Koptsik, G., Eldhuset, T., Koptsik, S., Aamlid, D.
Response of boreal forest ecosystems to extreme air pollution from nickel-processing industry. Chapter 7.

In: Nickel in Relation to Plants / B. Ali, S. Hayat, A. Ahmad (Eds.). Narosa Publishing House Pvt Ltd., New Delhi, India. 2009. P. 141-172.

Annotation:

The chapter reviews the available literature about the adverse effects of excess nickel on plants and their adaptation mechanisms. The study is focused on forest ecosystems exposed to extreme air pollution from the nickel-processing industry in Northern Fennoscandia. Long-term deposition of heavy metals and sulphur has caused strong soil contamination and severe damage to trees and ground vegetation, their structure, composition and chemistry. Tree leaves, branches and bark as well as dwarf shrubs, mosses and lichens show clearly elevated concentrations of nickel and copper in the surroundings of the smelters. Multivariate analyses show that changes in the element composition of plants depend both on air pollution and on natural factors. Besides direct input of pollutants from atmosphere, soil contamination and nutritional disturbance contribute significantly to the observed changes. Despite decline in emissions, extreme pool of heavy metals accumulated in surface soils is expected to influence plant metabolism and chemistry over a long period of time.

For soil scientists, ecologists, biologists, biogeochemists and forestry specialists.

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