Deposited particles, element concentrations and needle injuries on Scots pines along an industrial pollution transect in northern Europe

Effects of total foliar element concentrations and particles deposited on needle surfaces on visible and cell level needle injuries were studied from Scots pines. A factor representing high foliar levels of Ni, Cu and S and low levels of Zn and Mn explained most of the variation in the number of needle age classes (r=−0.67) and tip necrosis (r=0.52). Stomatal chlorosis and other discolourations were explained by a factor representing high foliar concentrations of Ca, Fe, Si and Cl (r=0.74 and r=0.69 respectively). These injury variables also correlated clearly with the modeled SO2 concentration in the air. The cell level injuries studied did not show distinct relations to either the foliar element concentrations or the deposited particles