Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ozone Level Assessment on the Boukornine National Park (Tunisia) using Plant Biomonitoring: Influence of Altitudinal Parameter and Meteorological Conditions

  • Published:
Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The variations of tropospheric ozone levels was assessed for the first time in the Boukornine National Park (N.E. Tunisia) by detection of leaf injury development on Nicotiana tabacum “Bel-W3” exposed to environmental conditions during summer 2004. Two cultivars of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), Bel-W3 (sensitive) and Bel-B (resistant to ozone), were used for this biomonitoring study. These cultivars were dispersed in 24 different biostations, according to a square grid mesh, every 2 weeks. Four successive cultures were utilized to follow the ozone levels inside the park during the summer exposure period. Levels of ozone may vary in time and space depending on the local environmental and meteorological conditions. The results showed a positive correlation between ozone concentration and foliar injury index (FII; r = 0.958; p < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was observed between the FII of Bel-W3 tobacco plant and AOT40 (accumulated over the threshold of 40 ppb). The altitude appeared to be the most important variable explaining the variation of ozone pollution with the highest correlation coefficient (r = 0.964; p < 0.0001). The altitude was followed by topography for the prediction of ozone concentration levels. Maximal temperature was also an important factor in addition to the others in determining the FII and was negatively correlated with the FII (r = −0.979; p < 0.05). Average ambient ozone levels were positively linked to plant leaf damage. The ozone profile characterizing the study area was primarily influenced by wind direction and speed in relation to intercontinental transport, in addition to the local influence of motor vehicles traffic flow in the Tunis region.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alonso, R., Bytnerowicz, A., Yee, J. L., & Boarman, W. I. (2005). Atmospheric dry deposition in the vicinity of the Salton Sea, California—II: measurement and effects of an enhanced evaporation system. Atmospheric Environment, 39, 4681–4689.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ashmore, M. R., Bell, J. N. B., & Reily, C. L. (1978). A survey of ozone levels in the British Isles using indicator plants. Nature, 276, 813–815.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ashmore, M.R., Bell, J.N.B., & Reily, C.L. (1980). Distribution of phytotoxic ozone in the British Isles. Environmental Pollution 1(Series B), 195-216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, J.P., Krzyzanowski, M., & Koffi, B. (1998). Tropospheric ozone in the European Union. The consolidated report, European Commission Brussels. Topic report no. 8/1998. Retrieved January 16, 2004, from http://www.eea.eu.int.

  • Ben Mansoura, A., & Mechergui, R. (2008). Effets de la création du Parc National de Boukornine en Tunisie sur la conservation du thuya et l’évolution des pratiques agro-pastorales des usagers forestiers. In : M.R. Mosquera-Losada, J.L. Fernandez-lorenzo et A. Rigueiro- Rodriguez (Eds), Les Systèmes agroforestiers comme technique pour la gestion durable du territoire. Agence Espagnole pour la Coopération Internationale. Ouvrage Collectif, ISBN 84-96351-41-6, 395 p.

  • Benton, J., Fuhrer, J., Gimeno, B. S., Skärby, L., & Sander, G. (1995). Results from the UN/ECE ICP—crops indicate the extent of exceedance of the critical levels of ozone in Europe. Water Air and Soil Pollution, 85, 1473–1478.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Benton, J., Fuhrer, J., Gimeno, B. S., Skärby, L., Palmer-Brown, D., Ball, G., et al. (2000). UN/ECE ICP—crops experiments into effects of ambient ozone on crops. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 78, 19–30.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bonte, M. (1985). Effets des polluant de l’air et des dépôts acides sur la végétation. In: actes du séminaires de Rodez, 28-30 novembre 1985- Synthèse des recherches en matière de pollution atmosphérique. Ministère de l’Environnement, France, 177-193.

  • Bytnerowicz, A., Manning, W. J., Grosjean, D., Chmielewsky, W., Dmuchowsky, W., Grodzinska, K., et al. (1993). Detecting ozone and demonstrating its phytotoxicity in forested areas of Poland: a pilot study. Environmental Pollution, 80, 301–305.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • CoHort Software (1986). COSTAT Statistical analysis package. Version 1.02. CoHort, San Diego, California, USA.

  • Craker, L. E., Berube, J. L., & Fredrickson, P. B. (1974). Community monitoring of air pollution control with plants. Atmospheric Environment, 8, 845–853.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Critchfield, W. B. (1960). Leaf dimorphism in Populus trichocarpa. American Journal of Botany, 47, 699–711.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, J. P., Peter, J., Spyros, A., & Pandis, N. (2007). Sensitivity of ozone to summertime climate in the eastern USA: a modeling case study. Atmospheric Environment, 41, 1494–1511.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Deletraz, G. (2003). Caractéristiques spatiales et pollution automobile en montagne Modèle de diffusion integrant la topographie et capacité de dispersion appliqué aux vallées pyreneennes de Biriatou et d’Aspe (SOMPORT). Thèse de doctorat de Géographie–Aménagement. Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, 564 p.

  • Dunning, J. A., & Heck, W. W. (1977). Response of bean and tobacco to ozone; effect of light intensity, temperature and relative humidity. Journal of Air Pollution Control Association, 27, 882–886.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • EC. Directive (2002). EC. Directive 2002/3/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, OJEC, 9.3.2002, L 67/14.

  • Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2001). International energy outlook 2001. Lansing, MI: LexisNexis Academic & Library Solutions a division of Reed Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, A. W., Hildebrandt, M. L., Thomas, W. M., & Fernando, H. J. S. (2000). Analysis of the climatic mechanisms contributing to the summertime transport of lower atmospheric ozone across metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Climate Research, 15, 13–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faiz, A. (1993). Automotive emissions in developing countries—relative implications for global warming, acidification and urban air quality. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 27(3), 167–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Filella, I., Peñuelas, J., & Ribas, A. (2005). Using plant biomonitors and flux modelling to develop O3 dose–response relationships in Catalonia. Environmental Pollution, 134, 145–151.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • García, M. A., Sánchez, M. L., Pérez, I. A., & de Torre, B. (2005). Ground level ozone concentrations at a rural location in northern Spain. Science of the Total Environment, 15, 135–150.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garrec, J. P., & Livertoux, M. E. (1997). Bioindication végétale de l’ozone dans l’agglomération nancéenne durant l’été 1996. Pollution Atmosphérique, 156, 78–87.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garrec, J. P., & Van Haluwyn, C. (eds). (2002). Biosurveillance végétale de la qualité de l’air: concepts, méthodes et applications. Paris: TEC & DOC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gombert, S., Asta, J., & Seaward, M. R. D. (2006). Lichens and tobacco plants as complementary biomonitors of air pollution in the Grenoble area (Isère, Southeast France). Ecological Indicators, 6, 429–443.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goren, A., & Donagi, A. (1979). Use of Bel-W3 tobacco as indicator plant for atmospheric ozone during different seasons in the coastal zone of Israel. International Journal of Biometeorology, 23, 331–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grünhage, L., Jäger, H.-J., Haenel, H.-D., Lopmeier, F. J., & Hanewald, K. (1999). The European critical levels for ozone: improving their usage. Environmental Pollution, 105, 163–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guicherit, R., & Roemer, M. (2000). Tropospheric ozone trends. Chemosphere—Global Change Science, 2, 167–183.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heck, W. W., & Dunning, J. A. (1967). The effects of ozone on tobacco to oxidant and pinto bean as conditioned by several ecological factors. Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association, 17, 112–114.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heggestad, H. E. (1991). Origin of Bel-W3, Bel-C and Bel-B tobacco varieties and their use as indicators of ozone. Environmental Pollution, 74, 264–291.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heggestad, H. E., & Menser, H. A. (1962). Leaf spot sensitive tobacco strain Bel-W3, a biological indicator of air pollutant ozone. Phytopathology, 52, 735–752.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heggestad, H. E., Burleson, F. R., Middelton, J. T., & Darley, E. F. (1964). Leaf injury on tobacco varieties resulting from ozone, ozonated hexene-1 and ambient air of metropolitan areas. International Journal of Air and Water Pollution, 8, 1–10.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khemani, L. T., Momin, G. A., Rao, P. S. P., Vijaykumar, R., & Safai, P. D. (1995). Study of surface ozone behaviour at urban and forested sites in India. Atmospheric Environment, 29(16), 2021–2024.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kley, D., Kleinmann, M., Sanderman, H., & Krupa, S. (1999). Photochemical oxidants: state of the science. Environmental Pollution, 100(1), 19–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klumpp, A., Ansela, W., Klumpp, G., Vergne, P., Sifakis, N., Sanz, M. J., et al. (2006). Ozone pollution and ozone biomonitoring in European cities part II. Ozone-induced plant injury and its relationship with descriptors of ozone pollution. Atmospheric Environment, 40, 7437–7448.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laffray, X., Rose, C., & Garrec, J. P. (2007). Estimation of ozone concentration in a valley of the Alps Mountains based on Bel-W3 tobacco leaf injury. Water Air and Soil Pollution, 186, 29–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Larsen, R. I., & Heck, W. W. (1976). An air quality data analysis system inter-relating effects, standars and needed source reduction. Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association, 26(3), 325–333.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, E. H. (2003). Use of auxiliary data for spatial interpolation of surface ozone patterns. Developments in Environmental Sciences, 2, 165–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, S. C., Trainer, M., Fehsenfeld, F. D., Parrish, D. D., Williams, E. J., Fahey, D. W., et al. (1987). Ozone production in the rural troposphere and the implications for regional and global ozone distributions. Journal of Geophysical Research, 92, 4191–4207.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzini, G. (1994). A miniaturized kit for ozone biomonitoring. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 48, 1–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzini, G., Nali, C., & Biagioni, M. (1995). An analysis of the distribution of surface ozone in Tuscany (central Italy) with the use of a new miniaturized bioassay with ozone-sensitive tobacco seedlings. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 34, 59–72.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzini, G., Nali, C., Dota, M. R., & Martorana, F. (2000). Visual assessment of foliar injury induced by ozone on indicator tobacco plants: a data quality evaluation. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 62, 175–191.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Madkour, S. A., & Laurence, J. A. (2002). Egyptian plant species as new ozone indicators. Environmental Pollution, 120, 339–353.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Manning, W. J., & Feder, W. A. (1980). Biomonitoring with plants. London: Applied Science Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • MEAT , (2002). Rapport National de l’Etat de l’Environnement. Ministère de l’Environnement et de l’Aménagement du Territoire, 380 p.

  • Menser, H. A., Heggestad, H. E., & Street, I. E. (1963). Response of plants to air pollutants. II. Effects of ozone concentration and leaf maturity on injury to Nicotiana tabacum. Phytopathology, 53, 1304–8.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mihalopoulos, N. (2007). Long-range transport of pollutants above the eastern Mediterranean: implications for air quality and regional climate. In A. Mellouki & A. R. Ravishankara (Eds.), Regional climate variability and its impacts in the Méditerranéen area. Nato Science Series: IV: Earth and Environmental Sciences, 79, pp. 1–13. The Netherlands: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Millan, M., Jose Sanz, M., Salvador, R., & Manti, E. (2002). Atmospheric dynamics and ozone cycles related to nitrogen deposition in the western Mediterranean. Environmental Pollution, 118, 167–186.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ministère de l’équipement de l’Habitat et de l’Aménagement du Territoire MEHAT, (2002). Recensement général de la circulation. Direction Générale des Ponts et chaussées, 320 p.

  • Mueller, F. (1994). Characterization of ambient ozone levels in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 33, 465–472.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naja, M., Lal, S., & Chand, D. (2003). Diurnal and seasonal variabilities in surface ozone at a high altitude site Mt Abu (24.61 N, 72.71E, 1680 m asl) in India. Atmospheric Environment, 37, 4205–4215.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nali, C., Francini, A., & Lorenzini, G. (2006). Biological monitoring of ozone: the twenty-years Italian experience. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 8, 25–32.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nali, C., Balducci, E., Frati, L., Paoli, L., Loppi, S., & Lore, G. (2007). Integrated biomonitoring of air quality with plants and lichens: a case study on ambient ozone from central Italy. Chemosphere, 67, 2169–2176.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • NZME, (1998). Technical Design Issues for a Domestic Emissions Trading Regime for Greenhouse Gases A Working Paper, Ministry for the Environment (New Zealand). http://www.mfe.govt.nz/about/publications/climate/climatechange.htm.

  • Parmentier, C., & Garrec, J. P. (1994). Impact de la pollution atmosphérique le long des routes et autoroutes sur la végétation environnante, p. 84. Synthèse bibliographique, INRA-SANEF: Utilisation de la bio-indication végétale.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peñuelas, J., Ribas, A., Gimeno, B. S., & Filella, I. (1999). Dependance of ozone biomonitoring on meteorological conditions of different sites in Catalonia. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 56, 221–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pleijel, H., Ahlfors, A., Skärby, L., Pihl, G., Selldén, G., & Sjödina, Å. (1994). Effects of air pollutant emissions from a rural motorway on Petunia and Trifolium. The Science of The Total Environment, 147, 117–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Posthumus, A.C. (1976). The use of higher plants as indicators for air pollution in the Nertherlands. In: Proceeding of the Kuopio Meeting on plant Damage Caused by air Pollution. L. Karenlampi, Kuopio, 115-120.

  • Ribas, A., & Peñuelas, J. (2003). Biomonitoring of tropospheric ozone phytotoxicity in rural Catalonia. Atmospheric Environment, 37, 63–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ribas, A., & Peñuelas, J. (2006). Surface ozone mixing ratio increase with altitude in a transect in the Catalan Pyrenees. Atmospheric Environment, 40, 7308–7315.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ribas, A., Filella, I., Gimeno, B. S., & Peñuelas, J. (1998). Evaluation of tobacco cultivars as bioindicators and biomonitors of ozone phytotoxical levels in Catalonia (N.E. Spain). Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 197, 347–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saitanis, C. J., & Karandinos, M. G. (2001). Instrumental recording and biomonitoring of ambiant ozone in Geek countryside. Chemosphere, 44, 813–821.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saitanis, C. J. (2003). Background ozone monitoring and phytodetection in the greater rural area of Corinth–Greece. Chemosphere, 51, 913–923.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanders, G. E., Skärby, L., Ashmore, M. R., & Fuhrer, J. (1995). Establishing critical levels for effects of air pollution on vegetation. Water, Air and Soil Pollution, 85, 189–200.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sant’Anna, S. M. R., Esposito, M. P., Domingos, M., & Souza, S. R. (2008). Suitability of Nicotiana tabacum ‘Bel-W3’ for biomonitoring ozone in São Paulo, Brazil. Environmental Pollution, 151, 389–394.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sanz, M. J., Carratalá, A., Mantilla, E., Diéguez, J. J., & Millan, M. (1999). Daily ozone patterns and AOT40 index on the East Coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth. Part C, 24, 491–494.

    Google Scholar 

  • Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation SCEC, (1997). Long-Range Transport of Ground-Level Ozone and Its Precursors: Assessment of Methods to Quantify Transboundary Transport Within the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada, 110 p.

  • Syri, S., Amann, M., Capros, P., Mantzos, L., Cofala, J., & Klimont, Z. (2001). Low-CO2 energy pathways and regional air pollution in Europe. Energy Policy, 29, 871–884.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tecer, L. H., Ertŭrk, F., & Cerit, O. (2003). Development of a regression model to forecast ozone concentration in Istanbul City, Turkey. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 12, 1133–1143.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich, E., Dalstein, L., Gunthardt-Goerg, M.S., Vollenweider, P., Ceccini, S., Vas, N., Sjoberg, K, Skarmant, T., & Karlsson, G.P. (2006). RENECOFOR Effets de l’ozone sur la végétation, concentrations d’ozone (2000-2002) et symptômes d’ozone sur la végétation forestière (2001-2003)/Editeur : Office National des Forêts, Direction Technique, Département Recherche, ISBN 2-84207-300-2, 126 p.

  • UNECE (1988). ECE critical levels workshop report. Bad Harzburg, Germany, 14-18 March 1988. Final draft report. United Nations- Economic commission for Europe.

  • USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency). (1976). Diagnosing Vegetation Injury Caused by Air Pollution. USA: Applied Science Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Haluwyn, C., & Garrec, J.P. (1995). La région Boulogne-calais-Dunkerque: étude conjointede végétaux inférieurs et supérieurs pour la bioindication de la qualité de l’air. Rencontres et journées techniques . Agence de l’Environnement et de la maîtrise et de l’Energie (A.D.E.M.E.) et l’Institut National de Recherche Agronomique (I.N.R.A.) Paris, 91-97.

  • Vergé, X. (2000). Variations spatio-temporelles de l’impact biologique et génétique d’atmosphères diversement polluées dans les régions de Toulouse et d’Alibi (France). Alelier National de Reproduction des thèses, Université Pierre-Mendès- France, Grenoble

  • Vergé, X., Chapuis, A., & Delpoux, M. (2001). Bioindicator reliability: the example of Bel-W3 tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Environmental Pollution, 118, 337–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walter, J. T., & Barlow, J. C. (1974). Response of indicator plants to ozone levels in Georgia. Phytopathology, 64, 1122–1127.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors greatly acknowledge Mohamed Néjib Rejeb, deputy director of the National Institute of Research in Rural Engineering, Waters and Forests (Tunisia), and André Granier, director of UMR 1137 INRA/UHP Ecology and Ecophysiology at INRA Nancy (France), Nicolas Marron, Christophe Rose, Didier Le Thiec, and Erwin Dreyer (INRA Nancy, France) for their advice and help. We are thankful to Hatem Trabelsi (INRGREF, Tunisia) for the sampling and technical assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest Ecology and Ecophysiology Unit, Air Pollution Laboratory, INRA Nancy, 54280, Champenoux, France

    R. Mechergui, X. Laffray & J. P. Garrec

  2. Institut National de Recherches en Génie Rural, Eaux et Forêts, BP10, Ariana, 2080, Tunisia

    R. Mechergui, A. Ben Mansoura & A. Albouchi

  3. Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, 43, Avenue Charles Nicole, 1082, Tunis, Tunisia

    R. Mechergui & N. Akrimi

Authors
  1. R. Mechergui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Ben Mansoura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. X. Laffray
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. Albouchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. N. Akrimi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. J. P. Garrec
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Mechergui.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mechergui, R., Ben Mansoura, A., Laffray, X. et al. Ozone Level Assessment on the Boukornine National Park (Tunisia) using Plant Biomonitoring: Influence of Altitudinal Parameter and Meteorological Conditions. Water Air Soil Pollut 204, 285–297 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-009-0045-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-009-0045-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation