The article is titled, “Health and Environmental Impacts of NOx,” and is dated May 26, 2009. The EPA has prepared a national database of air emission pollution information for each state. The data comes from state and local agencies, and from industry sources.
An EPA 2002 U.S. chart of sources of NOx emissions, for the entire United States, can be accessed by clinking on the “emissions sources” link on the article web page. Also, on the "emissions sources" page is a state map of the U.S. Visitors can click on a state to get NOx sources and emission amounts.
The NOx sources and amounts in the U.S. according to the EPA's 2002 chart, listing in declining emissions order are:
- On Road Vehicles.
- Electricity Generation.
- Non Road Equipment.
- Fossil Fuel Combustion.
- Industrial Processes.
- Fires.
- Waste Disposal.
- Residential Wood Combustion.
- Solvent Use.
- Miscellaneous.
- Fertilizer & Livestock.
The Southwest Germany forest study reported a decrease in lead and sulfur concentrations, especially during the 1990s due to tighter regulations on major industries and unleaded gas. Nitrogen Oxide pollution has steadily increased. According to the EPA the highest source of NOx pollutants come from cars and other road vehicles burning gasoline and diesel.
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