Adaptation of forest ecosystems to air pollution and climate change: a global assessment on research priorities

Abstract

Climate change and air pollution are two of the anthropogenic stressors that require international collaboration. Influence mechanisms and combating strategies towards them have similarities to some extent. Impacts of air pollution and climate change have long been studied under IUFRO Research Group 7.01 and state of the art findings are presented at biannual meetings. Monitoring, modelling, assessment of multiple stressors, ecophysiology, and nutrient cycles have been thoroughly studied aspects of climate change and air pollution research for a long time under the umbrella of IUFRO RG 7.01. Recently, social and economic issues together with water relations are gaining more attention in parallel with science requirements on adaptation. In this paper, we summarise the main research needs emphasized at the recent 24th IUFRO RG 7.01 Conference titled “Adaptation of Forest Ecosystems to Air Pollution and Climate Change”. One important conclusion of the conference was the need for information on nutritional status of forest stands for sustainable forest management. It has been suggested to maintain long-term monitoring programs and to account for the effects of extreme years, and past and present management practices. Long-term monitoring can also help to understand the effects of forestry treatments on the nutrient and water budgets of the ecosystems which may enable to improve management practices like water saving silviculture

Structure and function of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil microbial community respond differently to elevated ozone in field-planted wheat

“…O 3 has been shown to be harmful to human health, vegetation and certain materials (Bytnerowicz et al, 2007;Serengil et al, 2011). Background concentrations of O 3 in the troposphere have continuously increased since the preindustrial age, although control measures on the emission of its precursors have reduced O 3 peaks (Vingarzan, 2004;Derwent et al, 2007).…”

Determinants of stomatal sluggishness in ozone-exposed deciduous tree species

“…Tropospheric ozone (O 3 ) is recognized as a significant phytotoxic air pollutant and greenhouse gas (Bytnerowicz et al, 2007;Serengil et al, 2011). Ozone concentrations have been increasing in the northern hemisphere since the pre-industrial age (Akimoto, 2003;Vingarzan, 2004).…”

Latest Achievements on Climate Change and Forest Interactions in a Polluted Environment

“…A critical analysis of the meta-database made it possible to identify current knowledge gaps and showed that: in many regions ground-level ozone is under-investigated, although it is one of the pollutants of greatest concern to forests (Serengil et al, 2011); in addition to CO 2 , long-term flux measurements of other greenhouse gases (GHGs) should be carried out; there is still a need of improving links between monitoring of atmospheric changes and impacts on forests because these two fundamental activities are typically carried out separately in independent ERNs; and research-oriented manipulative experiments in the forests are missing (Danielewska et al, 2013a). The meta-database described above was created on the basis of major research and monitoring networks in Europe, but it cannot replace existing databases; it merely improves access to and coordination between the different datasets.…”