Studies on soil chemistry, dendrochronolgy and wood anatomy in the damaged forest area of Norilsk at the northern forest boundary in Siberia allowed reconstruction of the effects of sulphur dioxide and heavy metals on increment growth in larch and spruce. As the area of forest damage did not coincide with that of stress through heavy metals, it may be assumed that it was primarily SO₂ which caused the death of the trees. Extreme anthropogenically caused pollutant events result in an abrupt growth reduction together with severe needle loss and/or the sudden death of some individuals. The process of death in a forest is a very complex phenomenon, as the sensitivity of the trees is not only peculiar to different species but also influenced by site conditions.