Although awareness that air pollution can damage vegetation dates back at least to the 1600s, the processes and mechanisms of damage were not rigorously studied until the late twentieth century. In the UK following the Industrial Revolution, urban air quality became very poor, with highly phytotoxic SO2 and NO2 concentrations, and remained that way until the mid-twentieth century. Since then both air quality, and our understanding of pollutants and their impacts, have greatly improved. Air pollutants remain a threat to natural and managed ecosystems. Air pollution imparts impacts through four major threats to vegetation are discussed through in a series of case studies. Gas-phase effects by the primary emissions of SO2 and NO2 are discussed in the context of impacts on lichens in urban areas. The effects of wet and dry deposited acidity from sulfur and nitrogen compounds are considered with a particular focus on forest decline. Ecosystem eutrophication by nitrogen deposition focuses on heathland decline in the Netherlands, and ground-level ozone at phytotoxic concentrations is discussed by considering impacts on semi-natural vegetation. We find that, although air is getting cleaner, there is much room for additional improvement, especially for the effects of eutrophication on managed and natural ecosystems. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Air quality, past present and future’.

中文翻译：

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空气污染对陆地管理和自然植被的影响

尽管空气污染会损害植被的认识至少可以追溯到 1600 年代，但直到 20 世纪后期才对损害的过程和机制进行严格研究。在工业革命之后的英国，城市空气质量变得非常差，具有高植物毒性的二氧化硫和二氧化氮浓度，这种情况一直持续到 20 世纪中叶。从那时起，空气质量以及我们对污染物及其影响的理解都得到了极大的改善。空气污染物仍然对自然和受管理的生态系统构成威胁。在一系列案例研究中讨论了空气污染通过对植被的四种主要威胁来产生影响。在对城市地区地衣的影响的背景下，讨论了 SO2 和 NO2 的主要排放物的气相影响。考虑到硫和氮化合物的湿和干沉积酸度的影响，特别关注森林衰退。氮沉降引起的生态系统富营养化集中在荷兰的荒地退化，通过考虑对半自然植被的影响，讨论了植物毒性浓度的地面臭氧。我们发现，尽管空气越来越清洁，但仍有很大的改进空间，特别是富营养化对管理和自然生态系统的影响。这篇文章是讨论会议问题“空气质量，过去现在和未来”的一部分。通过考虑对半自然植被的影响，讨论了植物毒性浓度的地面臭氧和地面臭氧。我们发现，尽管空气越来越清洁，但仍有很大的改进空间，特别是富营养化对管理和自然生态系统的影响。这篇文章是讨论会议问题“空气质量，过去现在和未来”的一部分。通过考虑对半自然植被的影响，讨论了植物毒性浓度的地面臭氧和地面臭氧。我们发现，尽管空气越来越清洁，但仍有很大的改进空间，特别是富营养化对管理和自然生态系统的影响。这篇文章是讨论会议问题“空气质量，过去现在和未来”的一部分。