Pacific Southwest

Title: Impact of urban environmental pollution on growth, leaf damage, and chemical constituents of Warsaw urban trees

Author: Chmielewski, Waldemar; Dmuchowski, Wojciech; Suplat, Stanislaw

Date: 1998

Source: In: Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Arbaugh, Michael J.; Schilling, Susan L., tech. coords. Proceedings of the international symposium on air pollution and climate change effects on forest ecosystems. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-166. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 215-219

Station ID: GTR-PSW-166

Description: In the last 10 years, 3.5 percent of the tree population died annually in PolandÕs largest and most polluted cities, which is a problem of economic importance. Dieback of streetside trees in Warsaw is a long term process. It is an effect of biological reactions of trees to unfavorable conditions in the urban environment, particularly air and soil pollution and water deficiency. The process is being intensified by microclimatic changes leading to xerism of the environment (lowering of air humidity and rising of air temperature). To study this problem Crimean linden (Tilia euchlora K. Koch) trees were examined. Crimean linden, constituting over 40 percent of Tilia in urban areas, and used in the reconstruction of urban plantings after World War II at the beginning of 1950. Observation of phenologic development of trees indicated a shortening of their vegetation period (up to 30 days) depending on the proximity to the city center. The dendrometric examinations revealed a reduction of trunk diameter of the affected trees. These changes were accompanied by morphological dieback of leaves observed in the beginning of July. Significant correlations were found between the leaf damage and chemical concentration of some nutrients and pollutant elements.

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Citation

Chmielewski, Waldemar; Dmuchowski, Wojciech; Suplat, Stanislaw  1998.  Impact of urban environmental pollution on growth, leaf damage, and chemical constituents of Warsaw urban trees.   In: Bytnerowicz, Andrzej; Arbaugh, Michael J.; Schilling, Susan L., tech. coords. Proceedings of the international symposium on air pollution and climate change effects on forest ecosystems. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-166. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: 215-219.