A comparison of two different approaches for mapping potential ozone damage to vegetation. A model study

• Two very different types of approaches are currently in use today for indicating risk of ozone damage to vegetation in Europe. One approach is the so-called AOTX (accumulated exposure over threshold of X ppb) index, which is based upon ozone concentrations only. The second type of approach entails an estimate of the amount of ozone entering via the stomates of vegetation, the AFstY approach (accumulated stomatal flux over threshold of Y nmol m(-2) s(-1)). The EMEP chemical transport model is used to map these different indicators of ozone damage across Europe, for two illustrative vegetation types, wheat and beech forests. The results show that exceedences of critical levels for either type of indicator are widespread, but that the indicators give very different spatial patterns across Europe. Model simulations for year 2020 scenarios suggest reductions in risks of vegetation damage whichever indicator is used, but suggest that AOT40 is much more sensitive to emission control than AFstY values. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

EMISSIONS

DEPOSITION MODULE

ozone

mapping

AOT40

TROPOSPHERIC OZONE

vegetation damage

AOT

EUROPE

FLUX

EXPOSURE

CONTROL STRATEGIES

INDEXES

AIR-POLLUTION

stomatal flux

TRANSPORT

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)