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Impacts of Ozone on Forest Plants and Ecosystems
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Impacts of Ozone on Forest Plants and Ecosystems

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecophysiology and Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2019) | Viewed by 24138

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Elina Oksanen

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Guest Editor
Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finland
Interests: plant biology; environmental science; climate change; greenhouse gases; biodiversity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Healthy and resilient forest ecosystems are key players in the mitigation of climate change through their massive carbon sequestration capacity. They provide ecosystem services such as maintaining biodiversity and soil fertility, and providing us clean water, recreational areas, and raw materials for innovative products, and preventing erosion. Yet, the function of forest ecosystems is severely threatened by multiple abiotic and biotic perturbations, such as climate warming, air pollutants, drought, nutrient imbalance, weather extremes, pests, pathogens, and intensive land use. Tropospheric ozone is globally one of the most important air pollutant and greenhouse gases affecting forest trees and ecosystems. Although the responses of forest trees to ozone have been studied for decades, more knowledge and assessment is required to understand the acclimation and adaptation capacity of trees, phenotypic plasticity, and the molecular mechanisms behind the responses, as well as the interactions between ozone and other climatic and stress factors to devise better strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

This Special Issue of Forests is focused on the effects of ozone on forest plants, covering all ecosystems and geographical areas. Research articles may focus on any aspect of ozone responses in forest plants, including physiological, biochemical, genetic and metabolic studies, and forest ecosystems, including interactions of other abiotic or biotic factors. Studies dealing with ozone resistance breeding and adaptive forest management are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Elina Oksanen
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • ozone
  • forest plants
  • ecosystems
  • interactions
  • climate change
  • adaptation

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

2 pages, 618 KiB  
Editorial
Impacts of Ozone on Forest Plants and Ecosystems
by Elina Oksanen
Forests 2021, 12(10), 1345; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12101345 - 1 Oct 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1779
Abstract
Globally, tropospheric ozone is one of the most important air pollutants and greenhouse gases, with adverse effects on forest trees and the function of ecosystems [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Ozone on Forest Plants and Ecosystems)

Research

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16 pages, 1183 KiB  
Article
Nitrogen Use Efficiency for Growth of Fagus crenata Seedlings Under Elevated Ozone and Different Soil Nutrient Conditions
by Makoto Watanabe, Hiroka Hiroshima, Yoshiyuki Kinose, Shigeaki Okabe and Takeshi Izuta
Forests 2020, 11(4), 371; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11040371 - 26 Mar 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2253
Abstract
Ozone is a phytotoxic gaseous air pollutant and its negative effects on forest production are a major concern. To understand the effects of ozone on forest production, it is important to clarify the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) for tree growth under elevated ozone [...] Read more.
Ozone is a phytotoxic gaseous air pollutant and its negative effects on forest production are a major concern. To understand the effects of ozone on forest production, it is important to clarify the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) for tree growth under elevated ozone conditions, because nitrogen is a primal limiting factor of forest production in many cool-temperate forests. Soil nutrient conditions are considered factors affecting ozone susceptibility of tree growth. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effects of ozone on NUE for the growth of Siebold’s beech (Fagus crenata Blume) seedlings grown under different soil nutrient conditions. Seedlings of Siebold’s beech were grown under three gas treatments (charcoal-filtered air or ozone at 1.0 or 1.5 times the ambient concentration) in combination with three soil nutrient conditions (non-fertilised, low-fertilised or high-fertilised) for two growing seasons. Based on the dry mass and nitrogen concentration in each plant organ, we calculated NUE and its components, including nitrogen productivity (NP) and the mean residence time of nitrogen (MRT) during the second growing season. Ozone did not decrease the NUE of the seedlings during the second growing season, whereas leaf level photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE), a component of NP, was decreased by ozone. On the other hand, the soil nutrient supply decreased the NUE of the seedlings. Reductions in both NP and MRT were attributed to the decrease in NUE because of soil nutrient supply, whereas PNUE did not respond to soil nutrient supply. There was no significant interaction of ozone and soil nutrient supply on the NUE, or its components, of the seedlings. Our results indicated that there is a difference in the response between the NUE for individual growth and that of leaf level PNUE of Siebold’s beech seedlings to ozone and soil nutrient supply. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Ozone on Forest Plants and Ecosystems)
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12 pages, 3714 KiB  
Article
Flux-Based Ozone Risk Assessment for a Plant Injury Index (PII) in Three European Cool-Temperate Deciduous Tree Species
by Yasutomo Hoshika, Elisa Carrari, Barbara Mariotti, Sofia Martini, Alessandra De Marco, Pierre Sicard and Elena Paoletti
Forests 2020, 11(1), 82; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11010082 - 9 Jan 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2844
Abstract
This study investigated visible foliar ozone (O3) injury in three deciduous tree species with different growth patterns (indeterminate, Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.; intermediate, Sorbus aucuparia L.; and determinate, Vaccinium myrtillus L.) from May to August 2018. Ozone effects on the timing [...] Read more.
This study investigated visible foliar ozone (O3) injury in three deciduous tree species with different growth patterns (indeterminate, Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.; intermediate, Sorbus aucuparia L.; and determinate, Vaccinium myrtillus L.) from May to August 2018. Ozone effects on the timing of injury onset and a plant injury index (PII) were investigated using two O3 indices, i.e., AOT40 (accumulative O3 exposure over 40 ppb during daylight hours) and PODY (phytotoxic O3 dose above a flux threshold of Y nmol m−2 s−1). A new parameterization for PODY estimation was developed for each species. Measurements were carried out in an O3 free-air controlled exposure (FACE) experiment with three levels of O3 treatment (ambient, AA; 1.5 × AA; and 2.0 × AA). Injury onset was found in May at 2.0 × AA in all three species and the timing of the onset was determined by the amount of stomatal O3 uptake. It required 4.0 mmol m−2 POD0 and 5.5 to 9.0 ppm·h AOT40. As a result, A. glutinosa with high stomatal conductance (gs) showed the earliest emergence of O3 visible injury among the three species. After the onset, O3 visible injury expanded to the plant level as confirmed by increased PII values. In A. glutinosa with indeterminate growth pattern, a new leaf formation alleviated the expansion of O3 visible injury at the plant level. V. myrtillus showed a dramatic increase of PII from June to July due to higher sensitivity to O3 in its flowering and fruiting stage. Ozone impacts on PII were better explained by the flux-based index, PODY, as compared with the exposure-based index, AOT40. The critical levels (CLs) corresponding to PII = 5 were 8.1 mmol m−2 POD7 in A. glutinosa, 22 mmol m−2 POD0 in S. aucuparia, and 5.8 mmol m−2 POD1 in V. myrtillus. The results highlight that the CLs for PII are species-specific. Establishing species-specific O3 flux-effect relationships should be key for a quantitative O3 risk assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Ozone on Forest Plants and Ecosystems)
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19 pages, 2377 KiB  
Article
Effects of Elevated Temperature and Ozone in Brassica juncea L.: Growth, Physiology, and ROS Accumulation
by Jong Kyu Lee, Su Young Woo, Myeong Ja Kwak, Sang Hee Park, Han Dong Kim, Yea Ji Lim, Jeong Ho Park and Keum Ah Lee
Forests 2020, 11(1), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11010068 - 6 Jan 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 3996
Abstract
Global warming and ozone (O3) pose serious threats to crop yield and ecosystem health. Although neither of these factors will act individually in reality, most studies have focused on the responses of plants to air pollution or climate change. Interactive effects [...] Read more.
Global warming and ozone (O3) pose serious threats to crop yield and ecosystem health. Although neither of these factors will act individually in reality, most studies have focused on the responses of plants to air pollution or climate change. Interactive effects of these remain poorly studied. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the effects of optimal (22/20 °C day/night) and elevated temperature (27/25 °C) and/or ambient (10 ± 10 nL L−1) and elevated O3 concentrations (100 ± 10 nL L−1) on the growth, physiology, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation of leaf mustard (Brassica juncea L.). The aim was to examine whether elevated temperature increase the O3 damage due to increasing stomatal conductance, and thus, O3 flux into the leaf. Significant reductions in photosynthetic rates occurred under O (elevated O3 with optimal temperatures) and OT (elevated O3 and temperature) conditions compared to C (controls). Stomatal conductance was significantly higher under T than in the C at 7 DAE. Under OT conditions, O3 flux significantly increased compared to that in O conditions at 7 days after exposure (DAE). Significant reductions in total fresh and dry weight were observed under OT conditions compared to those under O. Furthermore, significant reductions in levels of carotenoids and ascorbic acid were observed under OT conditions compared to O. Lipid peroxidation and accumulation of ROS such as hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide radical were higher under O and OT conditions than in C conditions at 7 and 14 DAE. As a result of O3 stress, the results of the present study indicated that the plant injury index significantly increased under OT compared to O conditions. This result suggested that elevated temperature (+5 °C) may enhance O3 damage to B. juncea by increasing stomatal conductance and O3 flux into leaves. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Ozone on Forest Plants and Ecosystems)
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13 pages, 2029 KiB  
Article
Does Ozone Alter the Attractiveness of Japanese White Birch Leaves to the Leaf Beetle Agelastica coerulea via Changes in Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds (BVOCs): An Examination with the Y-Tube Test
by Noboru Masui, Tomoki Mochizuki, Akira Tani, Hideyuki Matsuura, Evgenios Agathokleous, Toshihiro Watanabe and Takayoshi Koike
Forests 2020, 11(1), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11010058 - 2 Jan 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4856
Abstract
Elevated ground-level ozone (O3) reduced C-based defense chemicals; however, severe grazing damages were found in leaves grown in the low O3 condition of a free air O3-concentration enrichment (O3-FACE) system. To explain this phenomenon, this study [...] Read more.
Elevated ground-level ozone (O3) reduced C-based defense chemicals; however, severe grazing damages were found in leaves grown in the low O3 condition of a free air O3-concentration enrichment (O3-FACE) system. To explain this phenomenon, this study investigates the role of BVOCs (biogenic volatile organic compounds) as signaling compounds for insect herbivores. BVOCs act as scents for herbivore insects to locate host plants, while some BVOCs show high reactivity to O3, inducing changes in the composition of BVOCs in atmospheres with elevated O3. To assess the aforementioned phenomenon, profiles of BVOCs emitted from birch (Betula platyphylla var. japonica Hara) leaves were analyzed ex situ, and Y-tube insect preference tests were conducted in vitro to study the insect olfactory response. The assays were conducted in June and August or September, according to the life cycle of the adult alder leaf beetle Agelastica coerulea Baly (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). The Y-tube tests revealed that the leaf beetles were attracted to BVOCs, and O3 per se had neither an attractant nor a repellent effect. BVOCs became less attractant when mixed with highly concentrated O3 (>80 ppb). About 20% of the total BVOCs emitted were highly O3-reactive compounds, such as β-ocimene. The results suggest that BVOCs emitted from the birch leaves can be altered by elevated O3, thus potentially reducing the attractiveness of leaves to herbivorous insects searching for food. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Ozone on Forest Plants and Ecosystems)
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15 pages, 2382 KiB  
Article
Ozone Amplifies Water Loss from Mature Trees in the Short Term But Decreases It in the Long Term
by Elena Paoletti, Nancy E. Grulke and Rainer Matyssek
Forests 2020, 11(1), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11010046 - 31 Dec 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2344
Abstract
We measured whole-tree transpiration of mature Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies trees exposed to ambient and twice-ambient O3 regimes (1xO3 and 2xO3 free-air fumigation). After eight years, mean daily total transpiration did not vary with the O3 regime over [...] Read more.
We measured whole-tree transpiration of mature Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies trees exposed to ambient and twice-ambient O3 regimes (1xO3 and 2xO3 free-air fumigation). After eight years, mean daily total transpiration did not vary with the O3 regime over the 31 days of our study, even though individual daily values increased with increasing daily O3 peaks in both species. Although the environmental parameters were similar at 1xO3 and 2xO3, the main factors affecting daily transpiration were vapour pressure deficit in 2xO3 spruce and O3 peaks in beech. For a mechanistic explanation, we measured O3-induced sluggish stomatal responses to variable light (sunflecks) by means of leaf-level gas exchange measurements only in the species where O3 was a significant factor for transpiration, i.e., beech. Stomata were always slower in closing than in opening. The 2xO3 stomata were slower in opening and mostly in closing than 1xO3 stomata, so that O3 uptake and water loss were amplified before a steady state was reached. Such delay in the stomatal reaction suggests caution when assessing stomatal conductance under O3 pollution, because recording gas exchange at the time photosynthesis reached an equilibrium resulted in a significant overestimation of stomatal conductance when stomata were closing (ab. 90% at 1xO3 and 250% at 2xO3). Sun and shade leaves showed similar sluggish responses, thus suggesting that sluggishness may occur within the entire crown. The fact that total transpiration was similar at 1xO3 and 2xO3, however, suggests that the higher water loss due to stomatal sluggishness was offset by lower steady-state stomatal conductance at 2xO3. In conclusion, O3 exposure amplified short-term water loss from mature beech trees by slowing stomatal dynamics, while decreased long-term water loss because of lower steady-state stomatal conductance. Over the short term of this experiment, the two responses offset each other and no effect on total transpiration was observed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Ozone on Forest Plants and Ecosystems)
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Review

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17 pages, 1393 KiB  
Review
Assessing the Impact of Ozone on Forest Trees in An Integrative Perspective: Are Foliar Visible Symptoms Suitable Predictors for Growth Reduction? A Critical Review
by Riccardo Marzuoli, Giacomo Gerosa, Filippo Bussotti and Martina Pollastrini
Forests 2019, 10(12), 1144; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10121144 - 14 Dec 2019
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4309
Abstract
Plant growth reduction (GR) is the most widely accepted damage parameter to assess the sensitivity of trees to tropospheric ozone (O3) pollution since it integrates different physiological processes leading to loss of photosynthetic activity and distraction of metabolic resources from growth [...] Read more.
Plant growth reduction (GR) is the most widely accepted damage parameter to assess the sensitivity of trees to tropospheric ozone (O3) pollution since it integrates different physiological processes leading to loss of photosynthetic activity and distraction of metabolic resources from growth to defense, repair, and recovery pathways. Because of the intrinsic difficulty to assess the actual O3 risk assessment for forests in field conditions, foliar visible symptoms (FVS) induced by O3 have been proposed as a proxy to estimate possible GR in forest trees. The rationale for this assumption is that the onset of FVS implies a reduction of the photosynthetic capacity of plants. In this review, we show that GR and FVS can be the consequences of independent physiological pathways involving different response mechanisms that can cause both FVS without GR and GR without FVS. The onset of FVS may not lead necessarily to significant GR at plant level for several reasons, including the rise of compensatory photosynthesis, the time lag between growth processes and the accumulation of critical O3 dose, and the negligible effect of a modest amount of injured leaves. Plant GR, on the other hand, may be induced by different physiological mechanisms not necessarily related to FVS, such as stomatal closure (i.e., carbon starvation) to avoid or reduce O3 uptake, and the increase of respiratory processes for the production of metabolic defense compounds. Growth reduction and FVS can be interpreted as different strategies for the acclimation of plants to a stressful environment, and do not mean necessarily damage. Growth reduction (without FVS) seems to prevail in species adapted to limiting environmental conditions, that avoid loss and replacement of injured leaves because of the high metabolic cost of their production; conversely, FVS manifestation (without GR) and the replacement of injured leaves is more common in species adapted to environments with low-stress levels, since they can benefit from a rapid foliar turnover to compensate for the decreased rate of photosynthesis of the whole plant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Ozone on Forest Plants and Ecosystems)
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