Citizen science identifies the effects of nitrogen dioxide and other environmental drivers on tar spot of sycamore
| Autor: | Laura Gosling, Nigel Bell, Tim H. Sparks, Mike Ashmore |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Health Toxicology and Mutagenesis Air pollution Acer 010501 environmental sciences Citizen science medicine.disease_cause Toxicology 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences complex mixtures chemistry.chemical_compound Air pollutants Ascomycota Air Pollution MD Multidisciplinary medicine Tar spot Sulfur Dioxide Nitrogen dioxide 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Plant Diseases Air Pollutants biology Ecology Symptom severity Temperature Tar General Medicine Acer pseudoplatanus biology.organism_classification Pollution Plant Leaves chemistry England Rhytisma acerinum Environmental science Environmental Sciences Environmental Monitoring |
| ISSN: | 1873-6424 |
| Popis: | Elevated sulphur dioxide (SO2) concentrations were the major cause of the absence of symptoms of tar spot (Rhytisma acerinum) of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), in urban areas in the 1970s. The subsequent large decline in SO2 concentrations has not always been accompanied by increased tar spot symptoms, for reasons that have remained unresolved. We used a large citizen science survey, providing over 1000 records across England, to test two competing hypotheses proposed in earlier studies. We were able to demonstrate the validity of both hypotheses; tar spot symptoms were reduced where there were fewer fallen leaves as a source of inoculum, and elevated nitrogen dioxide concentrations reduced tar spot symptoms above a threshold concentration of about 20 μg m−3. Symptom severity was also lower at sites with higher temperature and lower rainfall. Our findings demonstrate the power of citizen science to resolve competing hypotheses about the impacts of air pollution and other environmental drivers. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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