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Limić I, Butorac L, Jakovljević T, Lovreškov L, Bratinčević MV, Bakšić D, Jelić G. Atmospheric deposition patterns in bulk open field precipitation and throughfall in Aleppo pine forest and black pine forest on the eastern Adriatic coast. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 262:119723. [PMID: 39179141 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
The Mediterranean region, with its unique ecological characteristics, is particularly sensitive to global environmental changes, including climate change and impact of air pollution. Although Aleppo pine and black pine forests are the most abundant on the eastern Adriatic coast, atmospheric deposition in these forests is poorly studied. Changes in the chemical composition of precipitation as it passes through the tree canopy can lead to soil and groundwater eutrophication, and soil acidification, which affects plant vitality. In this study, the dynamics of ion deposition in Aleppo pine forest (Pinus halepensis Mill.) and black pine forest (Pinus nigra Arnold) on the eastern Adriatic coast are investigated, focusing on throughfall and bulk open field depositions. The aim of our research was to fill the gaps in understanding the influence of tree canopies on deposition fluxes in two different Mediterranean pine stands and to compare total inorganic nitrogen loads with critical loads. Over a period of two years, bulk open field precipitation and throughfall were sampled, measured and analysed using the ICP Forest methodology. The results indicate significant differences in ion deposition between bulk open field and throughfall, with throughfall showing higher values for almost all ions. The highest enrichment ratio was determined for K+. The comparison of the actual inorganic nitrogen load with the critical nitrogen load for Mediterranean pine forests revealed that the inorganic nitrogen load exceeded the critical load in the Aleppo pine forest. Ion deposition increased in the throughfall compared to bulk precipitation, which can be attributed to the seasonality of precipitation, including leaching and long dry periods. These findings enhance our understanding of ion deposition fluxes in vulnerable Mediterranean pine ecosystems and emphasize the need for long-term research on this topic in the actual changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Limić
- Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Put Duilova 11, 21000, Split, Croatia.
| | - Lukrecija Butorac
- Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Put Duilova 11, 21000, Split, Croatia.
| | - Tamara Jakovljević
- Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno Naselje 41, 10450, Jastrebarsko, Croatia.
| | - Lucija Lovreškov
- Croatian Institute of Public Health, Borongajska cesta 83 g, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | | | - Darko Bakšić
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Svetošimunska cesta 23, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Goran Jelić
- Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Put Duilova 11, 21000, Split, Croatia.
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Lovreškov L, Radojčić Redovniković I, Limić I, Potočić N, Seletković I, Marušić M, Jurinjak Tušek A, Jakovljević T, Butorac L. Are Foliar Nutrition Status and Indicators of Oxidative Stress Associated with Tree Defoliation of Four Mediterranean Forest Species? PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:3484. [PMID: 36559596 PMCID: PMC9788295 DOI: 10.3390/plants11243484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Mediterranean forest ecosystems in Croatia are of very high significance because of the ecological functions they provide. This region is highly sensitive to abiotic stresses such as air pollution, high sunlight, and high temperatures alongside dry periods; therefore, it is important to monitor the state of these forest ecosystems and how they respond to these stresses. This study was conducted on trees in situ and focused on the four most important forest species in the Mediterranean region in Croatia: pubescent oak (Quercus pubescens Willd.), holm oak (Quercus ilex L.), Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) and black pine (Pinus nigra J. F. Arnold.). Trees were selected and divided into two groups: trees with defoliation of >25% (defoliated) and trees with defoliation of ≤25% (undefoliated). Leaves and needles were collected from selected trees. Differences in chlorophyll content, hydrogen peroxide content, lipid peroxidation and enzyme activity (superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, non-specific peroxidase), and nutrient content between the defoliated and undefoliated trees of the examined species were determined. The results showed that there were significant differences for all species between the defoliated and undefoliated trees for at least one of the examined parameters. A principal component analysis showed that the enzyme ascorbate peroxidase can be an indicator of oxidative stress caused by ozone. By using oxidative stress indicators, it is possible to determine whether the trees are under stress even before visual damage occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucija Lovreškov
- Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno Naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
| | | | - Ivan Limić
- Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Put Duilova 11, 21000 Split, Croatia
| | - Nenad Potočić
- Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno Naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
| | - Ivan Seletković
- Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno Naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
| | - Mia Marušić
- Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno Naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
| | - Ana Jurinjak Tušek
- Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tamara Jakovljević
- Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno Naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
| | - Lukrecija Butorac
- Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Put Duilova 11, 21000 Split, Croatia
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Jakovljević T, Lovreškov L, Jelić G, Anav A, Popa I, Fornasier MF, Proietti C, Limić I, Butorac L, Vitale M, De Marco A. Impact of ground-level ozone on Mediterranean forest ecosystems health. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 783:147063. [PMID: 34088128 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Given the high ozone concentrations observed in the Mediterranean region during summer, it is crucial to extend our knowledge on the potential ozone impacts on forest health with in situ studies, especially to protect typical endemic forests of the Mediterranean basin. This study is focused on ozone measurements and exposures over the Eastern Adriatic coast and on the calculation of different O3 metrics, i.e., accumulated exposure AOT40 (AOT40dir, AOT40ICP, AOT40pheno) and stomatal O3 fluxes with an hourly threshold of uptake (Y) to represent the detoxification capacity of trees (PODY, with Y = 0, 1, 2 nmol O3 m-2 s-1) used for forest protection. Finally, we provide an assessment of the relationships between the forest response indicators and environmental variables. Passive ozone measurements and monitoring of forest health indicators, namely growth and crown defoliation, were performed for Quercus ilex, Quercus pubescens, Pinus halepensis, and Pinus nigra forests. Results showed that, for all the analysed species, ozone levels were close to reached the upper plausibility limits for passive monitoring of air quality at forest sites (100 ppb), with the highest values found on P. halepensis in the summer period. O3 metrics based on exposure were found to be higher in pine plots than in oak plots, while the highest values of uptake-based metrics were found on P. nigra. Regarding relationships between environmental variables and forest-health response indicators, the crown defoliation was significantly correlated with the soil water content at various depth while the tree growth was correlated with the different O3 metrics. The most important predictors affecting tree growth of Q. pubescens and Q. ilex were AOT40pheno and AOT40dir and POD0 for P. nigra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Jakovljević
- Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia.
| | - Lucija Lovreškov
- Croatian Forest Research Institute, Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia.
| | - Goran Jelić
- Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Put Duilova 11, 21000 Split, Croatia.
| | - Alessandro Anav
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), CR Casaccia, Viale Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy.
| | - Ionel Popa
- National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry "Marin Drăcea", Calea Bucovinei 73 bis, Campulung Moldovenesc, Romania; Centre of Mountain Economy - CE-MONT, Vatra Dornei, Romania
| | - Maria Francesca Fornasier
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Proietti
- Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144 Rome, Italy.
| | - Ivan Limić
- Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Put Duilova 11, 21000 Split, Croatia.
| | - Lukrecija Butorac
- Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Put Duilova 11, 21000 Split, Croatia.
| | - Marcello Vitale
- Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Environmental Biology, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Alessandra De Marco
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), CR Casaccia, Viale Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy.
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