Interactive effects of ambient ozone and climate measured on growth of mature loblolly pine trees

Abstract

Seasonal growth patterns of mature loblolly pine (Pinustaeda L.) trees over the interval 1988–1993 have been analyzed to evaluate the effects of ambient ozone on growth of large forest trees. Patterns of stem expansion and contraction of 34 trees were examined using serial measurements with sensitive dendrometer band systems. Study sites, located in eastern Tennessee, varied significantly in soil moisture, soil fertility, and stand density. Levels of ozone, rainfall, and temperature varied widely over the 6-year study interval. Regression analysis identified statistically significant influences of ozone on stem growth patterns, with responses differing widely among trees and across years. Ozone interacted with both soil moisture stress and high temperatures, explaining 63% of the high frequency, climatic variance in stem expansion identified by stepwise regression of the 5-year data set. Observed responses to ozone were rapid, typically occurring within 1–3 days of exposure to ozone at ≥40 ppb and were significantly amplified by low soil moisture and high air temperatures. Both short-term responses, apparently tied to ozone-induced increases in whole-tree water stress, and longer term cumulative responses were identified. These data indicate that relatively low levels of ambient ozone can significantly reduce growth of mature forest trees and that interactions between ambient ozone and climate are likely to be important modifiers of future forest growth and function. Additional studies of mechanisms of short-term response and interspecies comparisons are clearly needed.