Air quality as reflected by injury to metropolitan vegetation

Abstract

Chemical monitoring is the classical way of defining air quality. However, the ability of plants to reflect changes in air quality must not be overlooked because certain species respond in definite ways to gaseous pollutants. In New Jersey, chemical-monitoring data and plant-injury data have proved supportive for SO₂. While oxidant concentrations seemed to agree with plant data, recent changes in monitoring procedures have made the relationship unclear. Plant data have provided the only evidence for the presence of toxic amounts of fluoride in the air and have warned of the existence of as yet unidentified substances that impair air quality.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the conference on metropolitan physical environment

Citation

Rhoads, A. F.; Brennan, E. 1977. Air quality as reflected by injury to metropolitan vegetation. In: Heisler, Gordon M.; Herrington, Lee P., eds. Proceedings of the conference on metropolitan physical environment; Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-25. Upper Darby, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 303-307