Forests in the Appalachian Mountains are downwind from coal-fired power plants and other industrial sources in the Midwest, thus forests are exposed to relatively high concentrations of metal pollutants. Despite heightened public concern and tighter regulations to reduce anthropogenic pollutants, spruce-fir forests in the Appalachian Mountains are declining. In previous work at our study site, elevated phytochelatins were correlated with red spruce (Picea rubens) forest decline by altitude. Phytochelatins are metal-binding peptides synthesized from glutathione, from the precursor cysteine. Phytochelatins provide a sensitive and direct indication of metals stress at the cellular level. Metal analysis in soils can reflect historical metals deposition, while lichens can reflect recent deposition. In previous research, we studied metal stress and phytochelatin production in P. rubens from six mountains in the Appalachian Mountains. We found that patterns of foliar uptake and PC production are complex, but appear consistent with induction by Zn and Cd in organic soil. Our current purpose was to collect data along an elevational gradient on Whiteface Mountain, New York to supplement the east-west transect data collected previously and to characterize mycorrhizal fungus communities on sapling and mature tree roots. In recent work, we i) explored elevation patterns in the dominance of mycorrhizal species using PCR, DNA sequencing, and BLAST search; ii) measured Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn in organic soil, mineral soil and metals uptake in P. rubens foliage and lichens; and iii) assessed P. rubens phytochelatin, glutathione, and cysteine production in order to monitor ongoing changes in red spruce response to metals deposition. While there was a consistent trend of increasing Pb and Zn with elevation in mineral soils, reflecting historic deposition patterns, there was no evidence for any systematic variation in metals content of foliage with elevation. Phytochelatin and mycorrhizal analyses are ongoing.