Soil Biological Parameters as Indicators of Changes in Scots Pine Forests (Pinus sylvestris L.) Caused by Air Pollution

Certain soil parameters were studied in three areas of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests subjected to long-term stress from industrial air pollution by different point sources. In the Oulu area the status of mycorrhizal fungi, soil biological activity and the amount of fungal mycelium, in the Kuopio area cellulose decomposition and in the Harjavalta area the decomposition of green Scots pine needle litter were studied. Long-term deposition of a variety of air pollutants will lead to severe changes in soil biology, of which sporophore production of mycorrhizal fungi, number of mycorrhizal types, number of root tips per soil volume, biological activity of soil and green needle litter decomposition seemed to be suitable parameters for detecting depressive changes.