Abstract

The smelting Cu-Ni industry in the central Kola Peninsula, Northern Russia, has caused large-scale forest decline due to emissions of sulphur dioxide and heavy metals. The objective was to monitor the dynamics of the forest-damage area around the 'Severonikel' smelter between 1978 and 1996. Landsat-MSS and -TM summer images were used for the change-detection analysis. The method applied was histogram matching with subsequent subtraction. Unsupervised classification was used for mapping in 1996. The analysis was supported by ground truth data from summer 1996. A forest impact model predicted damage that had accumulated since 1960. Effects of topography and peak episodes were highlighted by 3D modelling. (i) An expansion of the forest-damage area was identified between 1978 and 1992 with subsequent stabilisation between 1992 and 1996. (ii) The exceptional forest damage in 1992 might be due to a peak episode or extreme climatic conditions. (iii) The sheltering role of mountains is shown. Frequent temperature inversions worsen the environmental situation. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Published in

Science of the Total Environment
1999, Volume: 229, number: 3, pages: 147-163
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

SLU Authors

• Hagner, Olle

  • Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Olsson, Håkan

  • Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(99)00078-9

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/24641