NATURE OF ECONOMIC LOSSES RESULTING FROM THE EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTANTS ON PLANTS

摘要

Plant scientists have developed methods of assessing losses from plant damage caused by air pollutants through practice in particular cases during several decades of experience. However, there have been only a few attempts to assess the aggregate economic effects resulting from air pollution damage to plants. One example is the study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture1 in which was estimated the annual amount of U.S. crops lost because of air pollution between 1950 and 1960. Similar estimates have not been reported by the USDA for later years. No attempt has been made to allocate the total loss among farm crops, forest trees, ornamental plants, and home garden crops;nor among localities;nor among the pollutants responsible for the losses.