Researchers are exploring the dynamic interrelationships between natural ecosystems and air quality—advancing our understanding of how air pollution can negatively impact forests, lakes, and other natural ecosystems and the benefits they provide.A robust body of research links the negative impacts that air pollution can have on natural ecosystems. For example: pollutants such as sulfur can lead to...

The European Commission zero pollution action plan aims to reduce ecosystems at risk of eutrophication caused by atmospheric nitrogen deposition by 25% in the European Union by 2030, compared to 2005 levels. The total area where nitrogen deposition exceeded the alleged critical loads for eutrophication - the parameter that measures such a risk - fell by 13% between 2005 and 2022. Initiatives such ...

Ground-level ozone adversely affects human health, vegetation and ecosystems across Europe. This leads to premature deaths, decreased crop yields and forest growth, and loss of biodiversity. In 2023, 12.5% of Europe’s agricultural lands were exposed to ozone levels above the threshold value set for the protection of vegetation in the EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directives. In addition, the long-term ...

The amended National Emissions Ceilings Directive (NECD; Directive (EU) 2016/2284, amendment of Directive 2003/35/EC) of the EU is aligning emission reduction commitments with those for the UN Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP), with the long-term objective to reduce air pollution to at or below the Convention’s critical levels and loads for ecosystems.With respect to mon...

This briefing is part of the Air quality in Europe 2024 package and examines how vegetation is exposed to key air pollutants. It is based on data reported by the EEA’s member countries in 2022 and complemented with interpolated maps. The briefing supports the EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directive and the zero-pollution action plan (ZPAP).Key messages:Atmospheric nitrogen increases nutrient loads on h...

The 1999 Regional Haze Rule provides a context for this review of visibility, the science that describes it, and the use of that science in regulatory guidance. The scientific basis for the 1999 regulation is adequate. The deciview metric that tracks progress is an imperfect but objective measure of what people see near the prevailing visual range. The definition of natural visibility conditions i...

Risks associated with exposure of individual plant species to ozone (O3) are well documented, but implications for terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem processes have received insufficient attention. This is an important gap because feedbacks to the atmosphere may change as future O3 levels increase or decrease, depending on air quality and climate policies. Global simulation of O3 using the Com...

Crop-response data from over 700 published papers and conference proceedings have been analysed with the aim of establishing ozone dose-response functions for a wide range of European agricultural and horticultural crops. Data that met rigorous selection criteria (e.g. field-based, ozone concentrations within European range, full season exposure period) were used to derive AOT40-yield response fun...

Global reactive nitrogen (N) deposition has more than tripled since 1860 and is expected to remain high due to food production and fossil fuel consumption. Global sulfur emissions have been decreasing worldwide over the last 30 years, but many r gions are still experiencing unhealthily high levels of deposition. Authors update the 2010 global deposition budget for reactive nitrogen and sulfur comp...

A global strategy to conserve biodiversity must aim to protect representative examples of all of the world's ecosystems, as well as those areas that contain exceptional concentrations of species and endemics. Although lacking the richness of tropical forests, deserts, tropical lakes, and subpolar seas all contain distinct species, communities, and ecological phenomena. Authors analyzed global patt...