Effects of ambient ozone on seedlings of Fagus sylvatica L. and Picea abies (L.) Karst

Abstract

The effect of unfiltered versus filtered air was tested on tree seedlings at different sites with prevailing ozone pollution, at different altitudes. Growth and biomass data from different experiments were evaluated in relation to ozone dose above 40 nl l^-1 during the exposure time. In beech (Fagtis sylvatica L.), biomass was significantly correlated with ozone dose whereas shoot length was not. There was no change in shoot/root ratio but there were more significant reductions in fine root biomass than in shoot biomass. The effect of ozone was cumulative within the duration of the experiments, i.e. from a few months to three years. A cumulative dose of 7 μl 1^-1 h > 40 nl l^-1 Per growing season, calculated for 24 h day^-1 , corresponded to a 10% biomass reduction within three years. Seedlings grown in unfiltered air also exhibited much more severe symptoms of frost injury following a cold winter with rapid temperature change. Laboratory experiments suggest that winter desiccation may have played a more important role than low temperatures, but that medium frost temperatures may cause more latent injuries in seedlings exposed to ambient air. Water loss of detached leaves from unfiltered air was significantly higher later m the season. Both increased chlorosis and premature leaf fall were observed in the beech seedlings grown in unfiltered air, but in different years. The biomass of spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] showed a tendency towards a reduction, but this was not significant within the dose range tested. Three years of fumigation, however, caused increased chlorosis also in the spruce seedlings. Tests with low temperatures suggest that the vitality of the spruce seedlings during winter may also be impaired by the ambient air pollution.