Environmental population and forest stress: A multidisciplinary approach study on alpine forest ecosystems

A two-years research program has been developed by the Lombardy Foundation for the Environment (FLA) which aims to investigate the effects of air and soil pollution on forest ecosystems. The project has assembled a multidisciplanry research group to study forest decline using the approaches of geobotany, genetics, plant physiology and biochemistry, plant pathology, soil chemistry and microbiology. Air and soil pollution have been monitored by measuring wet and dry deposition, gaseous pollutants and soil heavy metals and xenobiotics. Environmental pollution has also been determined by using lichens and other plant and animal bioindicators.