Evidence for Impacts of Near-ambient Ozone Concentrations on Vegetation in Southern Sweden

• Substantial impacts of near-ambient ozone concentrations on agricultural crops, trees, and seminatural vegetation are demonstrated for southern Sweden. Impacts of ambient ozone levels (2–15 μL L-¹ hr annual accumulated ozone exposure over a threshold of 40 nL L-¹ [AOT40]) range from a 2%–10% reduction for trees (e.g., leaf chlorophyll, tree growth) up to a 15% reduction for crops (e.g., yield, wheat/potato). Visible leaf injury on bioindicator plants caused by ambient ozone levels has been clearly demonstrated. The humid climatic conditions in Sweden promote high rates of leaf ozone uptake at a certain ozone concentration. This likely explains the comparatively large ozone impacts found for vegetation in southern Sweden at relatively low ozone concentrations in the air. It is important that the future methods used for the representation of ozone impacts on vegetation across Europe are based on the leaf ozone uptake concept and not on concentration-based exposure indices, such as AOT40.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Annan lantbruksvetenskap -- Miljö- och naturvårdsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Other Agricultural Sciences -- Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Lantbruksvetenskap, skogsbruk och fiske -- Skogsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries -- Forest Science (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Lantbruksvetenskap, skogsbruk och fiske -- Jordbruksvetenskap (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries -- Agricultural Science (hsv//eng)

Keyword

ozone

vegetation

crops

forest trees

Sweden

Östad

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)