To determine the importance of Al-availability for soil micro-organisms 95 forest soils from Tyrol/Austria with comparable topography, vegetation, climatic conditions, soil type and with low soil pH (median = 3.9) were investigated for their physical (percentage of stable aggregates, water holding capacity), chemical (pH, electrical conductivity, contents of organic matter, concentrations of easily extractable aluminium, calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus) and microbiological characteristics (microbial biomass and respiration, metabolic quotient, content of ATP, activities of protease and CM-cellulase, cfu-values of total and Al-tolerant bacteria and fungi). A highly significant negative correlation was detected between concentrations of KCl-extractable aluminium and soil pH. By the application of multivariate statistical methods, the effect of the concentration of KCl-extractable aluminium on abundance and activities of soil micro-organisms could be revealed. Al turned out to be of great importance for micro-organisms and often outmatched the significance of other well known soil properties like organic matter, pH or water holding capacity. However, due to very healthy trees at the sites under investigation no effect of Al or soil acidification on forest decline could be detected.

The historical Japanese city of Kyoto boasts a great many old Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, many of which are surrounded by sizable forests that have long been preserved as sacred forests. However, acidic deposition has been fallen on the forests in Kyoto for many years. For this study, we conducted soil surveys and investigated the extent of decline of the trees in two Shinto shrines as historic monuments of ancient Kyoto. Our study revealed clear decline in two key tree species (Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) and Chamaecyparis obtusa (Japanese cypress)) in both shrines, with some trees showing signs of mortality. The soil was acidic, with an average pH of 4.35. Nutrient salt content too was only about one tenth the national average, with exchangeable Ca (0.52 cequiv./kg) and Mg (0.23 cequiv./kg) for 0-20 cm surface soil. The (Ca+Mg+K)/Al molar ratios were also very low, with 80% of all soil samples having a ratio of 10 or below. Such soil conditions are thought to hamper the sound growth of both Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress, and soil acidification is one of the most likely causes of the decline of temple and shrine forests in Kyoto.

Air pollution is considered to be one of the main causes of forest decline. The cambium is responsible for increase in tree girth, and its functioning is determined by environmental pressures. This study compared cambium histology of Ceiba speciosa (A. St.-Hil.) Ravenna (Malvaceae) in polluted and preserved sites in the Atlantic Rainforest domain. Samples were obtained during periods of cambial activity and dormancy and were processed and examined according to standard light microscopy techniques. In addition to differences typically observed in cambium during periods of activity and dormancy, the fusiform initials were shorter in trees of the polluted site. Furthermore, cambial rays were shorter, but larger, in the polluted site. It should be noted that all parameters related to cambial rays showed significant differences between the study sites. This is the first report of the effects of pollution on cambial activity in a South American species. The results suggest a tolerance of C. speciosa to pollution and reveal this species to be an important biomarker for environmental monitoring studies.

Considerable uncertainty has surrounded the relationship between forest growth and forest declines in Europe. Although growth decreases have been recorded in several years, by the end of the 1980s, increment at many sites had reached a level higher than any previously recorded. Fertilization by carbon dioxide, favourable climatic conditions and better stand management may all have contributed.