Effect of surface ozone exposure on vegetation in the rural area of Aliartos, Greece

The critical level of air pollutants in the atmosphere is the concentration above which adverse effects occur on sensitive receptors, such as plants and ecosystems. Ozone is the most important air pollutant in Europe affecting vegetation and forest ecosystems and its increase in the last decades is significant. The current European critical levels of ozone for the protection of crops, natural and semi-natural vegetation and forest trees are based on exposure-response relationships using the AOT40 exposure index. The results described in this work are derived from an analysis, concerning the six-year period 1996-2001, of hourly surface ozone concentrations measured at the rural station of Aliartos about 90 km NW of Athens. This station is the only EMEP-Project station in Greece and South Balkan Peninsula. The analysis showed a strong seasonal variation. Some differences between the warm and cold period mean diurnal patterns were also noticed. This research reports the information on the relation between AOT40 exposure index levels and reductions in agricultural and horticultural crop production, at the rural area of Aliartos for a six-year period started in 1996.