Forest decline in Central Europe

Abstract

Summary This report describes a tour of forest decline sites in Central Europe. The areas visited included a relatively undamaged stand at Davos, Switzerland, and very severely damaged forests in northern Czechoslovakia. Research workers have conflicting views of the cause(s) of forest decline not directly associated with a point pollution source. One worker suggested that recent current concern about forest decline is due to increased public perception of a long standing problem. Other workers argued that forest decline is due to ozone or changes in the cation exchange capacity of the soil due to increased deposition of protons. The West German government has responded to public concern by funding many research projects and providing joint research facilities.