The effect of ambient ozone pollution and acidic rain on the growth and chlorophyll content of green and white ash.

Abstract

Two- and three-year old green ash (Fraxinus americana L.) and white ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.) seedlings were exposed to combinations of ambient ozone and acidic ambient rainfall in New Brunswick, New Jersey. During the 3-year study the potted seedlings did not develop typical foliar ozone toxicity symptoms, despite the occurrence of as many as 78 h in exceedance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard of 0.12 ppm. Although the pH of the rainfall was as low as 3.6 and averaged 4.1, no symptoms were observed resulting from the ambient precipitation. The rate of shoot growth in terms of height and diameter was generally not affected by either of the pollutants during the growing season. Although the chlorophyll content of white ash foliage was low following frequent rainfall in the early summer of 1984, there was no statistically significant evidence that acid raid or ambient ozone decreased chlorophyll in ash seedlings during the 3-year study.