Skip to main content

Effects of Sulphur Dioxide on Forest Litter Decomposition and Nutrient Release

  • Conference paper
Air Pollution and Ecosystems

Summary

Sulphur dioxide gas is a potent inhibitor of respiration in decomposing pine litter at concentrations commonly encountered in rural air. Results from constant level and fluctuating level sulphur dioxide chamber fumigations, and from open air field fumigation systems, suggest that sulphur dioxide is readily dry deposited to forest litter, where it oxidises to form sulphuric acid. This in turn leads to a substantial drop in pH of the litter leading to enhanced leaching of cations, especially calcium and magnesium.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. van Breemen, N., Driscoll, C.T. and Mulder, J. (1984). Acidic deposition and internal proton sources in acidification of soils and waters. Nature. 307, 599–604.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Pace, T. (1985). Sources of acidification in central Europe estimated from elemental budgets in small basins.Nature. 315, 31–36.(3)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Craker, L.E. & Manning, W.J. (1974). Sulphur dioxide uptake by soil fungi. Environmental Pollution. 6, 309–311.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Abeles, F.B., Craker, L.E., Forrence, L.E. and Leather, G.R. (1971). Fate of air pollutants: Removal of ethylene, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide by soil. Science, 173, 914–916.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Grzywacz, A. and Wazny, J. (1973). The impact of industrial air pollutants on the occurence of several important pathogenic fungi of forest trees in Poland. European Journal of Forest Pathology. 3, 129–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Saunders, P.J.W. (1973). Effects of atmospheric pollution on leaf surface microflora. Pesticide Science. 4, 589–595.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Bevan, R.J. & Greenhalgh, G.N. (1976). Rhytisma acerinum as a biological indicator of pollution. Enviromental Pollution. 10, 271–285.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Grant, I.F., Bancroft, K. & Alexander, M. (1979). Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide effects on microbial activity in an acid forest soil. Microbial Ecology. 5, 85–89.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Wodzinski, R.S., Labeda, D.P. & Alexander, M. (1978). Effects of low concentrations of bisulphite, sulphite and nitrite on micro-organisms. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 35, 718–723.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Farrar, J.F., Relton, J. & Rutter, A.J. (1977). Sulphur dioxide and the growth of Pinus sylvestrls. Journal of Applied Ecology. 14, 861–875

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Ineson, P. & Gray, T.R.G. (1980). Monitoring the effects of acid rain and sulphur dioxide on soil micro-organisms. Society of Applied Bacteriology Tech. Ser. 15, 21–26.

    Google Scholar 

  12. McLeod, A.R., Fackrell, J.E. & Alexander, K. (1985). Open-air fumigation of field crops: criteria and design for a new experimental system. Atmospheric Environment 19, 1639–1649.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Zoettl, H.W. & Huettl, R.F. (1986). Nutrient supply and forest decline in southwest Germany. Water, air and soil pollution 31, 449–462.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1988 ECSC, EEC, EAEC, Brussels and Luxembourg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Ineson, P., Wookey, P.A. (1988). Effects of Sulphur Dioxide on Forest Litter Decomposition and Nutrient Release. In: Mathy, P. (eds) Air Pollution and Ecosystems. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4003-1_26

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4003-1_26

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8276-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-4003-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics