Monitoring of the «lichen desert» in the Belgrade area (1980/81, 1991 and 2007)

Abstract

This paper treats long-term changes in area of the «lichen desert», i.e., the region characterized especially in the winter period) by average daily SO2 concentration exceeding 150 μg/m3 of air, the maximum allowable concentration MAC) for populated regions. Comparison of results obtained in 1980/81 and 1991 indicates that the "lichen desert" expanded from 12 to about 13 km2) as a consequence of deterioration of the air quality in the Belgrade area. Comparing the results obtained in 1991 with investigations carried out in 2007, we found that «lichen desert" shrank substantially in the Belgrade area to a current size of about 11 km2. The new boundaries of the «lichen desert» are presented, together with the main reasons for its shrinkage in the Belgade area during the last 16 years and predictions of further alterations in the future.