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Treesearch

Extent of ozone injury to trees in the western United States

Informally Refereed
Download (PDF 82 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/27446.pdf

Abstract

The widespread nature of ozone air pollution in California and the suspected potential for ozone damage to forests near cities in other Western States led to field surveys and establishment of monitoring plots beginning in the mid–1960’s. The surveys and plot results were divided into three categories depending on the evidence of injury that was documented, including (1) surveys that failed to reveal any evidence of injury even though ozone air pollution was suspected; (2) visible foliar injury that was detected although no structural or functional changes were evident in the forest ecosystem; and (3) the presence of both foliar injury and structural and functional changes. Recent monitoring has shown that ozone air pollution has not caused damage to pines in Colorado or western Washington. Slight damage was found in southern Arizona, slight to moderate damage was extensive in the Sierra Nevada, and moderate to severe damage was evident in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California.

Parent Publication

Citation

Miller, Paul R. 1996. Extent of ozone injury to trees in the western United States. In: Miller, Paul R.; Stolte, Kenneth W.; Duriscoe, Daniel M.; Pronos, John, technical coordinators. Evaluating ozone air pollution effects on pines in the western United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW–GTR–155. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 1-6 p.