Marcello Vitale

Urban ecosystem services: tree diversity and stability of tropospheric ozone removal.

Urban forests provide important ecosystem services, such as urban air quality improvement by removing pollutants. While robust evidence exists that plant physiology, abundance, and distribution within cities are basic parameters affecting the magnitude and efficiency of air pollution removal, little is known about effects of plant diversity on the stability of this ecosystem service. Here, by means of a spatial analysis integrating system dynamic modeling and geostatistics, we assessed the effects of tree diversity on the removal of tropospheric ozone (O3) in Rome, Italy, in two years (2003 and 2004) that were very different for climatic conditions and ozone levels. Different tree functional groups showed complementary uptake patterns, related to tree physiology and phenology, maintaining a stable community function across different climatic conditions. Our results, although depending on the city-specific conditions of the studied area, suggest a higher function stability at increasing diversity levels in urban ecosystems. In Rome, such ecosystem services, based on published unitary costs of externalities and of mortality associated with O3, can be prudently valued to roughly US

Ecophysiological studies of Mediterranean plant species at the Castelporziano Estate

2 and

Different ability of three Mediterranean oak species to tolerate progressive water stress

3 million/year, respectively.

O3 and O3 + CO2 effects on a Mediterranean evergreen broadleaf tree, holm oak (Quercus ilex L.)

The aim of this work was to characterize the eco-physiological performance of the main plant species of the Castelporziano site by single leaf investigations. We measured the leaf gas exchange of Quercus ilex L., Pinus pinea L., Pistacia lentiscus L. and Asphodelus microcarpus L. for several days. Additionally, the xylem water potential of Quercus ilex, Pinus pinea and Pistacia lentiscus was recorded in order to obtain more physiological background information for the discussion of the trace gas emissions. This study indicates significantly different physiological responses to the different environmental conditions. In particular, summer conditions (high values of light, air temperature and low xylem water potentials) caused the depression of photosynthesis in Quercus ilex and Pinus pinea but did not affect photosynthesis of Pistacia lentiscus and Asphodelus microcarpus. This should be taken into account when discussing VOC emission rates and fluxes.

Comparison of seasonal variations of ozone exposure and fluxes in a Mediterranean Holm oak forest between the exceptionally dry 2003 and the following year

Inter-comparisons in the gas exchange patterns and root characteristics under both well-watered and drought conditions were done in three-years-old seedlings of three oak species (Quercus cerris L., Q. frainetto Ten., and Q. ilex L.) growing in controlled environment. Well-watered Q. cerris had greater physiological performances than other oaks, but under drought it was not able to face the water stress showing also structural modifications such as reduction of root length and average diameter. On the other hand, Q. ilex maintained root growth both in drought or well-watered soils. Moreover, it was able to keep open stomata also under water stress, although stomatal conductance (gs) was low. Q. frainetto had an intermediate position in regard to its physiological and root structural characteristics between Q. cerris and Q. ilex under drought stress. For all oaks the relationship between gs and the ratio of sub-stomatal and ambient CO2 concentration (Ci/Ca) highlighted the dynamic adaptation of gs to the increase of hydraulic resistances of leaf, stem, and roots portions, more evident during the air humidity change and progressive soil dehydration. This suggests a well-triggered above-and under-ground mechanism to endure the drought stress.

Comparing concentration-based (AOT40) and stomatal uptake (PODY) metrics for ozone risk assessment to European forests

The aim of this work is to analyze the effects of a) short-term treatments with different concentrations of O 3 (daily 6-hour fumigation with 0, 65, 175 and 300 ppb for 3-4 days); and b) a medium term treatment with O 3 (150 ppb three times a week for thirty days on the whole) and CO 2 (700 ppm) on gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and peroxidase activity in holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) leaves. The results show that net photosynthesis, transpiration, F V /F M ratio and POD activity were not influenced until an O 3 concentration of 300 ppb was reached. At this threshold, significant alterations in these physiological and biochemical parameters were found. The treatment with +CO 2 +O 3 showed an increase of net photosynthesis suggesting thus an antagonistic effect of CO 2 with regard to O 3 -induced injuries, while CO 2 alone increased photosynthesis and decreased transpiration but induced no effects on F V /F M ratio or peroxidase activity. From out data, holm oak shows a resistance to episodes of photochemical O 3 stress, that in the Mediterranean region can reach peaks of > 100 ppb. This response is likely to be due to the inorpho-anatomic structure of holm oak leaves and their sclerophyllous adaptations. This might leads holm oak to adopt a stress tolerance strategy with regard to leaf response to O 3 , the effects of which cannot be ameliorated by an increase of atmospheric CO 2 .

Morpho-functional characteristics of Quercus ilex L. Leaves of different age and their ecophysiological behaviour during different seasons

Ozone and energy fluxes have been measured using the eddy covariance technique, from June to December 2004 in Castelporziano near Rome (Italy), and compared to similar measurements made in the previous year. The studied ecosystem consisted in a typical Mediterranean Holm oak forest. Stomatal fluxes have been calculated using the resistance analogy and by inverting the Penmann-Monteith equation. Results showed that the average stomatal contribution accounts for 42.6% of the total fluxes. Non-stomatal deposition proved to be enhanced by increasing leaf wetness and air humidity during the autumnal months. From a comparison of the two years, it can be inferred that water supply is the most important limiting factor for ozone uptake and that prolonged droughts alter significantly the stomatal conductance, even 2 months after the soil water content is replenished. Ozone exposure, expressed as AOT40, behaves similarly to the cumulated stomatal flux in dry conditions whereas a different behaviour for the two indices appears in wet autumnal conditions. A difference also occurs between the two years.

Future impacts of nitrogen deposition and climate change scenarios on forest crown defoliation

Tropospheric ozone (O3) produces harmful effects to forests and crops, leading to a reduction of land carbon assimilation that, consequently, influences the land sink and the crop yield production. To assess the potential negative O3 impacts to vegetation, the European Union uses the Accumulated Ozone over Threshold of 40 ppb (AOT40). This index has been chosen for its simplicity and flexibility in handling different ecosystems as well as for its linear relationships with yield or biomass loss. However, AOT40 does not give any information on the physiological O3 uptake into the leaves since it does not include any environmental constraints to O3 uptake through stomata. Therefore, an index based on stomatal O3 uptake (i.e. PODY), which describes the amount of O3 entering into the leaves, would be more appropriate. Specifically, the PODY metric considers the effects of multiple climatic factors, vegetation characteristics and local and phenological inputs rather than the only atmospheric O3 concentration. For this reason, the use of PODY in the O3 risk assessment for vegetation is becoming recommended. We compare different potential O3 risk assessments based on two methodologies (i.e. AOT40 and stomatal O3 uptake) using a framework of mesoscale models that produces hourly meteorological and O3 data at high spatial resolution (12 km) over Europe for the time period 2000-2005. Results indicate a remarkable spatial and temporal inconsistency between the two indices, suggesting that a new definition of European legislative standard is needed in the near future. Besides, our risk assessment based on AOT40 shows a good consistency compared to both in-situ data and other model-based datasets. Conversely, risk assessment based on stomatal O3 uptake shows different spatial patterns compared to other model-based datasets. This strong inconsistency can be likely related to a different vegetation cover and its associated parameterizations.

Developing conservation strategies for endemic tree species when faced with time and data constraints: Boswellia spp. on Socotra (Yemen)

ABSTRACT This paper deals with gas exchange measurements in relation to leaf age during different seasons in Holm oak (Quercus ilex L.). Leaves of different age respond differently to changing environmental conditions, and the important role played by the current leaves in the annual carbon gain of Holm oak is underlined. The analysis of photosynthetic performance could be useful to test and implement mathematical models which merge advanced knowledges in the scaling-up approach.

A multi-sites analysis on the ozone effects on Gross Primary Production of European forests

Defoliation is an indicator for forest health in response to several stressors including air pollutants, and one of the most important parameters monitored in the International Cooperative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests). The study aims to estimate crown defoliation in 2030, under three climate and one nitrogen deposition scenarios, based on evaluation of the most important factors (meteorological, nitrogen deposition and chemical soil parameters) affecting defoliation of twelve European tree species. The combination of favourable climate and nitrogen fertilization in the more adaptive species induces a generalized decrease of defoliation. On the other hand, severe climate change and drought are main causes of increase in defoliation in Quercus ilex and Fagus sylvatica, especially in Mediterranean area. Our results provide information on regional distribution of future defoliation, an important knowledge for identifying policies to counteract negative impacts of climate change and air pollution.