This volume contains papers presented at a NATO Advanced Research
Institute, sponsored by their Eco-Sciences Panel, on "The effects of
acid precipitation on vegetation and soils," held at Toronto, Canada
from May 22-26, 1978. The organizing expenses and greater part of the
expenses of the speakers and chair en were provided by N.A.T.O. The
scientific programme was planned by T. C. Hutchinson together with an
international planning committee of G. Abrahamsen (Norway), G. Likens
(U.S.A.), F.E. Last (U.K.), C.O. Tamm (Sweden) and B. Ulrich (W.
Germany). Many of the dimensions of the 'acid rain' problem are common
to countries of northern Europe and North America. The developing
awareness over the past ten years of the international nature of the
acid rain phenomenon has lead to studies documenting damaging effects on
susceptible freshwater bodies. Large areas of the Canadian Pre-Cambrian
Shield, with its extension into the United States, and the granitic
areas of southern Norwayand Sweden contain lakes which are in the
process of acidification. The biological resources of these affected
areas are of considerable national concern. However, while clearly
damaging effects of acidification on freshwater systems have been well
documented, the impact of acid precipitation on terrestrial systems has
not been so well understood.