Dynamics of plant responses to combinations of air pollutants

Abstract

The focus of this review is on how plants respond to combinations of multiple air pollutants. Global pollution trends, plant physiological responses and ecological perspectives in natural and agricultural systems are all discussed. In particular, we highlight the importance of studying sequential or simultaneous exposure of plants to pollutants, rather than exposure to individual pollutants in isolation, and explore how these responses may interfere with the way plants interact with their biotic community. Air pollutants can alter the normal physiology and metabolic functioning of plants. Here we describe how the phenotypic and molecular changes in response to multiple pollutants can differ compared to those elicited by single pollutants, and how different responses have been observed between plants in the field and in controlled laboratory conditions and between trees and crop plants. From an ecological perspective, we discuss how air pollution can result in greater susceptibility to biotic stressors and in direct or indirect effects on interactions with organisms that occupy higher trophic levels. Finally, we provide an overview of the potential uses of plants to mitigate air pollution, exploring the feasibility for pollution removal via the processes of bio-accumulation and phytoremediation. We conclude by proposing some new directions for future research in the field.

Keywords: Air pollution; carbon dioxide; nitrogen oxides; oxidising pollutants; ozone; plant volatiles; plant-plant communication; sulphur dioxide; tritrophic interactions.