1
00:00:17,430 --> 00:00:14,950
the germans call it volchterben

2
00:00:20,150 --> 00:00:17,440
meaning death of the forests

3
00:00:23,109 --> 00:00:20,160
all over the world large wooded areas

4
00:00:24,390 --> 00:00:23,119
once lush and green are now sickly and

5
00:00:26,150 --> 00:00:24,400
gray

6
00:00:28,870 --> 00:00:26,160
seeking reasons for this dramatic

7
00:00:31,589 --> 00:00:28,880
decline scientists including a group

8
00:00:35,110 --> 00:00:31,599
from nasa have been studying the problem

9
00:00:37,110 --> 00:00:35,120
on camel's hump mountain in vermont

10
00:00:39,830 --> 00:00:37,120
this photograph was taken from camel's

11
00:00:42,150 --> 00:00:39,840
hump in 1963.

12
00:00:44,389 --> 00:00:42,160
here's what this same area looked like

13
00:00:46,630 --> 00:00:44,399
20 years later

14
00:00:49,350 --> 00:00:46,640
to find out why nasa researchers have

15
00:00:52,150 --> 00:00:49,360
been gathering samples of dying trees on

16
00:00:53,430 --> 00:00:52,160
various parts of the mountain

17
00:00:54,389 --> 00:00:53,440
there you go

18
00:00:57,510 --> 00:00:54,399
yep

19
00:01:00,150 --> 00:00:57,520
yeah look at the fluorosis on this one

20
00:01:02,790 --> 00:01:00,160
these samples bagged and labeled in the

21
00:01:04,710 --> 00:01:02,800
field will later be analyzed in area

22
00:01:06,950 --> 00:01:04,720
laboratories

23
00:01:09,429 --> 00:01:06,960
one theory why forests are dying is

24
00:01:10,550 --> 00:01:09,439
what's popularly referred to as acid

25
00:01:12,310 --> 00:01:10,560
rain

26
00:01:15,190 --> 00:01:12,320
pollutants caused by the burning of

27
00:01:17,270 --> 00:01:15,200
fossil fuels get into the atmosphere

28
00:01:18,310 --> 00:01:17,280
are moved around our planet by air

29
00:01:20,789 --> 00:01:18,320
currents

30
00:01:23,990 --> 00:01:20,799
and fall back to earth in the rain

31
00:01:26,149 --> 00:01:24,000
absorbed by plants and trees

32
00:01:28,469 --> 00:01:26,159
based on their analysis of the samples

33
00:01:31,030 --> 00:01:28,479
collected on camel's home nasa

34
00:01:34,230 --> 00:01:31,040
scientists are not convinced that acid

35
00:01:36,550 --> 00:01:34,240
rain is the sole cause of the problem

36
00:01:40,069 --> 00:01:36,560
but they do think it's a factor

37
00:01:42,310 --> 00:01:40,079
dr barry rock explained some rainfall

38
00:01:44,390 --> 00:01:42,320
measurements on camel's hump have been

39
00:01:46,710 --> 00:01:44,400
just horrendous we're approaching

40
00:01:48,710 --> 00:01:46,720
vinegar we're approaching battery acid

41
00:01:51,429 --> 00:01:48,720
in terms of the acidity

42
00:01:56,630 --> 00:01:51,439
uh certainly that's got to have some

43
00:02:00,389 --> 00:01:58,230
specially equipped

44
00:02:03,109 --> 00:02:00,399
and satellites are also being used in

45
00:02:05,190 --> 00:02:03,119
the investigation to produce imagery of

46
00:02:07,510 --> 00:02:05,200
the study sites

47
00:02:09,350 --> 00:02:07,520
because the health of a plant or tree

48
00:02:12,550 --> 00:02:09,360
determines how it shows up in these

49
00:02:15,350 --> 00:02:12,560
images they provide a very accurate way

50
00:02:17,430 --> 00:02:15,360
of discovering mapping and monitoring

51
00:02:19,990 --> 00:02:17,440
damaged areas

52
00:02:22,470 --> 00:02:20,000
nasa scientists now plan to use even

53
00:02:25,270 --> 00:02:22,480
more advanced airborne instruments to

54
00:02:28,229 --> 00:02:25,280
detect the very first stages of forest

55
00:02:30,790 --> 00:02:28,239
decline before it becomes obvious

56
00:02:32,470 --> 00:02:30,800
then we have some hope of being able to

57
00:02:35,110 --> 00:02:32,480
treat the patient before it is

58
00:02:37,670 --> 00:02:35,120
terminally ill

59
00:02:39,990 --> 00:02:37,680
small vermont sawmills and the worldwide

60
00:02:42,949 --> 00:02:40,000
lumber industry in general could soon

61
00:02:45,270 --> 00:02:42,959
begin feeling the impact of bolstering

62
00:02:48,630 --> 00:02:45,280
but as dr rock points out the problem

63
00:02:51,030 --> 00:02:48,640
really goes beyond economic concerns

64
00:02:53,190 --> 00:02:51,040
the spruce trees on camel sump and in

65
00:02:56,869 --> 00:02:53,200
the black forest are

66
00:02:59,270 --> 00:02:56,879
very sensitive indicators of stress

67
00:03:01,110 --> 00:02:59,280
and they may well end up being the the

68
00:03:03,190 --> 00:03:01,120
canary in the mine shaft

69
00:03:05,110 --> 00:03:03,200
and since we can't easily get out of our

70
00:03:07,350 --> 00:03:05,120
particular mine shaft we're going to

71
00:03:10,790 --> 00:03:07,360
have to start looking at means of

72
00:03:13,270 --> 00:03:10,800
improving the atmospheric conditions