The aim of the project is to monitor forest health in the border areas between Norway and Russia. The impact on the forest ecosystems in the border areas is varying. In the areas close to the nickel smelter (in Nikel), the damage is serious, while the damage on the Norwegian areas are much less. Here the damage is mostly related to lack of lichen vegetation on birch stems. The moss vegetation in the bottom layer is also influenced. In some cases, when certain weather conditions fell together with high emissions of sulphur dioxide, visible damage has been developed on leaves of shrubs and trees, even on Norwegian territory. Even the emission normally does not cause visible damage on Norwegian territory; chemical influenced is traced over large Norwegian areas
Aarrestad, P.A. & Aamlid, D. 1999. Vegetation monitoring in South-Varanger, Norway: Species composition of ground vegetation and its relation to environmental variables and pollution impact. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 58:1-21.
Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Tungasletta 2, N-7485 Trondheim, Norway