Ozone And Associated Foliar Injury Monitoring At Cumberland Piedmont Network Parks: 2008-2023 – Data Package

Ozone is a naturally occurring gas that can also be generated in reactions with anthropogenically created nitrogen oxides. While stratospheric ozone prevents ultraviolet radiation from making its way to the Earth’s surface, tropospheric ozone that is in higher than naturally occurring concentrations can have harmful effects on the health of people and plants. As several plant species that are susceptible to ozone injury exist in Cumberland Piedmont Network (CUPN) Parks, ozone and foliar injury are monitored by the network as a key vital sign and indicator of possible anthropogenic effects to overall ecosystem health. Monitoring takes place within natural vegetation areas of 14 national park units within CUPN, with one to three foliar injury sites monitored per park depending on availability of sites with adequate ozone-sensitive species richness and abundance living under abiotic conditions that can manifest injury. Parks are sampled on a panel design, with three to four parks sampled each year over the course of a six-year sampling rotation. Sampling is completed annually between late July and late August and the data collected in each site include individual plant assessments of symptomology, site mapping, and site conditions. This data package contains foliar injury data, while ozone exposure indices are retrieved from the Air Resources Division of the National Park Service (NPS-ARD). The goals of ozone reporting and foliar injury monitoring are to assess exposure to ozone and its impacts to susceptible plant life at those parks. The results of ozone and foliar injury monitoring can be used by park managers to inform park planning documents and to work with state regulatory agencies.
Organization: Department of the Interior
Last updated: 2025-09-14T18:23:00.392560
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