Promoting the O3 flux concept for European forest trees

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) 2007-04, Vol.146 (3), p.587-607
• Main Authors: Matyssek, R, Bytnerowicz, A, Karlsson, P.E, Paoletti, E, Sanz, M, Schaub, M, Wieser, G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: air pollution; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; canopy; dose response; drought; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; elevated atmospheric gases; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Europe; Fagus - drug effects; Fagus - metabolism; forest ecosystems; forest trees; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; leaves; model validation; Oxidants, Photochemical - pharmacokinetics; Oxidants, Photochemical - toxicity; ozone; Ozone - pharmacokinetics; Ozone - toxicity; Photosynthesis - physiology; Picea - drug effects; Picea - metabolism; Pinus - drug effects; Pinus - metabolism; Plant Leaves - drug effects; plant response; Quercus - drug effects; Quercus - metabolism; risk assessment; Risk Assessment - methods; Seasons; simulation models; soil water content; Terrestrial environment, soil, air; Trees - drug effects; Trees - metabolism; uptake mechanisms; xylem
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2006.11.011

Tropospheric ozone (O3) levels are predicted to stay high, being a factor within "global change" with potential effects on the carbon sink strength of forest trees. Hence, new approaches to O3 risk assessment and their validation are required, although appropriate databases for adult trees are scant. Approaches based on external O3 exposure are presently being evaluated against the ones on O3 flux into leaves, as the cumulative uptake has the capacity for deriving O3 risk from cause-effect relationships. The effective dose, however, needs to account for the trees' O3 defence and tolerance in addition to O3 uptake. The current status of promoting the preferable mechanistic O3 flux concept is highlighted for major regions of Europe, addressing refinements and simplifications needed for routine use. At the pan-European scale, however, the flux-based concept is ready for use in O3 risk assessment and has the potential of meso-scale application at the forest ecosystem level.