Experimental Studies on the Effects of Ozone on Growth and Photosynthetic Activity of Japanese Forest Tree Species

• Published in: Asian journal of atmospheric environment (Online) Vol. 5; no. 2; pp. 65 - 78
• Main Authors: Yamaguchi, Masahiro, Watanabe, Makoto, Matsumura, Hideyuki, Kohno, Yoshihisa, Izuta, Takeshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 01.06.2011; Springer; 한국대기환경학회
• Subjects: critical level; growth; japanese forest tree species; ozone; photosynthetic activity; 대기과학; Ozone; Japanese forest tree species; Photosynthetic activity; Critical level; Growth
• ISSN: 2287-1160; 1976-6912; 2287-1160
• DOI: 10.5572/ajae.2011.5.2.065

Ozone (O 3 ) is a main component of photochemical oxidants, and a phytotoxic anthropogenic air pollutant. In North America and Europe, the current concentration of O 3 has been shown to have significant adverse effects on vegetation. In this review, we summarize the experimental studies on the effects of O 3 on the growth and photosynthetic activity of Japanese forest tree species to understand the present knowledge and provide sound basis for future research toward the assessment of O 3 impacts on Japanese forest ecosystem. Since the 1990s, several Japanese researchers have conducted the experimental studies on the effects of ambient levels of O 3 on growth and physiological functions such as net photosynthesis of Japanese forest tree species. Although the sensitivity to O 3 of whole-plant growth is quite different among the species, it was suggested that the current ambient levels of O 3 in Japan are high enough to adversely affect growth and photosynthetic activity of Japanese forest tree species classified into high O 3 sensitivity group such as Japanese beech. The N load to soil has been shown to reduce the sensitivity to O 3 of Japanese larch and increase that of Japanese beech. To establish the critical level of O 3 for protecting Japanese forest tree species, therefore, it is necessary to take into account the N deposition from the atmosphere. There is little information on the combined effects of O 3 and other environmental factors such as elevated CO 2 and drought on growth and physiological functions of Japanese forest tree species. Therefore, it is necessary to promote the experimental study and accumulate the information on the combined effects of O 3 and any other abiotic environmental factors on Japanese forest tree species.