title: Field surveys for potential ozone bioindicator plant species in Argentina.
abstract: In Argentina no historical or present programs exist specifically assessing ecosystem health with respect to photochemical air pollution, although phytotoxic concentrations of near-ground ozone have been documented in recent years. Here we report our preliminary findings on field observations of ozone-like injury found in natural plant populations and agroecosystems late in the 2005 growing season in the Southern Hemisphere. Several possible ozone bioindicator plants which have not been previously documented were observed to exhibit foliar symptoms consistent with ozone-induced injury. Based on these results we intend to expand field surveys and complete the screening process for injury confirmation of the plant species described here. For this and future research we will be using controlled chamber studies based in the US. Continuous monitoring of tropospheric ozone does not currently take place in the region of central Argentina. The combined evidence provided by intermittent air quality sampling and the presence of ozone-like injury to vegetation indicates the need to establish air quality and ozone biomonitoring networks in this region.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Sciences Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA. bergweiler@nre.umass.edu
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bergweiler
authors.forename: Hebe
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wannaz
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Toselli
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Olcese
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pignata
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical / Q000633:toxicity*; D010126:Ozone / Q000633:toxicity*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010083:Oxidants, Photochemical; D010126:Ozone