Impacts of air pollution and climate change on forest ecosystems--emerging research needs

Outcomes from the 22nd meeting for Specialists in Air Pollution Effects on Forest Ecosystems "Forests under Anthropogenic Pressure--Effects of Air Pollution, Climate Change and Urban Development", September 10-16, 2006, Riverside, CA, are summarized. Tropospheric or ground-level ozone (O3) is still the phytotoxic air pollutant of major interest. Challenging issues are how to make O3 standards or critical levels more biologically based and at the same time practical for wide use; quantification of plant detoxification processes in flux modeling; inclusion of multiple environmental stresses in critical load determinations; new concept development for nitrogen saturation; interactions between air pollution, climate, and forest pests; effects of forest fire on air quality; the capacity of forests to sequester carbon under changing climatic conditions and coexposure to elevated levels of air pollutants; enhanced linkage between molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, and morphological traits.     

Forest health status in Europe

Forest health status in Europe is assessed by the International Cooperative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests). Established by the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP) under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the ICP Forests has been monitoring forest condition in close cooperation with the European Commission (EC) for 20 years. The present paper describes the latest results of the deposition measurements on permanent monitoring plots and of the extensive defoliation sample survey. The findings reveal marked spatial patterns in bulk and throughfall depositions of nitrate (N-NO3(-)), ammonium (N-NH4(+)), and sulfate (S-SO4(2-)), as well as an obvious decrease in bulk and throughfall deposition of sulfate. Latest analyses of defoliation data confirm previous results, indicating a high correlation with weather extremes.     

Air pollution and plant metabolism: Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Air Pollution and Plant Metabolism,Munich, 1987

Book reviews

Air pollution and plant metabolism: Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Air Pollution and Plant Metabolism, Munich, 1987S. Schulte-Hostede, N.M. Darrall, L.W. Blank and A.R. Wellburn (Eds.), London and New YorkL Elsevier Applied Science, 1988. xiv + 381 pages. £44.00. ISBN 1-85166-2830-8.     

Book reviews

Books reviewed in this article: Land Management in Amazonia
M. J. Eden How to Conquer Air Pollution: A Japanese Experience
Edited by H. Nishimura The Human Impact on the Natural Environment, 3rd edn
A. Goudie     

Reviews of Publications

Book reviewed in this article:
The Ecology of Ectoparasitic Insects, by Adrian Marshall
Effect of Heavy Metal Pollution on Plants, Volumes I & II, edited by N. W. Lepp
Mosses of South Australia, by D. G. Catcheside
Basic Structure and Evolution of the Vertebrates, Volumes 1 and 2, by Erik Jarvik
The Evolution of Air Breathing in Vertebrates, by D. J. Randall, W. W. Burggren A. P. Farrell & M. S. Haswell     

Reviews

Plant Lectins. By A. P ustzai .
Techniques for the Rapid Detection of Plant Pathogens . Ed. by J. M. D uncan and L. T orrance .
Ecological Genetics and Air Pollution. Ed. by G. R. T aylor , Jr., L. F. P itelka and M. T. C legg .
Arctic Ecosystems in a Changing Climate. Ed. By F. S. C hapin III, R. L. J efferies , J. F. R eynolds , G. R. S haver , J. S voboda and E. W. C hu .     

植物对大气污染的反应与城市绿化

大气污染是人类面临的最严峻问题之一,根据植物对大气污染的反应方式来选择城市绿化树种是减轻排放后大气污染物的一种重要补充工具。过去我国在植物对不同大气污染物反应特性方面的研究主要局限于：根据不同浓度的大气污染物对植物进行的熏气试验和现场观察植物叶片的宏观受害症状来粗略判断植物对不同污染物的抗性等级。因无统一的指标评价植物抗性能力,不同的方法得出同一植物对同种污染物抗性等级不同的矛盾结论。本文全面分析了近期国内外有关植物对大气污染物抗性特征方面的最新研究进展,建议利用植物在混合大气污染物作用下的宏观和微观、形态和解剖、生态和生理等方面的综合反应特性,科学地划分植物对大气污染物的抗性等级,结合植物的吸污能力,提出筛选绿化植物的合理化建议。     

植物对大气污染的反应与城市绿化

大气污染是人类面临的最严峻问题之一,根据植物对大气污染的反应方式来选择城市绿化树种是减轻排放后大气污染物的一种重要补充工具,过去我国在植物对不同大气污染物反应特性方面的研究主要局限于：根据不同浓度的大气污染物对植物进行的熏气试验和现场观察植物叶片的宏观受害症状来粗略判断植物对不同污染物的抗性等级。因无统一的指标评价植物抗性能力,不同的方法得出同一植物对同种污染物抗性等级不同的矛盾结论：本文全面分析了近期国内外有关植物对大气污染物抗性特征方面的最新研究进展,建议利用植物在混合大气污染物作用下的宏观和微观,形态和解剖,生态和生理等方面的综合反应特性,科学地划分植物对大气污染物的抗性等级,结合植物的吸污能力,提出筛选绿化植物的合理化建议。     

The Way Forward for Hong Kong to Combat Vessel Source Emissions in the Pearl River Delta Region

Air pollution has long been of great concern in both Hong Kong and the wider Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, where shipping pollution is a major contributor to poor air quality. This article addresses, first, the current global regulatory framework covering the main sources of vessel source pollution; second, the implementation and enforcement of the rules in Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL); and third, the legal and policy measures for combating vessel source emissions in Hong Kong. In conclusion, the article offers suggestions on the way forward for Hong Kong to combat such vessel source emissions in the PRD region.     

Quantification,sources, and control of ammonia emissions in the Czech Republic

The exact quantification of ammonia (NH3) emissions is the basic presumption for the fulfillment of obligations set by the CLRTAP (Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution) Protocol which was signed by the Czech Republic in 1999. Most NH 3 emissions in the Czech Republic are produced during the breeding of cattle, pigs, and poultry; therefore, determinating emission factors for these kinds of animals by studying their total number, type of breeding, and subsequent disposal of manure is the solution to the problem of NH 3 emissions quantification. This paper summarizes the results of 4 years of research in this area, determining the emission factors and ways of decreasing emissions from the breeding of cattle, pigs, and poultry.     

Beyond PM2.5: The role of ultrafine particles on adverse health effects of air pollution

BackgroundAir pollution constitutes the major threat to human health, whereas their adverse impacts and underlying mechanisms of different particular matters are not clearly defined.Scope of reviewUltrafine particles (UFPs) are high related to the anthropogenic emission sources, i.e. combustion engines and power plants. Their composition, source, typical characters, oxidative effects, potential exposure routes and health risks were thoroughly reviewed.Major conclusionsUFPs play a major role in adverse impacts on human health and require further investigations in future toxicological research of air pollution.General significanceUnlike PM_2.5, UFPs may have much more impacts on human health considering loads of evidences emerging from particulate matters and nanotoxicology research fields. The knowledge of nanotoxicology contributes to the understanding of toxicity mechanisms of airborne UFPs in air pollution. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Air Pollution, edited by Wenjun Ding, Andrew J. Ghio and Weidong Wu.     

REVIEWS

Comparative Anatomy of the vegetative Organs of the Pteridophytes. By Y udzert O gura .
Principles of Dispersal in Higher Plants. By L. van der P ijl .
Genera of Bamboos Native in the New World (Gramineae: Bambusaideae). By F. A. M c C lure (ed. By T. R. S oderstrom ).
Air Pollution and Lichens. Ed. by B. W. F erry , M. S. B addeley and D. L. H awksworth .
Photosynthesis. By D. O. H all and K. K. R ao .
A Dictionary of the Flowering Plants and Ferns. By the late J. C. W illis revised by H. K. A iry S haw .     

Relationship between atmospheric pressure and mortality in the Madrid Autonomous Region: a time-series study

This study set out to determine the possible influence of variations in atmospheric pressure on mortality in the Madrid Autonomous Region (MAR), taking into account the possible confounding effect of other atmospheric variables. The study was based on daily mortality data from the MAR Revenue and Excise Authority, meteorological data from Getafe Observatory and air pollution data from the Madrid Municipal Automatic Air Pollution Monitoring Grid. A time-series analysis was performed, using Box-Jenkins modelling and controlling for the respective confounding variables. Furthermore, the different variables studied (pressure, temperature, pollutants, etc.) were used to produce a multivariate model of the different causes of mortality. A significant association was found between anticyclonic trend and mortality with circulatory causes in the medium-long term and anticyclonic trend and mortality with respiratory causes in the long term. Received: 14 January 2000 / Revised: 5 July 2000 / Accepted: 10 July 2000     

Dietary and pharmacological intervention to mitigate the cardiopulmonary effects of air pollution toxicity

BackgroundExposure to air pollution contributes importantly to excess morbidity and mortality. And while regulatory actions under the “Clean Air Act” have saved millions of lives by improving air quality, there are still millions of people in the U.S. who live in areas where particulate air pollution (PM) levels exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Therefore, apart from such localities working to attain such standards the protection of the health of public and in particular those at high risk might benefit from interventional strategies that would ameliorate air pollution's adverse health effects. Because inflammation and oxidative stress appear to mediate the health effects of air pollution, one interventional approach to consider is the use of dietary supplementation or medication with anti-inflammatory or antioxidant properties to block the biological responses that initiate the pathophysiological process that culminates in adverse health effects.Scope of reviewThis article reviews the capability of dietary supplementation, such as antioxidant vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and medications as a strategy to mitigate air pollution-induced subclinical cardiopulmonary effects.Major conclusionsAntioxidant vitamins C and E protect the lungs against short-term ozone and PM exposure. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as fish oil and olive oil appear to offer protection against short-term air pollution-induced adverse cardiovascular responses.General significanceTaking dietary supplements or medications with antioxidant or anti-inflammatory properties has the potential to provide at least partial protection against air pollution-induced adverse health effects in those individuals who are known to be most susceptible, namely those with pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Air Pollution, edited by Wenjun Ding, Andrew J. Ghio and Weidong Wu.     

Book Reviews

Narayanasamy, P :Plant Pathogen Detection and Disease Diagnosis ("Series: Books in Soils, Plants and the Environment).
Scheffer, R. P. : The Nature of Disease in Plants.
Michaelis, W. : Air Pollution: Dimensions, Trends and Inter actions with a Forest Ecosystem.
Kearney, P. C. and Kaufman, D. D. (eds) : Herbicides: Chemistry, Degradation and Mode of Actio, Vol. 3.
Sandermann, H., Wellburn, A. R., Heath, R. L. (eds) : Forest Decline and Ozone[A Comparison of Controlled Chamber and Field Experiments] Ecological Studies, Vol. 127.
Vogel, G. : Handbuch des speziellen Gemüsebaues. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 1996.
Hall, R. (ed.): Principles and Practice of Managing Soilborne Plant Pathogens.     

Reviews of publications

Book reviewed in this article:
The North American Grasshoppers:Volume II Acrididae, Oedipodinae , by D. Otte.
Animal Behavior and ils Applicaiions, by Derek V. Ellis.
Bracken:Ecology, Land Use and Control Technology, edited by R. T. Smith and J. A. Taylor.
Functional Vertebrate Morphology, edited by M. Hildebrand, D. M. Bramble, K. F. Liem and D. B. Wake.
Air Pollution by Pholochemical Oxidants, edited by R. Guderian.
Physiological Ecology of Lichens (Cambridge Studies in Ecology), by Kenneth A. Kershaw.
The Evolutionary Ecology of Ant-Plant mutualisms , by A. J. Beattie.
Fundamentals of Insect Physiology, edited by Murray S. Blum.
The Leajhppers and Planthoppers, edited by L. R. Nault and J. G. Rodriguez.     

CONSULTANT'S FORUM

Time-Varying Coefficient Models for the Analysis of Air Pollution and Health Outcome Data
Nous présentons un modèle à coefficient dépendant du temps pour étudier la relation entre exposition aiguë (à court terme) à la pollution atmosphérique et altérations de la santé. Ce modèle permet au risque relatif de varier en fonction du temps comme cela peut se produire en cas d'interaction avec la température ou de modification de la composition en polluants, par exemple en particules solides. Le modèle fournit une estimation lissée de ces effets dépendant du temps sans qu'il soit nécessaire de spécifier une forme paramétrique particulière. Cette forme est estimée à partir des données à l'aide de fonctions spline cubiques pénalisées. Nous développons des modèles de régression de Poisson dont les coefficients sont estimés soit en maximisant une quasi-vraisemblance par une procédure itérative de moindres carrés repondérés, soit par une approche bayésienne utilisant une méthode de Monte Carlo par chaîne de Markov (MCMC). L'efficacité de ces approches pour estimer différents effets dépendant du temps est évaluée par simulations et les modèles sont appliqués aux données recueillies dans quatre villes pour l'enquête NMMAPS (Enquête Nationale Morbidité, Mortalité et Pollution Atmosphérique).     

Evaluation of Anticipated Performance Index,biochemical, and physiological parameters of Cupressus arizonica Greene and Juniperus excelsa Bieb for greenbelt development and biomonitoring of air pollution

Abstract

Plants can be used naturally to mitigate environmental pollution, such as air pollution; however, it is important to evaluate plant susceptibility to air pollution when considering green space creation in urban areas. In this study, we investigated the biochemical and physiological parameters, including pH, and ascorbic acid, relative water, total chlorophyl, proline, soluble sugar, protein, and free amino acid contents of two gymnosperm tree species, Cupressus arizonica Greene and Juniperus excelsa Bieb. Using these data, we computed the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) and Anticipated Performance Index (API) of the trees at five sites in Isfahan, Iran, to determine their applicability for greenbelt establishment. Our results indicated that these evergreen species are good indicators of air pollution and can be used as an early warning tool for air pollution level that is harmful to human health.     

Assessment of sustainable forest management criteria using indicators of the international programme ICP forests

This article gives an assessment of the international criteria for the sustainable management of forests on the basis of indicators according to the International Cooperative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests). The given program allows us to assess Criterion 2: Maintenance of Forest Health and Vitality and Criterion 4: Conservation and Improvement of the Biological Diversity of the Forest Ecosystem. The informative indicators of Criterion 2 are the degrees of the tree crown defoliation and the composition parameters of atmospheric deposition, soils, and dominant tree plant photosynthetic organs. The assessment of Criterion 4 is carried out on the basis of biodiversity items, including forest distribution by age and species composition, sets of forest community major groups (groups of forest types) and their quantitative representation in the area, number of tree and shrub species found in the forests, and species richness and species saturation. An attempt has been made to show whether the network of the permanent observation posts reflects in full measure the forest typological and age structure in Karelia and Karelian Isthmus.     

Time-varying coefficient models for the analysis of air pollution and health outcome data

In this article a time-varying coefficient model is developed to examine the relationship between adverse health and short-term (acute) exposure to air pollution. This model allows the relative risk to evolve over time, which may be due to an interaction with temperature, or from a change in the composition of pollutants, such as particulate matter, over time. The model produces a smooth estimate of these time-varying effects, which are not constrained to follow a fixed parametric form set by the investigator. Instead, the shape is estimated from the data using penalized natural cubic splines. Poisson regression models, using both quasi-likelihood and Bayesian techniques, are developed, with estimation performed using an iteratively re-weighted least squares procedure and Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation, respectively. The efficacy of the methods to estimate different types of time-varying effects are assessed via a simulation study, and the models are then applied to data from four cities that were part of the National Morbidity, Mortality, and Air Pollution Study.