Air pollution has been recognized as a potential problem for forests for nearly 150 years. Today, sulphur dioxide, fluorides, heavy metals and ozone are a significant problem, usually from large scale sources in industrial and urban areas. Problems are exacerbated in those regions where there is a poor understanding of the factors involved in forest decline and destruction and no rigorous control over it has been established. This book is the first report from the International Union of Forest Research Organization's (IUFRO) Task Force on Environmental Change and provides an assessment of the...

This book examines the importance of air pollution for the forests of rapidly industrializing countries and regions. Its geographical coverage includes South and Central America, Africa, and Asia, including Siberia, China and Korea.

The problems presented by air pollution are placed within the more general context of sustainable development within these regions and the historical legacy that they are attempting to deal with. Attention is drawn to the very serious problems associated with poor air quality in cities such as Mexico City and Chongqing, China. Air pollution in these...