Cyprus 2021
Ozone pollution continues to be a serious issue for terrestrial ecosystems and plant health. This conference will allow all experts in the interactions between ozone and plant ecosystems to meet and discuss the state of the art and the strategies for continuous improvements.
The main subjects of the conference are:
- 1. Monitoring, modeling and assessment of ozone effects upon plant ecosystems
- Impacts of ambient ozone on plant ecosystems are still elusive. New monitoring approaches, epidemiological studies and sophisticated modelling are developing. Risk assessment is evaluating different metrics for plant protection, in particular the Phytotoxic Ozone Dose. All these developments will be discussed in this session.
- 2. How plants and plant ecosystems respond to ozone exposure
- The ozone effects on forests, grasslands and crops, including food security, will be discussed in this session. The main aim is to evaluate strategies for maximizing yield, productivity and other environmental services of plant ecosystems under ozone stress.
- 3. How plant ecosystems affect ozone concentration in the atmosphere
- Ozone levels and deposition are affected by the type of vegetation. Biogenic volatile organic compounds are known to contribute to ozone formation. This session will address mechanisms and ozone chemistry, singly and in combination with other environmental factors.
- 4. Effective "green" solutions to reduce increasing ozone levels in cities
- Green infrastructure, such as trees, shrubs and green roofs, can improve air quality by removing air pollutants, e.g. ozone. Urban vegetation, as a cost-effective and nature-based approach, aids in meeting clean air standards. However, municipalities and city planners need a quantitative and concrete assessment of the role of urban vegetation in affecting air quality at city scale as well as guidelines for tree planting and maintenance strategy to maximize air quality and minimize disservices.