(Evapo)Transpiration Measurements Over Vegetated Surfaces as a Key Tool to Assess the Potential Damages of Air Gaseous Pollutant for Plants

Biological damages of a variety of plant organisms are evaluated according their evapotranspiration capacit

Interactions among vegetation and ozone, water and nitrogen fluxes in a coastal Mediterranean maquis ecosystem

Ozone, water and energy fluxes were measured over a Mediterranean maquis ecosystem from 5 May until 31 July 2007 by means of the eddy covariance technique. Additional measurements of NOx fluxes were performed by the aerodynamic gradient technique. Stomatal ozone fluxes were obtained from water fluxes by a Dry Deposition Inferential Method based on a big leaf concept. The maquis ecosystem acted as a net sink for ozone. The different water availability between late spring and summer was the major cause of the changes observed in stomatal fluxes, which decreased, together with evapotranspiration, when the season became drier. NOx concentrations were significantly dependent on the local meteorology. NOx fluxes resulted less intense than the ozone fluxes. However an average upward flux of both NO and NO2 was measured. The non-stomatal pathways of ozone deposition were investigated. A correlation of non-stomatal deposition with air humidity and, in a minor way, with NO2 fluxes was found. Ozone risk assessment was performed by comparing the exposure and the dose metrics: AOT40 (Accumulated dose over a threshold of 40 ppb) and AFst 1.6 (Accumulated stomatal flux of ozone over a threshold of 1.6 nmolm 122 s 121). AOT40, both at the measurement height and at canopy height was greater than the Critical Level for the protection of forests and semi-natural vegetation (5000 ppb h) adopted by UN-ECE. Also the AFst 1.6 value (12.6 mmolm 122 PLA, Projected Leaf Area) was higher than the provisional critical dose of 4 mmolm 122 PLA for forests. The cumulated dose showed two different growth rates in the spring and in the summer periods, while the exposure showed a more irregular behavior in both periods

(Evapo)transpiration measurements over vegetated surfaces as a key tool to assess the potential damages of air gaseous pollutants for plants

Biological damages of a variety of plant organisms are evaluated according their evapotranspiration capacit

L'inquinamento atmosferico in Europa: criticit\ue0 e conseguenze sulle politiche locali di miglioramento della qualit\ue0 dell'aria

Si analizza l'andamento dei principali inquinanti atmosferici in Europa negli ultimi venti anni anche nel contesto del cambiamento climatico e delle variazioni di uso dei suoli. Si discutono gli aspetti pi\uf9 critici dell'inquinamento in funzione delle politiche adottate e adottabili a livello nazionale e local

Una politica ambientale integrata a livello locale

Si disutono i criteri per formulare politiche ambientali locali in grado di produrre co-benefici in diversi settori ambientali con un basso rapporto costi/efficaci

Climate outlook, impact and adaptation in the Alpine ecosystem: the example of Lombardy

Impacts of climate change on Lombardy's territory and ecosytems are described and assessed. Present and planned adaptation policies by the regional government and local administrations are discussed in connection with other similar European initiatives

L'aria che respiriamo: una questione politica

La qualit\ue0 dell'aria nelle aree europee pi\uf9 antropizzate dipende da una serie di fattori economici, demografici, tecnologici, geografici e meteo-climatici, ma \ue8 fortemente influenzata dalle politiche di settore e di gestione del territorio in atto a livello comunitario, nazionale e locale

La scienza e l'ambiente: verso una nuova alleanza

Si valutano i principali problemi ambientali a livello planetario e si discutono gli approcci della scienza per la loro comprensione e soluzione. Si ipotizzano nuovi paradigmi epistemologici che consentano una pi\uf9 integrata visione dei rapporti tra uomo e ambiente