Indication of the sensitivity of Pinaceae species growing in Eastern Central Europe to ground-level ozone pollution.

Abstract

This study focused on testing the response of the assimilation apparatus of evergreen Pinaceae species to increasing levels of oxidative stress simulated in manipulative experiments. Needles were collected from mature individuals of Pinus mugo, Pinus cembra, Pinus sylvestris, Abies alba, and Picea abies at the foothill (FH) and alpine treeline ecotone (ATE) in the High Tatras (Western Carpathians). The injury index (INX), quantified by the modified electrolyte leakage (EL) method, indicated severe needle damage due to exposure to extremely high levels of O₃. Ozonation induced changes in the chemical composition of the needles, which were detected via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The oxidative stability (OxS) indicator derived from INXs was used to determine the stomatal O₃ flux-based critical level CL(OxS), with the threshold value of OxS at -0.05, corresponding to 5% injury to the needles. Assessment of the phytotoxic ozone dose (POD0) under ambient O₃ and field environmental conditions during the 2023 growing season via CL(OxS) revealed that the studied species utilised between 18% (Abies alba FH) and 33% (Pinus mugo ATE) of their O₃ tolerance potential. These results support our hypothesis that Pinaceae species growing in the High Tatras, which are part of the Alpine biogeographical region of Eastern Central Europe, are vulnerable to O₃ concentrations significantly higher than the typical ambient O₃ level in the natural environment.