The long-term impact of air pollutants emitted by oil shale industry on gro
wth and needle retention in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L) was examined at
Kose, in the middle of the North-East Estonian industrial region. Control
trees were chosen in a stand growing at Lehtmetsa, North Estonia, 130 km fr
om Kose. Ar both sites, ten pine trees were felled and analysed for the hei
ght and radial growth rate, and needle retention by using the needle trace
method. During the period of 1964-1997, the average height increment of the
trees was 47 and 37 cm yr(-1) (P < 0.001) and the average radial increment
2.11 and 0.93 mm yr(-1) (P < 0.001) at Kose and Lehtmetsa respectively. Th
e mean needle age was 2.0 and 2.1 years (P = 0.06), the mean number of need
les on newly sprouted shoots was 266 and 228 (P<0.001), and the average nee
dle density was 5.9 and 9.1 cm(-1) (P < 0.001) at Kose and Lehtmetsa, respe
ctively. Changes in concentrations of neither fly ash nor SO2 caused variat
ions in the growth of trees and needle retention at Kose.