A. Mäkelä , P. Hari, Seppo Kellomäki

A model for the effect of air pollutants on forest growth.

Mäkelä A., Hari P., Kellomäki S. (1981). A model for the effect of air pollutants on forest growth. Silva Fennica vol. 15 no. 4 article id 5151. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a15378

Abstract

A model was constructed, the aim of which was to predict growth under conditions where air pollutants are present. The model is based on photosynthesis and on the allocation of photosynthetic products for growth. It is assumed that air pollutants released during energy production mainly affect photosynthesis in two ways: 1) directly by injuring the photosynthetic mechanism, and 2) indirectly by leaching nutrients. The two ways were studied empirically in order to identify a sub-model for the photosynthesis of a plant exposed to air pollutants. 

The stand model will be applied to two purposes. The present stage of forests in Finland is compared with the simulated state based on the assumption that no pollutants are present. In addition, the decrease in forest yield under different conditions derived from predictions about long-range pollutant transport in Europe is analysed.

Keywords
photosynthesis; growth; modelling; air pollution; environmental impact; allocation of photosynthates

Published in 1981

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Available at https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a15378 | Download PDF