Air Pollution Effects on the Diversity and Structure of Communities

Armentano, Thomas V.; Bennett, James P.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-3538-6_9

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 45 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Although blackberry was extremely sensitive to elevated ozone concentrations, it dominated the community structure of the 2i treatments, contrary to reports by Pitelka (1988) and Armentano & Bennett (1992) which indicated that faster-growing and\or more pollutant-sensitive species can be outperformed by more tolerant species as pollutant exposures increase, leading to substitution of one species by another. Either the primary production of blackberry is less affected by ozone than its leaf injury indicates, or it is more effective in outcompeting other less ozone-sensitive species for resources.…”

Section: contrasting

confidence: 82%

“…Weinstein & Birk (1989) state that physiological stresses such as ozone are initiated at the level of the individual organism, and that growth, resource utilization, and efficiency might be so impaired that a given plant will not be able to compete with other less sensitive individuals. It is predicted that ozonesensitive species will be eliminated from communities exposed to elevated ozone (Duchelle et al, 1983 ;Armentano & Bennett, 1992 ;Nebel & Fuhrer, 1994). These predictions are supported by studies documenting disproportionate ozone sensitivity among species, based on leaf injury and growth (Berrang, Karnosky & Bennett, 1991 ;Nebel & Fuhrer, 1994).…”

Section: mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Diversity of an early successional plant community as influenced by ozone

Barbo¹,

Chappelka

Somers

et al. 1998

New Phytologist

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

An early successional plant community was exposed to various ozone concentrations for two growing seasons (1994)(1995) in open-top chambers in Auburn, Alabama, USA. The ozone treatments were : AA, ambient air (open plots) ; CF, carbon-filtered air (c. 0n5iambient air), 1i, non-filtered air, and 2i, twice ambient air. Vegetative canopy cover exhibited a pattern of accumulation in the spring, with maximum canopy cover attained in summer, then senescence of foliage in the autumn 1994. This pattern was not observed in 1995 as a result of a drought during the spring and summer. Varying ozone exposures caused shifts in the competitive interactions between plants, thereby altering community structure. Higher canopy cover, vertical canopy density (layers of foliage), species richness, diversity, and evenness existed in the CF treatments than in the other treatments. In addition, winged sumac (Rhus copallina L.) became a major component of the CF treatments only during 1995. Surprisingly, blackberry (Rubus cuneifolius Pursh.), a species considered ozone-sensitive, based on visible injury, dominated canopy cover within the 2i treatments, 41 and 33 % of total canopy cover in 1994 and 1995, respectively. From these results it is concluded that plant communities existing in areas where lower ozone concentrations are prevalent might be more complex and diverse than those existing in areas with higher ozone concentrations.

show abstract

Section: contrasting

confidence: 82%

Section: mentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity of an early successional plant community as influenced by ozone

Barbo¹,

Chappelka

Somers

et al. 1998

New Phytologist

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Retarded growth and decreased leaf size are commonly seen as general and well-known plant responses to emissions of industrial pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, fluorine, and heavy metals (Bleasdale 1952;Scurfield 1960aScurfield , 1960bOdum 1985;Treshow and Anderson 1989;Armentano and Bennett 1992;Dobbertin 2005). Similarly, air pollution was found to frequently disturb reproductive processes, thereby leading to reduced pollen and seed production, size, and viability (Smith 1981;Bonte 1982;Lechowicz 1987;Cox 1988aCox , 1988bCox , 1992.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Growth and reproduction of vascular plants in polluted environments: a synthesis of existing knowledge

2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Identification of factors explaining diversity in plant responses to industrial pollution is crucial for predicting fates of polluted ecosystems. Meta-analysis based on 203 publications demonstrated that plants growing near point polluters showed similar decreases in characters reflecting growth (-13.1%) and reproduction processes (-8.5%). In herbaceous plants, root growth was reduced, while aboveground biomass did not change, because the decrease in leaf size was compensated by an increase in leaf number. In contrast, woody plants demonstrated no changes in allometry and their growth was reduced to a greater extent than growth of herbaceous plants. Raunkiaer's classification of life forms appeared the best predictor of species' responses to pollution. Within woody plants, trees and shrubs, but not dwarf shrubs, showed strong decreases in growth and reproduction. Within herbaceous plants, significant growth reduction was observed only in annuals. Longevity of foliage or plant phylogeny did not explain variation in species' responses. Adverse effects of pollution were stronger in regions with higher temperature and precipitation, hinting that existing pollution loads may become more harmful for plants as climate changes. Relatively minor explanatory value of the characteristics of individual polluters removes one of the principal obstacles to accounting for the effects of pollution in vegetation models and allows extrapolation of the effects observed near point polluters to both regional and global scales. We conclude that losses in productivity of plant communities due to aerial pollution can be approximately estimated on the basis of the life form spectra and climate.Résumé : L'identification des facteurs expliquant la diversité des réactions des plantes envers la pollution industrielle représente un enjeu critique pour prédire le devenir des écosystèmes pollués. Une méta-analyse portant sur 203 publications démontre que les plantes poussant près de pollutions ponctuelles montrent des diminutions similaires pour des données reflétant la croissance (-13.1 %) et les processus de reproduction (-8.5 %). Chez les plantes herbacées, on observe une diminution de la croissance racinaire, alors que la biomasse épigée ne change pas, parce que l'augmentation du nombre de feuilles compense la dimension de leur surface. Au contraire, les plantes ligneuses ne démontrent aucun changement dans l'allélométrie et leur croissance montre une plus forte diminution que les plantes herbacées. La classification des formes de vie des plantes semble constituer le meilleur moyen pour prédire les réactions des plantes à la pollution. Chez les plantes ligneuses, seuls les arbres et les arbustes, mais pas les arbustes nains, montrent de fortes diminutions de croissance et de reproduction. Chez les plantes herbacées, l'on observe de fortes diminutions de croissance seulement chez les plantes annuelles. La longévité du feuillage et la phylogénie végétale n'expliquent pas la variation dans les réactions des espèces. Les effets de la pollution s...

show abstract

“…Of greater complexity and concern to the ecological community is a shift in productivity or community structure resulting from chronic-level air pollution stress distributed over a broad geographical area and affecting a number of terrestrial landscapes (Armentano and Bennett 1992). Whereas air pollutants can have a direct phytotoxic impact on the productivity or community dynamics under highly polluted conditions (Westman 1979), they can also impact the competitive structure of the community by altering the plant's ability to ac-Ecological Applications quire other resources.…”

Section: Stand-level Productivity and Community Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In so doing, N deposition may cause forest ecosystems to reach deficiency levels of the next most limiting nutrient; in central Europe, this appears to be Mg and K (Rehfuess 1987, Cape 1993). However, the overall effect ofN deposition cannot be judged solely on the basis of what new deficiency may be created but must also include the benefits of alleviating the original N deficiency; this concern is only relevant to managed forest stands since N deposition to unmanaged ecosystems can change community structure, depending on competition among species (Heil et al 1988, Armentano andBennett 1992). Soil acidification.-Perhaps the best-studied effect of atmospheric deposition on forest biogeochemical cycling is soil acidification.…”

Section: Ecosystem-level Nutrient Cyclingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Air Pollution and Forest Ecosystems: A Regional to Global Perspective

Taylor¹,

Johnson²,

Andersen³

1994

Ecological Applications

112

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Changes in the atmospheric concentrations of a number of air pollutants over the last century are hallmarks of the magnitude and extent of human impact on the environment. Some of these changes are important to ecologists because many pollutants, acting singly or in combination, affect ecological systems in general and forests in particular. The greatest concern lies with chronic levels of tropospheric ozone, cumulative deposition of hydrogen ion, nitrogen, and sulfur via wet and dry processes, a select number of airborne chemicals (e.g., mercury) that tend to bioaccumulate in continental landscapes, and ultraviolet—B radiation through the loss of stratospheric ozone. Because the atmospheric residence time of most pollutants of concern to ecologists is measured on time frames extending from a few weeks to decades, pollutant distribution and effects are regional to global in dimension. We present evidence that ambient levels of some air pollutants in North America are affecting managed and unmanaged forests, and that the two most important pollutants are tropospheric ozone and chronic nitrogen loading. Further evidence indicates that while concentrations of some air pollutants have been declining over the last decade in North America, others are expected to remain unchanged or increase, including tropospheric ozone. We conclude that air pollution is affecting many North American forests and some remote forests around the globe. In the immediate future, the concern for air pollution effects on forests and associated natural resources will broaden to include interactions with changes in climate and pollution effects in the world's developing countries. There has been a rapid evolution in air pollution studies in ecology, shifting away from the agricultural paradigm of single—factor experimentation toward new methodologies that are ecologically and multidisciplinarily based. This shift has been promoted by the recognition that air pollution is one of several factors influencing forest productivity, community dynamics, and biogeochemistry, and that effects arise through long—term exposures. This evolution in methodologies will become even more marked in the future as new ecological approaches are adopted and an understanding is developed of how air pollution interacts with changes in climate. One of the most promising methodologies is process level modeling, which utilizes the large base of data in tree physiology and forest ecology, watershed chemistry, and atmosphere— forest canopy meteorology to develop models of tree physiology and growth and to subsequently scale these investigations to the levels of forest stands and landscapes.

show abstract

Air Pollution Effects on the Diversity and Structure of Communities

Cited by 13 publications

References 45 publications

Diversity of an early successional plant community as influenced by ozone

Diversity of an early successional plant community as influenced by ozone

Growth and reproduction of vascular plants in polluted environments: a synthesis of existing knowledge

Air Pollution and Forest Ecosystems: A Regional to Global Perspective

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About