The Invisible Threat: The Impact of Ozone on Plant Health
What’s Up, Forsyth? In our next two blog posts, we will discuss how ozone ( O₃) affects plants and how studying certain “ozone sensitive” plants can inform us of local air quality issues. In this first blog, we will delve into the physiological effects of O₃ exposure on plants and the subsequent ecosystem and economic effects. In our following blog, we will explain how “ozone gardens”—areas planted with species that physically show ozone damage on their leaves—can help raise air quality awareness in our communities. We will also highlight a recent partnership between Triad Air Awareness and the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden to plant Kernersville’s first public ozone garden . Let’s begin by defining ground-level ozone. What is Ground-Level Ozone? Stratospheric ozone, commonly called the ozone layer, is naturally occurring in the Earth’s upper atmosphere and protects us from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. However, this same gas is an air pollutant ...