A flux-based assessment of above and below ground biomass of holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) seedlings after one season of exposure to high ozone concentrations

Giacomo Alessandro Gerosa, Lina Fusaro, Robert Monga, Robert Monga Ilunga Dikoshi, Angelo Finco, Silvano Fares, Fausto Manes, Riccardo Marzuoli

Risultato della ricerca: Contributo in rivistaArticolo in rivistapeer review

26 Citazioni (Scopus)

Abstract

Young plants of Holm oak (Quercus ilex) were exposed in non-limiting water conditions to four different levels of ozone (O3) concentrations in Open-Top Chambers during one growing season to evaluate biomass losses on roots, stems and leaves in relation to O3 exposure (AOT40) and phytotoxical ozone dose (POD1) absorbed. The exposure-effect and dose-effect relationships for the total biomass were statistically significant and indicated a reduction of 4% and 5.2% of the total biomass for each increase step of 10000 ppb h of AOT40 and 10 mmol m 2 of POD1, respectively. The results indicate a critical level for Holm oak protection of 7 mmol m 2 of POD1, which corresponds to 4% of total biomass reduction. The linear regressions based on the POD1 were significant for roots and stem biomass losses, but not significant for leaf biomass. The biomass loss rate at increasing POD1 was higher for roots than for stems and leaves, suggesting that stem growth under high levels of O3 is less affected than root growth. Because of the scarcity of data from the Mediterranean area, these results can be relevant for the O3 risk assessment models and for the definition of new O3 critical levels for forests in Europe.
Lingua originaleEnglish
pagine (da-a)41-49
Numero di pagine9
RivistaAtmospheric Environment
DOI
Stato di pubblicazionePubblicato - 2015

Keywords

  • AOT40
  • Biomass loss
  • Dose-effect relationships
  • Holm oak
  • Phytotxical ozone dose
  • ozone

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