OZONE TOLERANCE OF EUROPEAN LARCH (LARIX-DECIDUA MILL)

Larix decidua has been classified as a tree species 'highly sensitive' to ozone. However, in Austria its main distribution is at altitudes where the recommended limits for ozone concentrations for sensitive plants are strongly exceeded for long periods. Long-term fumigation of twigs of a mature larch tree with ambient or double ambient air ozone concentrations did not cause any visible damage or negative influence on the gas exchange. However very high exposure of 1200 ppb ozone led to acute damage in long shoot needles with high gas exchange rates in the sun, but led only to small damages on shaded long shoots. Needles on short shoots neither developed visible damages nor were their capabilities for photosynthesis and stomatal regulation reduced, nor did they exhibit signs of premature senescence. According to the results of this investigation, European larch should be classified as 'intermediate'' or even as ''less sensitive'' to zone.