title: Differences in ozone sensitivity among woody species are related to leaf morphology and antioxidant levels.
abstract: Ozone (O3) sensitivity varies greatly among plant species. Leaf traits such as stomatal conductance, antioxidant capacity and leaf morphology and anatomy may play important roles in controlling this variation, but the relative contributions of each trait remain elusive. In this study, we examined the differences in O3 sensitivity among 29 deciduous and evergreen woody species used for urban greening in China in an open-top chamber experiment. Elevated O3 caused visible injury and reductions in net photosynthesis, and these effects differed significantly among species. The deciduous species Sorbaria sorbifolia, Hibiscus syriacus and Fraxinus chinensis were the most sensitive, while evergreen species ranked among the most tolerant. O3 sensitivity was linked to both low leaf mass per area (LMA) and low leaf area-based antioxidant levels, but not to variation in leaf mass-based antioxidant levels or stomatal conductance. The well-known and easily measured leaf trait LMA thus represents a potentially useful metric for O3 risk assessment and for selecting appropriate species for urban greening in O3-polluted areas.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shuangqing Road 18, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China.
authors.forename: Pin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shuangqing Road 18, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China Fundación CEAM, c/Charles R. Darwin 14, Parque Tecnológico, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Vicent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Calatayud
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shuangqing Road 18, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Uddling
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shuangqing Road 18, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China fzz@rcees.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Zhaozhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D002681:China; D010126:Ozone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D014197:Trees / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010126:Ozone
keywords: antioxidant defense; gas exchange; leaf mass per area; urban greening species; visible symptoms