United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Environmental Sciences
Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park NC 27711
Research and Development
EPA-600/S9-84-023 Nov. 1984
&EPA Project Summary
Atmospheric Deposition to
Mountain Forest Systems:
Workshop Proceedings
April 1984
Volker A. Mohnen
The Atmospheric Sciences Research
Center of the State University of New
York at Albany has organized and
hosted a workshop which specifically
addressed the need, design and
implementation of research, develop-
ment and monitoring with advanced
techniques for these purposes:
• to identify the contribution of acid-
ic and non-acidic pollutant
deposition to damage of forests on
mountain peaks, and
• to monitor air and cloud chemical
quality in regional transport winds
for possible source-receptor model
evaluation.
This report presents the results of the
workshop which was held in Albany,
New York, on April 5-7. 1984, with
over 40 invited participants from
universities, state and federal govern-
ment and the private sector.
The international aspect of this
workshop involved Canadian and Euro-
pean scientists and institutions. The
workshop participants recommended
the establishment of a research and
monitoring network extending from the
Smoky Mountains to the Laurentian
Mountains where forest and
atmospheric scientists can study and
test in detail the major hypotheses that
have been developed in attempts to
explain the current decline of forests.
Recommendations for atmospheric
research and monitoring are detailed in
this report. They include atmospheric
related measurements, deposition
related measurements, required mete-
orological measurements, analytical
procedures, and a management
structure for coordinating these above
activities at the various field sites.
A cost estimate for the recommended
study on atmospheric deposition and
its impact on high elevation forest
systems is also included.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's Environmental Sciences
Research Laboratory. Research Trian-
gle Park, NC. to announce key findings
of the research project that is fully doc-
umented in a separate report of the
same title (see Project Report ordering
information at back).
The EPA/NSF workshop on high
elevation forest systems was organized to
bring together leading representatives of
various scientific disciplines for the
purpose of developing jointly a
comprehensive research plan that would
enable an assessment as to what degree
atmospheric depositions are responsible
for the observed forest changes The
higher frequency of occurrence of forest
damage in high elevation versus low
elevation forest systems and the higher
deposition of pollution related material in
eastern North America versus the
western parts of the U.S. and Canada
suggest that the initial research efforts
should focus at this time on the impact of
cloud/precipitation elements and certain
air pollutants on the forests of the
northern and southern Appalachian
Mountains extending from the Lauren-
tian to the Smoky Mountains. The
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participation of Canadian and German
scientists in this workshop provides a
unique opportunity for adopting a
common research and implementation
strategy in all three countries.
Climate changes (i.e., drought) alone
cannot adequately explain the observed
damages to North American and Central
European forests. Manmade causes are
thus prime suspects. The wet and dry
depositions of acidic or acidifying
substances, organic and inorganic
oxidants, heavy metals, etc., from the
atmosphere onto the forest canopy and
their subsequent movements into the
ecosystem are considered by most
scientists as a major process by which
forest damage can occur. High elevation
mountain ecosystems can experience
higher deposition fluxes of pollution
related material because of (1) their
frequent exposure to clouds, fog, dew, or
related special deposition processes, and
(2) the high wind speeds aloft causing
higher collection efficiencies by the
canopy.
Four major hypotheses have been
developed in attempts to explain the
current decline of forests:
• The acidification-aluminum toxicity
hypothesis. Increased acidity in the
soil leads to increased concentra-
tions of soluble aluminum ions in the
soil solution which, in turn, results in
accelerated morbidity and/or
decreased synthesus of fine feeder
roots.
• The general stress hypothesis. "Air
pollution" had led to a decrease in
net photosynthesis and associated
diversion of photosynthesis from
mobile carbohydrates to relatively
less mobile and toxic secondary
metabolites.
• The magnesium deficiency hypoth-
esis. The decline symptoms often
occur in combination with extreme
magnesium deficiency in trees with
plentiful supplies of nitrogen and
phosphorous. According to this
hypothesis, acid deposition from the
atmosphere contributes to the
following growth disturbances: it
adds nitrogen to the ecosystem but
may leach out magnesium and
calcium from needles and soils. The
leaching from the foliage is presum-
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The data base management team will
provide for:
• Project analysis and reporting by the
Project Manager
• Providing comparisons and relation-
ship among data from different
project disciplines
• Transfer of the data to a national data
base
While existing instruments and
methods are adequate to make a useful
beginning in measurement of
atmospheric deposition into forests,
there are some serious limitations in
sensitivities for certain species in one or
more phases.
Technology limited types of
measurement include, for example, gas-
phase concentrations of H2O2, NH3 and
organic radicals in clouds or cloud-free
air, collection devices for automatically
collecting supercooled cloud/fog
droplets, and devices for measuring both
dry and wet deposition directly to foliage.
A Center for instrument technology is
recommended to focus on instrument
development and standardization and
calibration. The needs for such services
are by and large not unique to this
program, but common to main-stream
problems of atmospheric chemistry, and
acid deposition research, so that the work
of the Center will be of benefit to, and be
cooperative with, that of other groups
concerned with atmospheric sampling.
Several regions in eastern North
America show evidence of forest species
decline. Sites in or near these areas have
been selected as appropriate locations to
be integrated into a high elevation
atmospheric deposition network.
The interactions of the atmospheric-
terrestrial system is extremely compli-
cated. Some measurements and commit-
ments of personnel can become fairly
expensive. For this reason, it is suggested
that sites having primarily one of two
slightly different missions be established.
1) monitoring sites to be established
for the purpose of providing the data
required to test some or all of the
hypothesis being considered (at
least three such monitoring sites
are recommended); and
2) research sites which would addition-
ally provide the facilities and per-
sonnel to develop or improve
methods for sampling and analysis
which will guide the network
evolution from a research to a
monitoring focus. Three such
research sites are recommended for
eastern North America.
The recommended field sites are: Mt.
Morency, Laurentian Mts.; Mt. Washing-
ton, White Mts.; Hubbard Brook, White
Mts.; Camels Hump, Green Mts.; White-
face Mt., Adirondack Mts.; Mohonk Mt.,
Shawangunk Mts.; Shenandoah Mt.
(threesites); Mt. Mitchell, S.AppaJachian
Mts.; Look Rock, Smoky Mts. Site descrip-
tions have been obtained from personnel
responsible for each site.
Most important to the successful
operation of any site is the availability of
local resources of both technical and
professional staff. Their commitment to
research in the fields of deposition
and/or forest ecology must be evident
and their work, as judged by their peers,
to be of outstanding quality.
Efficiency of operation for a dispersed
and sophisticated sampling network of
the type recommended here requires an
equally efficient and well-integrated
communication, decision-making and
management system. The recommended
research program will include a
Management and Assessment Center
with a single scientific and technical
manager having both the responsibility
and authority to carry out this research
and monitoring program. It would be
responsible only for the U.S. efforts.
The various offices and/or components
reporting to the Management and Assess-
ment Center include:
• Cloud Chemistry Research and Mon-
itoring Sites
a. research sites (total of three are
recommended at this time)
b. monitoring sites (at least three
are recommended at this time)
• Meteorological and Climatological
Documentation Office for all sites
• Analytical Measurement Laboratory
(one centralized facility for all sites)
• Data Management and Quality
Control Off ice (one office for all sites)
• Data Documentation and Distribu-
tion Office (one office for all sites)
• Academic Exchange and Minority
Program Office (one office coordina-
ting the activities for all sites)
• Center for Advanced Instrumenta-
tion Technology (one central facility
serving all sites)
• Advisory Committee
The Management and Assessment
Center will rely on an advisement
committee which will consist of
representatives of sponsoring agencies,
the site directors, and recognized scien-
tific leaders working in related fields. It
will communicate directly with the site
directors, who in turn will have full
accountability and authority to oversee all
activities of the program at their site, in
accordance with the management plan
worked out in consultation with the
advisory committee.
As both government and university
policies encourage interaction with small
business at appropriate times,
cooperation with the small businesses
offers this program the opportunity to
interact with a wider range of scientists
and technicians. Three areas of this
program seem appropriate for such
interaction: 1) meteorology/climatology,
2) data base management, and 3) instru-
mentation. Traditionally, these areas have
been well developed in the private sector
and could offer substantial support to this
research effort.
The workshop developed a budget for
the recommended activities and a
timetable for implementation which
includes a phase-in approach. It is
anticipated that the proposed research
program can be in full operation within
three years.
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VolkerA. Mohnen is with the State University of New York. Albany. NY 12222.
Jack L. Durham is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Atmospheric Deposition to Mountain Forest
Systems: Workshop Proceedings, April 1984, "(Order No. PB 84-246 412; Cost:
$10.00, subject to change) will be available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Environmental Sciences Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC27711
•tf U.S GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE; 1984 — 559-016/7846
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Center for Environmental Research
Information
Cincinnati OH 45268
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