Abstract
Abstract. Tropospheric ozone (O3), which is one of the most important air pollutants in China, is projected to continue to increase in the near future. O3 and vegetation closely interact with each other and such interactions may not only affect plant physiology (e.g., stomatal conductance and photosynthesis) but also influence the overlying meteorology and air quality through modifying leaf stomatal behaviors. Previous studies have highlighted China as a hotspot in terms of O3 pollution and O3 damage to vegetation. Yet, few studies have investigated the effects of O3-vegetation interactions on meteorology and air quality in China, especially in the light of recent severe O3 pollution. In this study, a two-way coupled land-atmosphere model was applied to simulate O3 damage to vegetation and the subsequent effects on meteorology and air quality in China. Our results reveal that O3 causes up to 16 % enhancement in stomatal resistance, whereby large increases are found in Henan, Hebei and Shandong provinces. O3 damage causes a more than 20 % reduction in photosynthesis rate, and at least 5 % and 20 % decrease in leaf area index (LAI) and gross primary production (GPP), respectively, and hotspot areas appear in the northeastern and southern China. The associated reduction in transpiration causes a 5–30 W m−2 decrease (increase) in latent heat (sensible heat) flux, which induces a 3 % reduction in surface relative humidity, 0.2–0.8 K increase in surface air temperature, and 40–120 m increase in boundary layer height in China. We also found that the meteorological changes further induce a 2–6 ppb increase in O3 concentration in northern and south-central China mainly due to enhanced isoprene emission following increased air temperature, demonstrating that O3-vegetation interactions can lead to a strong positive feedback that can amplify O3 pollution in China. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering the effects of O3 damage and O3-vegetation interactions in air quality simulations, with ramifications for both air quality and forest management.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Simulated ozone damage increased stomatal resistance by up to 16%.
- Taxon
- vegetationt0
- Treatment
- O3e0
- Outcome
- stomatal resistancee0
- Direction
- enhancemente0
- Value
- up to 16 %e0
- Setting
- Henan, Hebei and Shandong provincese0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“O3 causes up to 16 % enhancement in stomatal resistance, whereby large increases are found in Henan, Hebei and Shandong provinces”
t0“vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Simulated ozone damage reduced photosynthesis rate.
- Taxon
- vegetationt0
- Treatment
- O3 damagee0
- Outcome
- photosynthesis ratee0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- more than 20 %e0
- Setting
- northeastern and southern Chinae0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“O3 damage causes a more than 20 % reduction in photosynthesis rate, and at least 5 % and 20 % decrease in leaf area index (LAI) and gross primary production (GPP), respectively, and hotspot areas appear in the northeastern and southern China”
t0“vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Simulated ozone damage reduced leaf area index (LAI).
- Taxon
- vegetationt0
- Treatment
- O3 damagee0
- Outcome
- leaf area index (LAI)e0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Value
- at least 5 %e0
- Setting
- northeastern and southern Chinae0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“O3 damage causes a more than 20 % reduction in photosynthesis rate, and at least 5 % and 20 % decrease in leaf area index (LAI) and gross primary production (GPP), respectively, and hotspot areas appear in the northeastern and southern China”
t0“vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Simulated ozone damage reduced gross primary production (GPP).
- Taxon
- vegetationt0
- Treatment
- O3 damagee0
- Outcome
- gross primary production (GPP)e0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Value
- 20 %e0
- Setting
- northeastern and southern Chinae0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“O3 damage causes a more than 20 % reduction in photosynthesis rate, and at least 5 % and 20 % decrease in leaf area index (LAI) and gross primary production (GPP), respectively, and hotspot areas appear in the northeastern and southern China”
t0“vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Ozone-related vegetation changes altered transpiration.
Verbatim
e0“The associated reduction in transpiration causes a 5–30 W m−2 decrease (increase) in latent heat (sensible heat) flux, which induces a 3 % reduction in surface relative humidity, 0.2–0.8 K increase in surface air temperature, and 40–120 m increase in boundary layer height in China”
t0“vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Ozone-related vegetation changes altered latent heat.
Verbatim
e0“The associated reduction in transpiration causes a 5–30 W m−2 decrease (increase) in latent heat (sensible heat) flux, which induces a 3 % reduction in surface relative humidity, 0.2–0.8 K increase in surface air temperature, and 40–120 m increase in boundary layer height in China”
t0“vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Ozone-related vegetation changes altered sensible heat.
Verbatim
e0“The associated reduction in transpiration causes a 5–30 W m−2 decrease (increase) in latent heat (sensible heat) flux, which induces a 3 % reduction in surface relative humidity, 0.2–0.8 K increase in surface air temperature, and 40–120 m increase in boundary layer height in China”
t0“vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Ozone-related vegetation changes altered surface relative humidity.
Verbatim
e0“The associated reduction in transpiration causes a 5–30 W m−2 decrease (increase) in latent heat (sensible heat) flux, which induces a 3 % reduction in surface relative humidity, 0.2–0.8 K increase in surface air temperature, and 40–120 m increase in boundary layer height in China”
t0“vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Ozone-related vegetation changes altered surface air temperature.
Verbatim
e0“The associated reduction in transpiration causes a 5–30 W m−2 decrease (increase) in latent heat (sensible heat) flux, which induces a 3 % reduction in surface relative humidity, 0.2–0.8 K increase in surface air temperature, and 40–120 m increase in boundary layer height in China”
t0“vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Ozone-related vegetation changes altered boundary layer height.
Verbatim
e0“The associated reduction in transpiration causes a 5–30 W m−2 decrease (increase) in latent heat (sensible heat) flux, which induces a 3 % reduction in surface relative humidity, 0.2–0.8 K increase in surface air temperature, and 40–120 m increase in boundary layer height in China”
t0“vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Meteorological changes increased ozone concentration by 2–6 ppb, linked to isoprene emission after warming.
Verbatim
e0“meteorological changes further induce a 2–6 ppb increase in O3 concentration in northern and south-central China mainly due to enhanced isoprene emission following increased air temperature”
t0“vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend including ozone damage and vegetation interactions in air quality simulations.
Verbatim
e0“Our findings emphasize the importance of considering the effects of O3 damage and O3-vegetation interactions in air quality simulations, with ramifications for both air quality and forest management”
t0“vegetation”