Evaluation of pollution-related stress factors for forest ecosystems in central Europe

Since the early eighties air pollution by SO2 and Pb and, to a lesser degree by NOx and NH3, have been significantly reduced in Europe. This was done in part for the protection of forest ecosystems. The reductions are reflected in the pollutant impacts and inputs and have been verified through the bioindicator Norway spruce. In contrast, ozone concentrations increased at most of the evaluated measuring locations and trends were calculated based on the results of about 100 stations in Austria and Germany. Despite reduced emissions, large parts of the forest ecosystems are still affected by air-pollution impacts. Negative effects can be assessed using different legal standards and Critical Levels and Critical Loads, respectively: The legal standard for the evaluation of SO2 impact, as used in Austria, is well suited. The provisional European Critical Level for ozone, the AOT40 must, in order to be a meaningful criterion for field applications, be further refined. Continuing the Critical Load concept, the spatial risk of acid depositions in areas of high geomorphic variability were evaluated using the new parameter of 'critical soil depth'. With the help of the newly defined 'lead accumulation index', the accumulation of Pb from air pollution could be evaluated. Air-pollution inputs and the spatial acidification risk is directly related to altitude. Up to altitudes of 1000 m and 1100 m, SO2 impact and acid depositions, respectively were indicated and elevated ozone doses and Pb inputs were observed in the sensitive sub-alpine areas. These results underline the necessity for increased protection of mountain forest ecosystems, among others through a further reduction of emissions or forest-related strategies.     

Ozone exposure

Increased tropospheric ozone concentrations cause damage to both human health and the environment. To assess the exposure of forest areas and selected tree species to ozone, it is necessary to calculate the ozone exposure distribution. The present article describes the application of an ozone interpolation model to the calculation of the ozone exposure distribution in combination with forest inventory data. The exposure of forest regions to ozone was assessed by means of an AOT40 map (accumulated ozone exposure over a threshold of 40 ppb). The calculation was performed by hourly running of the model during the summer term and accumulation of the patterns that exceeded 40 ppb. The exposure of the primary Austrian tree species to ozone can be assessed due to the spatial relation of ozone exposure and tree species patterns. This spatial relation also allows the verification of assumptions concerning ozone-related tree damage.     

Simulations of stomatal conductance and ozone uptake to Norway spruce saplings in open-top chambers

A simulation model was developed to estimate the stomatal conductance and ozone flux to Norway spruce saplings in open-top chambers. The model was parameterized against needle conductance measurements that were made on 4-6-year-old spruce saplings, grown in open-top chambers, in July-September during three different seasons. The spruce saplings were either maintained well watered or subject to a 7-8 week drought period in July-September each year. The simulated conductance showed a good agreement with the measured conductance for the well-watered as well as the drought stress-treated saplings. The simulations were significantly improved when different vapour pressure deficit (VPD) functions were applied for well-watered and drought-stressed spruce saplings. The cumulated ozone uptake which was calculated from the conductance simulations showed less variation between years, compared to the cumulative ozone exposure index AOT40 (accumulated exposure over a threshold of 40 ppb or nl l(-1)) for the corresponding time periods. Measurements in May 1995 demonstrated the occurrence of long-term 'memory-effects' from the drought stress treatments on the conductance. Memory-effects need to be considered when simulation models for stomatal conductance are to be applied to long-lived forest trees under a multiple stress situation.     

The use of light and electron microscopy to assess the impact of ozone on Norway spruce needles

Light (LM) and transmission electron (TEM) microscopy were used to study previously specified ozone symptoms in the foliage of Norway spruce. The three youngest green needle generations from twenty mature trees in two stands on sites of different soil fertility at Asa, southern Sweden, were sampled in 1999. The critical dose of ozone, expressed as AOT40, was 6,362 ppb.h. LM showed ozone-specific symptoms: decreased chloroplast size with electron dense stroma advancing gradually from the outer to the inner cell layers, being most severe in the needle side facing the sky. The symptoms were expressed as ozone syndrome indices at the needle generation, tree and stand levels. The index had higher values at the low fertility site. TEM was used to confirm the LM results. The study shows that LM can be used for diagnosis of the impact of ozone on conifers in the field.     

Shoot growth of mature Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies in relation to ozone

Epidemiological analysis of sequential growth data may be a tool in assessing ozone sensitivity of mature trees. Annual shoot growth of mature Fagus sylvatica in 83 Swiss permanent forest observation plots and of Picea abies in 61 plots was evaluated for 11 and 8 consecutive years, respectively, using branches harvested every 4 years. The data were assessed as annual deviation from average growth and related to fructification, ozone, meteorological parameters, and modelled soil water content using a mixed linear model. In beech, a significant association between ozone and shoot growth was observed which corresponded to a 7.4% growth reduction between 0 and 10 ppm h AOT40 (accumulated ozone over threshold 40). This is in the same order of magnitude as the response observed in experiments with seedlings. No interaction was found between ozone and drought parameters. In Norway spruce, shoot growth was neither associated with ozone nor with drought.     

Ozone exposure-response relationships for biomass and root/shoot ratio of beech (Fagus sylvatica), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Current-year seedlings of beech, ash, Norway spruce and Scots pine were exposed during one growing season to different, but moderate, ozone (O(3)) scenarios representative for Switzerland (50, 85, 100% ambient, 50% ambient+30 nl l(-1)) in open-top chambers (OTCs) and to ambient O(3) concentrations in the field. Biomass significantly decreased with increasing O(3) dose in all species except for spruce. Losses of 25.5% (ash), 17.4% (beech), 9.9% (Scots pine) were found per 10 microl l(-1) h accumulated O(3) exposure over a threshold concentration of 40 nl l(-1) during daylight hours (AOT40). Ratios of root/shoot biomass (RSR) also significantly decreased with increasing AOT40 levels in beech and ash, but not in Norway spruce and Scots pine. The data show that the deciduous species beech and ash were more susceptible to O(3) with respect to RSR and biomass than the coniferous species Norway spruce and Scots pine.     

A synthesis of AOT40-based response functions and critical levels of ozone for agricultural and horticultural crops

Crop-response data from over 700 published papers and conference proceedings have been analysed with the aim of establishing ozone dose-response functions for a wide range of European agricultural and horticultural crops. Data that met rigorous selection criteria (e.g. field-based, ozone concentrations within European range, full season exposure period) were used to derive AOT40-yield response functions for 19 crops by first converting the published ozone concentration data into AOT40 (AOT40 is the hourly mean ozone concentration accumulated over a threshold ozone concentration of 40 ppb during daylight hours, units ppm h). For any individual crop, there were no significant differences in the linear response functions derived for experiments conducted in the USA or Europe, or for individual cultivars. Three statistically independent groups were identified: ozone sensitive crops (wheat, water melon, pulses, cotton, turnip, tomato, onion, soybean and lettuce); moderately sensitive crops (sugar beet, potato, oilseed rape, tobacco, rice, maize, grape and broccoli) and ozone resistant (barley and fruit represented by plum and strawberry). Critical levels of a 3 month AOT40 of 3 ppm h and a 3.5 month AOT40 of 6 ppm h were derived from the functions for wheat and tomato, respectively.     

Assessment of present and future risk to Italian forests and human health: Modelling and mapping

A review of ozone pollution in Italy shows levels largely above the thresholds established by EU regulation for vegetation and human health protection. The Italian air quality monitoring network appears quantitatively inadequate to cover all the territorial surface, because of scarcity and unequal distribution of monitoring sites. By applying the integrated assessment model RAINS-Italy to the year 2000, the whole of Italy exceeds the AOT40 critical level for forest, while Northern and central areas show strong potential of O₃ impact on human health with ∼11% of territory >10 O₃-induced premature deaths. Two scenarios for the year 2020, the Current Legislation and the Maximum Technical Feasible Reduction, show a reduction of AOT40Forest by 29% and 44%, SOMO35 by 31% and 47%, and O₃-induced premature deaths by 32% and 48%, compared to 2000. RAINS-Italy can be used to improve the map quality and cover areas not reached by the national monitoring network.     

Critical levels for ozone effects on vegetation in Europe

The evidence of detrimental effects of ozone on vegetation in Europe, and the need to develop international control policies to reduce ozone exposures which are based on the effects of the pollutant, has led to attempts to define so-called critical levels of ozone above which adverse effects on trees, crops and natural vegetation may occur. This review is a critical assessment of the scientific basis of the concepts used to define critical levels for ozone and identifies the key limitations and uncertainties involved. The review focuses on the Level I critical level approach, which provides an environmental standard or threshold to minimise the effects of ozone on sensitive receptors, but does not seek to quantify the impacts of exceeding the critical level under field conditions. The concept of using the AOT (accumulated exposure over a threshold) to define long-term ozone exposure is demonstrated to be appropriate for several economically important species. The use of 40 ppb (giving the AOT40 index) as a threshold concentration gives a good linear fit to experimental data from open-top chambers for arable crops, but it is less certain that it provides the best fit to data for trees or semi-natural communities. Major uncertainties in defining critical level values relate to the choice of response parameter and species; the absence of data for many receptors, especially those of Mediterranean areas; and extrapolation to field conditions from relatively short-term open-top chamber experiments. The derivation of critical levels for long-lived organisms, such as forest trees, may require the use of modelling techniques based on physiological data from experimental studies. The exposure-response data which have been applied to derive critical levels should not be used to estimate the impacts of ozone over large areas, because of the uncertainties associated with extrapolation from the open-top chamber method, especially for forest trees, and because of spatial variation in atmospheric and environmental conditions, which may alter ozone uptake.     

Ozone exposure thresholds and foliar injury on forest plants in Switzerland

Canton Ticino in southern Switzerland is exposed to some of the highest concentrations of tropospheric ozone in Europe. During recent field surveys in Canton Ticino, foliar symptoms identical to those caused by ozone have been documented on native tree and shrub species. In Europe, the critical ozone level for forest trees has been defined at an AOT40 of 10 ppm.h O3 (10 ppm.h accumulated exposure of ozone over a threshold of 40 ppb) during daylight hours over a six-month growing season. The objective of this study was to determine the amount of ambient ozone required to induce visible foliar symptoms on various forest plant species in southern Switzerland. Species were grown within eight open-top chambers and four open plots at the Vivaio Lattecaldo Cantonal Forest Nursery in Ticino, Switzerland. Species differed significantly in terms of the ppb.h exposures needed to cause visible symptoms. The most to least symptomatic species grown within open-plots in this study rank as Prunus serotina, Salix viminalis, Vibrnum lantana, Rhamnus cathartica, Betula pendula, Rumex obtusifolius, Sambucus racemosa, Morus nigra, Prunus avium, Fraxinus excelsior, Rhamnus frangula, Alnus viridis, Fagus sylvatica and Acer pseudoplatanus. Similar rankings were obtained in the non-filtered chamber plots. The ranking of species sensitivity closely follows AOT values for the occurrence of initial symptoms and symptom progression across the remainder of the exposure season. Species that first showed evidence of foliar injury also demonstrated the most sensitivity throughout the growing season, with symptoms rapidly advancing over ca. 25-30% of the total plant leaf surfaces by the end of the observation period. Conversely, those species that developed symptoms later in the season had far less total injury to plant foliage by the end of the observation period (1.5 to < 5% total leaf area injured). The current European ambient ozone standard may be insufficient to protect native plant species from visible foliar injury, and many more native species may be sensitive to ozone-induced foliar injury than are currently known.     

Estimates of ozone AOT40 from passive sampling in forest sites in South-Western Europe

Weekly-fortnightly ozone (O3) concentrations measured by passive sampling at 81 forest monitoring plots in France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland over the period 2000-2002 were used to estimate the cumulative exposure index AOT40. The estimation method is based on a deterministic model which describes the O3 daily profile as a function of relative altitude (the difference between the altitude of the site and the lowest altitude within a 5 km radius) and the time of the day. Estimated AOT40 values (AOT40(e)) were evaluated against co-located automatic measurement stations and with 14 independent automatic stations located throughout Italy whose weekly mean O3 values were used to simulate passive samplers. AOT40 can be predicted by modelling passive sampling data (R2: 0.90; P<0.0001, SE of estimates: 3271 ppb h), although considerable deviations can occur for individual sites. Estimated AOT40 shows a distinct, significant latitudinal and altitudinal gradient. Taking the 3-year average as a whole, exceedance of critical level of 5000 ppb h occurs at 77-100% of the monitored sites, respectively.     

Detecting ozone and demonstrating its phytotoxicity in forested areas of Poland: a pilot study

Ambient concentrations of ozone (O(3)) were measured and O(3) phytotoxicity to tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) was demonstrated in several forest locations in Poland during a pilot study from July-October, 1991. At southern and central locations in Poland, the 24-hour average O(3) concentrations measured with a UV absorption photometer were in the range of 32-55 ppb, and the corresponding 1-hour maxima in the range of 39-83 ppb. At these locations longer period (four to fifteen days) average concentrations were determined using O(3) passive samplers (DGA, Inc.) and were reaching 60 ppb, while at Bialowieza in eastern Poland O(3) concentrations averaged less than 40 ppb. In Szarow, near the Niepolomice Forest in southern Poland, 1-hour O(3) maxima estimated from the data obtained using passive samplers were about 105 ppb in early September. At several locations in southern and central Poland, extensive O(3) injury was determined on O(3)-sensitive Bel W-3 tobacco plants; such injury did not occur in the Bialowieza Forest of eastern Poland. The results of this pilot study indicate that O(3) is present at phytotoxic levels in southern and central Poland.     

A comparison of Alpine emissions to forest soil and spruce needle loads for persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

The project MONARPOP analysed the concentrations of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in two important sink compartments, needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) and forest soil from 40 remote Alpine forest sites in Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland.In the present study the load of PCDD/F, PCB, PBDE, PAH, HCB, HCH and DDT in the Alps calculated on the basis of measured data are compared with their estimated emissions in the Alpine region. It comes out that the masses of the studied pollutants stored in the forests are higher than the corresponding emissions in the Alpine area indicating that the Alps are a sink for POPs advected from surrounding areas. It is assumed that local emissions of PCDD/F and PAH deriving from biomass burning are probably underestimated and that the pool of these pollutants in the forests represents the accumulation over some decades.     

Factors determining the robustness of AOT40 and other ozone exposure indices

The robustness problem is considered for mathematical indices that describe the adverse effects of vegetation exposure to ozone. It is shown that some of them may demonstrate infinitely high sensitivity of the exposure estimate to small variations of ozone concentrations or internal parameters of specific functional. In particular, for the accumulated exposure over a threshold of 40 ppb (AOT40) index such conditions are not extraordinary, but rather describe quite often situations in remote areas in Northern Europe. Taking into account inevitable uncertainties in both calculated and observed ozone concentrations, a high sensitivity of ozone impact indices results in an instability of the exposure estimates and creates problems in their use. Theoretical consideration of the problem enabled to formulate the necessary and sufficient conditions for the limited sensitivity of a time-integrating index. An example of a modified AOT formulation fulfilling the obtained criteria and hence not experiencing the sensitivity problem is considered.     

Using plant biomonitors and flux modelling to develop O3 dose-response relationships in Catalonia

We used tobacco Bel-W3 biomonitoring data and ozone flux modelling (WINDEP model) with the aim of developing the absorbed dose-response relationship, and comparing this approach with the most commonly used AOT40 (the sum of hourly ozone concentrations above a cut-off of 40 ppb during daylight hours, when global radiation exceeds 50 W m(-2)) in the estimation of exposure-damage curves. Leaf damage values were more related to OAD(15 days, potential) (potential ozone absorbed dose calculated over 15 consecutive days) than to AOT40 in all the studied stations. An OAD(15 days, potential) of 180 mg m(-2) was found to be the threshold for damage to the most sensitive species in this region under well watered conditions. The results show the applicability of the flux approach for risk assessment at the local scale, the improvement of the ozone damage estimation when the potential absorbed dose is modelled and used instead of just the ozone exposure, and finally, the possibilities opened by the use of biomonitoring networks.     

Mediterranean rural ozone characteristics around the urban area of Athens

A systematic analysis of surface ozone observations in rural areas surrounding Athens is presented. The analysis is based on ozone data for the rural station Aliartos about 80 km NW of Athens center and for two stations on the northern periphery of the Athens basin: Demokritos, located 10 km NE of Athens center and Liossia, 12 km to the north. The data for these two stations are screened for cases of strong air flow from rural areas. Average hourly summer afternoon ozone mixing ratios are similar for all three stations about 60 ppb and thus exceed for the hours 12:00–20:00 LST the 55 ppb WHO guideline for human health for 8 h ozone exposure. The corresponding winter afternoon mixing ratios are at 35 ppb. However, due to the large diurnal variation, mean monthly ozone mixing ratios at Aliartos, for the months April–September vary from 32 to 40 ppb, which is comparable to the higher average ozone levels at rural stations in south-central Europe. In cases of southerly air flow in the summer in the Athens basin, afternoon ozone levels at Demokritos and Liossia are generally the highest of any in the monitoring network. Hourly average concentrations, however, are only 40% greater than rural values. A background ozone level of such magnitude will have a significant impact on estimates for the effectiveness of pollution control measures for Athens.     

Tibouchina pulchra (Cham.) Cogn., a native Atlantic Forest species, as a bio-indicator of ozone: visible injury

Tibouchina pulchra saplings were exposed to carbon filtered air (CF), ambient non-filtered air (NF) and ambient non-filtered air+40 ppb ozone (NF+O3) 8 h per day during two months. The AOT40 values at the end of the experiment were 48, 910 and 12,895 ppb h(-1), respectively, for the three treatments. After 25 days of exposure (AOT40=3871 ppb h(-1)), interveinal red stippling appeared in plants in the NF+O3 chamber. In the NF chamber, symptoms were observed only after 60 days of exposure (AOT40=910 ppb h(-1)). After 60 days, injured leaves per plant corresponded to 19% in NF+O3 and 1% in the NF treatment; and the average leaf area injured was 7% within the NF+O3 and 0.2% within the NF treatment. The extent of leaf area injured (leaf injury index) was mostly explained by the accumulated exposure of ozone (r2=0.89; p<0.05).     

Effects of ozone exposure in open-top chambers on poplar (Populus nigra) and beech (Fagus sylvatica): a comparison

Rooted cuttings of poplar (Populus nigra) and seedlings of beech (Fagus sylvatica) were exposed to ozone in open-top chambers for one growing season. Three treatments were applied: charcoal-filtered (CF), non-filtered (NF) and non-filtered air plus 30 ppb (nl l(-1)) ozone (NF+). Extra ozone was only added on clear days, from 09:00 until 17:00-20:00. The AOT40s (accumulated exposure over a threshold of 40 ppb), calculated from April to September were 4055 ppb.h for the NF and 8880 ppb.h for the NF+ treatments. For poplar ozone exposure caused highly significant reductions in growth rate, light-saturated net CO(2) assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, F(v)/F(m) and chlorophyll content. The largest effects were observed in August at which time ozone concentrations were elevated. A reduction was noticed in new leaf production, while accelerated ageing and visible damage to leaves caused high leaf losses. For beech the responses were similar but less pronounced: ozone exposure resulted in non-significant growth reductions, slight changes in light-saturated photosynthesis and accelerated leaf abscission. The chlorophyll content of beech leaves was not affected by the ozone treatments. The results confirmed previous observations that fast-growing tree species, such as most poplar species and hybrids, are more sensitive and responsive to tropospheric ozone than slower-growing species, such as beech. The growth reductions observed and reported here for beech were within the range of those reported in relationship to the AOT40 (accumulated exposure over a threshold of 40 ppb) critical level for ozone.     

Distribution of ozone and other air pollutants in forests of the Carpathian Mountains in central Europe.

Ozone (O3) concentrations were monitored during the 1997-1999 growing seasons in 32 forest sites of the Carpathian Mountains. At all sites (elevation between 450 and 1320 m) concentrations of O3, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) were measured with passive samplers. In addition, in two western Carpathian locations, Vychodna and Gubalówka, ozone was continuously monitored with ultraviolet (UV) absorption monitors. Highest average hourly O3 concentrations in the Vychodna and Guba?ówka sites reached 160 and 200 microg/m3 (82 and 102 ppb), respectively (except for the AOT40 values, ozone concentrations are presented as microg/m3; and at 25 degrees C and 760 mm Hg, 1 microg O3/m3 = 0.51 ppb O3). These sites showed drastically different patterns of diurnal 03 distribution, one with clearly defined peaks in the afternoon and lowest values in the morning, the other with flat patterns during the entire 24-h period. On two elevational transects, no effect of elevation on O3 levels was seen on the first one, while on the other a significant increase of O3 levels with elevation occurred. Concentrations of O3 determined with passive samplers were significantly different between individual monitoring years, monitoring periods, and geographic location of the monitoring sites. Results of passive sampler monitoring showed that high O3 concentrations could be expected in many parts of the Carpathian range, especially in its western part, but also in the eastern and southern ranges. More than four-fold denser network of monitoring sites is required for reliable estimates of O3 distribution in forests over the entire Carpathian range (140 points). Potential phytotoxic effects of O3 on forest trees and understory vegetation are expected on almost the entire territory of the Carpathian Mountains. This assumption is based on estimates of the AOT40 indices for forest trees and natural vegetation. Concentrations of NO2 and SO2 in the entire Carpathian range were typical for this part of Europe and below the expected levels of phytotoxicity.     

Assessing the risk caused by ground level ozone to European forest trees: a case study in pine, beech and oak across different climate regions

Two different indices have been proposed for estimation of the risk caused to forest trees across Europe by ground-level ozone, (i) the concentration based AOT40 index (Accumulated Over a Threshold of 40 ppb) and (ii) the recently developed flux based AFstY index (Accumulated stomatal Flux above a flux threshold Y). This paper compares the AOT40 and AFstY indices for three forest trees species at different locations in Europe. The AFstY index is estimated using the DO(3)SE (Deposition of Ozone and Stomatal Exchange) model parameterized for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), beech (Fagus sylvatica) and holm oak (Quercus ilex). The results show a large difference in the perceived O(3) risk when using AOT40 and AFstY indices both between species and regions. The AOT40 index shows a strong north-south gradient across Europe, whereas there is little difference between regions in the modelled values of AFstY. There are significant differences in modelled AFstY between species, which are predominantly determined by differences in the timing and length of the growing season, the periods during which soil moisture deficit limits stomatal conductance, and adaptation to soil moisture stress. This emphasizes the importance of defining species-specific flux response variables to obtain a more accurate quantification of O(3) risk.