Particulate matter air pollution may offset ozone damage to global crop production
Ensuring global food security requires a comprehensive understanding of environmental pressures on food production, including the impacts of air quality. Surface ozone damages plants and decreases crop production; this effect has been extensively studied. In contrast, the presence of particulate...
| Huvudupphovsmän: | , |
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| Materialtyp: | Artikel |
| Språk: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2018-04-01
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| Serie: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Länkar: | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/5953/2018/acp-18-5953-2018.pdf |
| Sammanfattning: | Ensuring global food security requires a comprehensive understanding of
environmental pressures on food production, including the impacts of air
quality. Surface ozone damages plants and decreases crop production; this
effect has been extensively studied. In contrast, the presence of particulate
matter (PM) in the atmosphere can be beneficial to crops given that enhanced
light scattering leads to a more even and efficient distribution of photons
which can outweigh total incoming radiation loss. This study quantifies the
impacts of ozone and PM on the global production of maize, rice, and wheat in
2010 and 2050. We show that accounting for the growing season of these crops
is an important factor in determining their air pollution exposure. We find
that the effect of PM can offset much, if not all, of the reduction in yield
associated with ozone damage. Assuming maximum sensitivity to PM, the current
(2010) global net impact of air quality on crop production varies by crop
(+5.6, −3.7, and +4.5 % for maize, wheat, and rice, respectively).
Future emissions scenarios indicate that attempts to improve air quality can
result in a net negative effect on crop production in areas dominated by the
PM effect. However, we caution that the uncertainty in this assessment is
large, due to the uncertainty associated with crop response to changes in
diffuse radiation; this highlights that a more detailed physiological study of
this response for common cultivars is crucial. |
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| ISSN: | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |