Critical loads were estimated for over more than 1400 receptors supporting forest vegetation in northern Belgium using simple mass balance method. Necessary data were derived from old historical soil database, recent data from forest surveys, meteo data, level I and II plots and regional studies concerning elemental sequestration in woody biomass. Deposition estimates were performed with the OPS-model, which had been validated with deposition measurements of N and S in 6 level II plots over the period 1994-1998. In addition, an edge enhancement factor was calculated to account for enhanced deposition in plots situated in forest edges

The main objective of this paper is to analyse regeneration regularities of damaged trees during the period of decreased environmental pollution load. Investigations concentrated on Scots pine tree height and radial increment, branch length increment, amount of branches on the verticil and needle and whole crown mass. Model trees were selected in 3 stands located on 3.5, 10 and 21 km from the plant according to their development classes and condition

Phenotypical differentiation between and within populations was observed. During the last decade, vitality decreased for both species in the observation plots in accordance with the general trend in Germany. Differences between the species were detected for single symptomatic traits like bark necroses. The genetic analyses with isozyme markers as well as cpDNA haplotypes resulted in remarkable differences between species

Since 1990 the investigations of quality of some components of nature environment were carried out on selected permanent plots in Protected Landscape Area Ponitrie focused on pollutant contents. The increased concentration of pollutants in precipitation from the top of the Vtacnik Mts. indicates firstly the effect of the nearby thermal power station, secondly documents an increased immission load on forest ecosystems in ridge positions of these mountains

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research is presently being used in several projects on air pollution studies supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Plenipotentiaries of the country members of JINR. They involve moss and lichen biomonitoring techniques and GIS technology for constructing geographical maps of atmospheric deposition patterns of key heavy metals and a number of additional elements. Multi-element INAA is considered to be a reference analytical technique providing most reliable results for the bulk elemental content due to the non-destructive way of sample preparation for analysis

Results obtained by crown status estimation and branch structure transformation assessment methods are also applicable at forest stand level. By means of these methods we can reconstruct a scheme of probable stress response history for individual trees with possibility to distinguish three different types of stress response behaviour. The goal of our study was to describe a stress response history of single trees and corresponding forest stands, diverse in different level of multiple stress impact, and to localize investigated trees in the stress response scheme

Instrumental neutron activation analysis was used for determination of element concentration in 10 year old segments of lime wood in extremely polluted area in Central Spis. We found the highest concentrations of Al, As, Au, Br, Cl, K, Na, Rb, Sb and Sm in the oldest 80-90 year old forest. The same elements were determined in atmospheric deposition with moss bio-monitoring technique. In the area of Central Spis we found in comparison with Norwegian limit values exceeded levels for the elements as given similarly for comparison with Magnitogorsk in Ural Mountains

Forest soil condition in Slovakia harmonised with the programme ICP Forests has been monitored since 1988. There are presented some results of the first complete survey for 111 observation plots and three sampling depths (overlaying humus layer, 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm layer of mineral soil). Geological and geochemical diversity has resulted in rather differentiated forest soil condition and soil properties in Slovakia. That has strong effect on sensitivity to soil acidification as well as it brings other risks of air pollution impact

Ozone is a well-known phytotoxic agent causing damage to vegetation in parts of North America and Europe. Transboundary or long-range transport of ozone from Western Europe and the generation of ozone from local and regional precursors results in increasing ozone concentrations in Central and Eastern Europe, including the Carpathian Mountaians. Other air pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ammonia and heavy metals may also affect the health of Carpathian forests. During the 2000-2002 summer seasons, concentrations of ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ammonia were monitored with passive samplers. Results of those measurements will be used for development of GIS models of spatial and temporal distribution of air pollutants

Ailanthus altissimia Desf. is a non-native species spread throughout the Southern Europe as invasive plant. It demonstrated to be very sensitive to ozone and ozone-polluted environment, develops brownish stipples on the upper leaf surface. In the 2001 summer 12 young plants were placed in a site near the city of Florence (Italy), where high levels of ozone were experienced. Six of them were regularly watered and six were watered only when the wilting of their leaves was evident. Regular assessments were done during the experiment. They concerned growth, production of new leaves, dead and shedding of old leaves, visible symptoms of damage, stomatal conductance and CO2 uptake, chlorophyll fluorescence. The results suggest that the sensitivity to ozone of watered plants is connected to their higher growth ratio and stomatal conductance. Ozone plays a more important role than drought in producing foliar stress conditions