Evaluation of the European method for mapping lichen diversity (LDV) as an indicator of environmental stress in the Czech Republic

Biologia ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Svoboda
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Landscape Ecology ◽  
Environmental Stress ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Lichen Diversity ◽  
Bohemian Karst ◽  
European Method

AbstractThe European method for mapping lichen diversity (LDV) as an indicator of environmental stress/quality in the Czech Republic was evaluated to determine its applicability in this country. A modified Hawksworth & Rose qualitative scale for determining air pollution levels was used for comparative purposes. The study was undertaken in a partially forested and reasonably polluted region of the Bohemian Karst in central Bohemia during 2003. Measurements obtained by the LDV method yielded values in the range 18–65; measurements obtained by the modified Hawksworth & Rose method indicated zones 4–7, with a high correlation with the LDV results. The LDV method proved to be applicable in the region, but its implementation may be limited by the lack of suitable trees and specific landscape ecology.

scholarly journals Impact of Air Pollution on the Health of the Population in Parts of the Czech Republic

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (18) ◽  
pp. 6454
Author(s):  
Radim J. Sram
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Local Heating ◽  
The United States ◽  
Respiratory Morbidity ◽  
Surprising Result ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Impact

Thirty years ago, Northern Bohemia in the Czech Republic was one of the most air polluted areas in Europe. After political changes, the Czech government put forward a research program to determine if air pollution is really affecting human health. This program, later called the “Teplice Program”, was initiated in collaboration with scientists from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). This cooperation made possible the use of methods on the contemporary level. The very high concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter of 10 micrometers or less (PM10), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in the air showed, for the first time, the impact of air pollutants on the health of the population in mining districts: adverse pregnancy outcomes, the impact of air pollution on sperm morphology, learning disabilities in children, and respiratory morbidity in preschool children. A surprising result came from the distribution of the sources of pollution: 70% of PM10 pollution came from local heating and not from power plants as expected. Thanks to this result, the Czech government supported changes in local heating from brown coal to natural gas. This change substantially decreased SO2 and PM10 pollution and affected mortality, especially cardiovascular mortality.

scholarly journals Development of forest stands condition and its monitoring in the Czech Republic

2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (No. 11) ◽  
pp. 514-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Fabiánek ◽  
V. Henžlík ◽  
K. Vančura
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
General Information ◽  
Forest Damage ◽  
Candidate Country ◽  
Pollution Effects ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Icp Forests ◽  
Air Pollution Effects ◽  
Assessment And Monitoring

In 1986, the UN ECE established the International Cooperative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (hereinafter ICP Forests) to respond on the growing concern about forest damage caused since the beginning of eighties by air pollution load. Pan-European grid of the (ICP Forests) monitoring plots represents one of the most important systems of forest ecosystems assessing and checking. The Czech Republic is unfortunately well known due to this problem and so the country joined ICP Forest Programme since the very beginning. The paper presents general information on Czech forest stand condition that gained through various methods in the past as well as in the frame of ICP Forests. The participation in the International Cooperative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests) represents a contribution of the EU candidate country to the fulfillment of the Reg. (EEC) No. 3528/86. However it seems that effects and importance of air pollution are decreasing, a lot of new stress situations exists and there is a need for continuing the programme.

scholarly journals Long-Term Trends of Air Pollution at National Atmospheric Observatory Košetice (ACTRIS, EMEP, GAW)

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 537
Author(s):  
Milan Váňa ◽  
Adéla Holubová Smejkalová ◽  
Jaroslava Svobodová ◽  
Pavel Machálek
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Kendall Test ◽  
Significant Drop ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
International Projects ◽  
Long Term Trends

The National Atmospheric Observatory Košetice operated by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute was established in 1988 as a station specializing in air quality monitoring at the background scale. The observatory is located in the free area outside of the settlement and represents the Czech Republic in various international projects. The objective of the present study is to detect the long-term trends of air quality at the background scale of the Czech Republic. The statistical method used for trend analysis is based on the nonparametric Mann–Kendall test. Generally, the results show that the fundamental drop in emission of basic air pollutants was reflected in the significant decrease in pollution levels. A most significant drop was detected for sulphur. No trend was found for NO2 in 1990–2012, but a visibly decreasing tendency was registered in the last 7 years. A slightly decreasing trend was registered for O3 in the whole period, but a slightly increasing tendency was found after 2006. More importantly, the number of episodes exceeding the target value for human health dropped significantly. The reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions was reflected in a statistically significant decrease of concentrations. Only isoprene, which is of natural origin, displays an inverse trend. Concentrations of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) dropped since 2010, but only for EC is the trend statistically significant.

Air pollution and infant mortality in the Czech Republic, 1986-88

The Lancet ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 340 (8826) ◽  
pp. 1010-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bobak ◽  
D.A. Leon
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Infant Mortality ◽  
The Czech Republic
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