Economic Assessment of the Negative Impacts of Ozone on Crop Yields and Forest Production. A Case Study of the Estate Östads Säteri in Southwestern Sweden

Ground level ozone concentrations, in combination with the prevailing climate, at the estate Östads Säteri in southwestern Sweden were estimated to reduce the yield of wheat and potato ranging between 5% and 10%. Occasionally, in years with the highest ozone concentrations and/or climatic conditions favoring high rates of ozone uptake to the leaves, yield loss levels above 10% may occur. Based on simple extrapolation, these ozone-induced reductions of crop yields at Östads Säteri represent a potential total annual yield loss in Sweden in the range of 24.5 million Euro for wheat and 7.3 million Euro for potato, respectively. A simulation of forest growth at Östad Säteri predicted that prevailing mean ozone exposure during 1993–2003 had the potential to reduce forest growth by 2.2% and the economic return of forest production by 2.6%. Using this value for extrapolation to the national level, the potential annual economic loss for Sweden due to negative impacts of ozone on forest production would be in the range of 56 million Euro (2004 prices).