Impact of Ozone on Forests

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2017) | Viewed by 7318

Special Issue Editor

Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Photochemically produced tropospheric ozone (O3) is a serious worldwide air pollutant, with substantial impacts on plant function. Mounting evidence confirms that O3 imposes stress on forest trees. Decreased chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate, changes in carbon allocation, increased antioxidant activity, modified secondary metabolism, and reductions in biomass due to O3 have often been recorded, particularly in fast-growing species. Furthermore, O3 appears to weaken resilience to a range of biotic and abiotic stresses. Interactions between O3 and climatic stress, in particular drought and frost hardiness, as well as parasites and pathogens, are likely to result in further potentially detrimental effects. There is a need to extrapolate data and/or scale up studies on seedlings and saplings to predict responses to O3 in mature trees and forest stands. We encourage experimental studies, monitoring approaches and models, to contribute to this Special Issue in order to promote knowledge on key issues, such as acclimation/adaptation strategies to preserve the structure and function of forest ecosystems.

Prof. Cristina Nali, PhD
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Oxidative stress
  • Forest health
  • Biodiversity
  • Ecosystem Services
  • Natural capital
  • Photochemical smog
  • Secondary metabolism
  • Photosynthesis

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

1708 KiB  
Article
Differential Responses in Non-structural Carbohydrates of Machilus ichangensis Rehd. et Wils. and Taxus wallichiana Zucc. Var. chinensis (Pilg.) Florin Seedlings to Elevated Ozone
by Jixin Cao, Zhan Chen, Hao Yu and He Shang
Forests 2017, 8(9), 323; https://doi.org/10.3390/f8090323 - 31 Aug 2017
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3157
Abstract
Tropospheric ozone (O3) enrichment could change the carbon (C) metabolism and decrease the C stock for tree species. To assess the differences in response of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) between Machilus ichangensis Rehd. et Wils. (M. ichangensis) and Taxus wallichiana [...] Read more.
Tropospheric ozone (O3) enrichment could change the carbon (C) metabolism and decrease the C stock for tree species. To assess the differences in response of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) between Machilus ichangensis Rehd. et Wils. (M. ichangensis) and Taxus wallichiana Zucc. var. chinensis (Pilg.) Florin (T. wallichiana) with elevated O3, one-year-old container seedlings of the two species were grown with ambient air (AA), 100 ppb (elevated O3 treatment 1, E1-O3), and 150 ppb (elevated O3 treatment 2, E2-O3) treatments using open top chambers. During the experiment, net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of M. ichangensis and T. wallichiana were examined once each month from April to October. At the end of experiment, plants were harvested to examine the NSC concentrations and tissue C stocks. Results suggest elevated O3 significantly decreased Pn and total C stock for both M. ichangensis and T. wallichiana, while it also significantly decreased the NSC concentrations in the foliage of the two species, and the roots of T. wallichiana. However, the concentrations of NSCs and their components in other tissues did not change obviously. Significant increases in the ratio of soluble sugars to starch were observed in the foliage of M. ichangensis and the roots of T. wallichiana. For M. ichangensis, Pn was significantly and positively correlated with NSCs and their components only in foliage. In contrast, NSCs in both foliage and roots were significantly and positively correlated with Pn for T. wallichiana. Based on the results for Pn, total C stock, and NSC concentrations, M. ichangensis appeared more sensitive to elevated O3 than T. wallichiana. It is suggested that the strategies of C allocation in the two species are different with elevated O3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Ozone on Forests)
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3325 KiB  
Article
Effects of the Antiozonant Ethylenediurea (EDU) on Fraxinus ornus L.: The Role of Drought
by Elisabetta Salvatori, Lina Fusaro and Fausto Manes
Forests 2017, 8(9), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/f8090320 - 30 Aug 2017
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3848
Abstract
Ethylenediurea (EDU) is a synthetic chemical known to protect plants from the phytotoxic effects of tropospheric ozone (O3). Although many studies have proposed the use of EDU for studying the O3 effects under field conditions, its mechanism of action is [...] Read more.
Ethylenediurea (EDU) is a synthetic chemical known to protect plants from the phytotoxic effects of tropospheric ozone (O3). Although many studies have proposed the use of EDU for studying the O3 effects under field conditions, its mechanism of action is not fully understood, and it is unclear whether it exerts a specific antiozonant action, or if it may also interact with other oxidative stresses. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of EDU on forest species in a Mediterranean environment where, during summer, vegetation is exposed to multiple oxidative stresses, such as O3 and drought. The experiment was conducted on Fraxinus ornus L. (Manna ash) plants growing in six mesocosms, three maintained under full irrigation, while the other three were subjected to drought for 84 days. In each mesocosm, three plants were sprayed every 15 days with 450 ppm EDU. Gas exchange and chlorophyll “a” fluorescence measurements carried out through the experimental period highlighted that EDU did not affect stomatal conductance and had an ameliorative effect on the functionality of drought-stressed plants, thus suggesting that it may act as a generic antioxidant. The implications of these findings for the applicability of EDU in field studies are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Ozone on Forests)
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