ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Assessment of Bark Reaction of Select Tree Species
as an Indicator of Acid Gaseous Pollution
Karolina Steindor, Bernard Palowski, Paweł Góras, Aleksandra Nadgórska-Socha
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Department of Ecology, University of Silesia,
Bankowa 9, 40-007 Katowice, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2011;20(3):619-622
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
pH values of the bark of the common tree species black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), sycamore
maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.), European yew (Taxus baccata L.), and European ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.)
were evaluated to determine the acid gaseous pollution impact on their bark in eight heavily industrialized
cities of southern Poland and relatively unpolluted areas of the Beskidy Mountains, Częstochowa Upland, and
Nida Basin. It has been stated that the correlation between SO2 levels in the atmosphere and the reaction of
tree bark exists in all investigated tree species. Hence, the reaction of the bark of these species could be used
as a simple indicator of air pollution. The results suggest that the European ash bark could be the best bioindicator.