Air Pollution and vegetation ICP vegetation Annual Report 2006/2007.

The ICP Vegetation is an international programme that reports to the Working Group on Effects (WGE) of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) on the effects of air pollutants on (semi-)natural vegetation and crops. The WGE considers the effects of air pollutants on waters, materials, forests, vegetation, ecosystems, and health in Europe and North-America (Working Group on Effects, 2004). The ICP Vegetation has focussed on two air pollution problems of particular importance: quantifying the risks to vegetation posed by ozone pollution and the atmospheric deposition of heavy metals to vegetation. Two further pollution problems investigated by the programme are plant responses to pollutant mixtures (e.g. ozone and nitrogen interactions) and the deposition of nitrogen pollutants to vegetation. In addition, the ICP Vegetation is taking into consideration consequences for biodiversity and the modifying influence of climate change on the impacts of air pollutants. The work of the ICP Vegetation currently aims to provide information for the review of the Gothenburg Protocol (1999) designed to address the problems of acidification, nutrient nitrogen and ground-level ozone, and the Aarhus Protocol (1998) designed to reduce emissions of heavy metals (Working Group on Effects, 2004). Over 180 scientists from 35 countries of Europe and North-America contribute to the programme. The ICP Vegetation is chaired by Mr Harry Harmens at the Coordination Centre at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bangor, UK, and the coordination is supported by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.