Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Emissions
SO
2
H
2
O
2
PANs
NO
x
O
3
Others
Acid
deposition
Direct damage to
leaves and bark
Reduced
photosynthesis
and growth
Increased
susceptibility to
drought, extreme
cold, insects,
mosses, and
disease organisms
Soil acidification
Tree death
Leaching
of soil
nutrients
Release
of toxic
metal ions
Root
damage
Reduced nutrient
and water uptake
Acids
Lake
Groundwater
Active Figure 15-9
Natural capital degradation:
air pollutants are one of several interacting stresses that
can damage, weaken, or kill trees and pollute surface and groundwater.
See an animation based on this figure
and take a short quiz on the concept.
Figure 15-10
Natural capital degrada-
tion:
damage (mostly from acid deposi-
tion) to high elevation Fraser fir and red
spruce trees in Mount Mitchell State
Park, North Carolina. Trees on the left
(windward) side of the mountain are the
most damaged from prolonged expo-
sure to polluted air blowing in mostly
from older coal and industrial plants in
the midwestern United States without
adequate pollution controls (red dots in
Figure 15-7).
