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ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION AND FOREST DECLINE IN THE FRENCH MOUNTAINS

Obiettivo

TO IMPLEMENT AN INTEGRATED AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROGRAMME ON FOREST DECLINE IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE OTHER SPECIALIZED EUROPEAN RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS.
The French programme Deperissement des Forets et Pollution Atmospherique (DEFORPA) was set up to study the different possible causes of the forest decline, including atmospheric pollution. The studies consisted in field measurements of air pollutants and investigations on the mechanism of formation and deposition of pollutants.

Research was carried out on the following:
measurements of air pollution levels in the Vosges mountains;
mechanism of formation and deposition of pollutants in the Vosges mountains (involving local levels of ozone and peroxyacylnitrate (PAN) in air and deposition of small particles on a forested surface);
meso scale modelling of sulphur dioxide sulphuric acid conversion in cloudy air masses.

The research carried out on atmospheric pollution in the Vosges mountains within the DEFORPA programme indicated that this region is strongly influenced by polluted air masses coming from North and East industrialized and urban areas. The role of atmospheric pollution on forest decline in the Vosges mountains could not be firmly established. It was only stated that the seasonal high concentrations of ozone observed may produce physiological troubles to vegetation.
THIS RESEARCH PROJECT IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS :
A) IMPROVEMENT OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE DECLINE SYMPTOMS. THIS PART OF THE PROJECT INVOLVES STUDIES OF THESE SYMPTOMS IN SPRUCE AND FIR STANDS OF THE NORTHERN ALPS IN PARTICULAR.
THIS STUDY COMPRISES MORPHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, MULTISPECTRAL AIRCRAFT RECORDIND AND THE USE OF FAST PHYSIOLOGICAL TESTS (BARK AND LEAF PH, HAERTEL TEST...).
B) CONTINUATION OF EXPERIMENTS WITH YOUNG SPRUCE AND STUDY OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE TREATMENTS :
- EXCLUSION OPEN-TOP CHAMBERS AT THE DONON PASS
- FUMIGATION EXPERIMENT WITH 03, SO2, O3 + SO2 IN MONTARDON (PYRENEES ATLANTIQUES)
- PERIODICAL SPRAYING WITH ACID MIST COMBINED WITH DROUGHT IN NANCY.
THE INTENDED PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES ARE : PHOTOSYNTHESIS, RESPIRATION, STOMATAL ACTIVITY, ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY, PROTEIC AND TERPENIC COMPOSITION. WE INTEND TO PROVIDE THE FUMIGATION OTC IN MONTARDON WITH A DEVICE FOR THE CONTINUOUS MEASUREMENT OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC ACTIVITY.
C) STUDY OF THE IMPLICATION OF THE FOREST SOIL IN FOREST DECLINE :
-LEVEL OF EXCHANGEABLE ALUMINIUM IN CAPILLARY AND SEEPAGE WATER IN THE SOILS OF THE VOSGES
-STUDY OF THE ELEMENT CYCLE IN THE WATERSHED OF AUBURE : CATION LOSSES FROM THE WATERSHED, CHANGE IN WATER COMPOSITION THROUGH THE SPRUCE CANOPY AND THROUGH THE SOIL
-ESTIMATION OF DRY DEPOSITION BY THE AMERICAN METHOD OF LINDBERG AND LOWETT
-STUDY OF THE MYCORRHIZA IN HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY SPRUCE AND OF ROOT PARASITIC FUNGI (SPECIALLY ARMILLARIA).
LABORATORIES OF SEVERAL FRENCH INSTITUTES OR UNIVERSITIES ARE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT. NATIONAL INSTITUT FOR AGRONOMICAL RESEARCH (INRA), NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (CNRS), UNIVERSITIES OF PARIS-VAL-DE-MARNE, BORDEAUX, STRASBOURG, NANCY, GRENOBLE, TOULOUSE, BESANCON.
COOPERATION WITH GERMAN LABORATORIES OF STUTTGART, TUEBINGEN, FREIBURG, ENGLISH INSTITUTE OF TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY (BANGOR), UNIVERSITIES OF LOUVAIN AND LIEGE IS PLANNED IN THE FIELDS OF WATERSHED, PHYSIOLOGY, AND MYCORRHIZA STUDIES.

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Meccanismo di finanziamento

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinatore

Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
Contributo UE
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Indirizzo
147 rue de l'Université
75341 Paris
Francia

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