Air pollution and vegetation: ICP Vegetation annual report 2009/2010

The International Cooperative Programme on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation and Crops (ICP Vegetation) was established in the late 1980s, initially with the aim of assessing the impacts of air pollutants on crops but, in the most recent decade, impacts on (semi-)natural vegetation have also been considered. The ICP Vegetation is led by the UK and has its Programme Coordination Centre at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) in Bangor. It is one of seven ICPs and Task Forces that report to the Working Group on Effects (WGE) of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP Convention) on the effects of atmospheric pollutants on different components of the environment (e.g. forests, fresh waters, materials) and health in Europe and North America. Today, the ICP Vegetation comprises an enthusiastic group of more than 200 scientists from 35 countries in the UNECE region with outreach activities to other regions such as Asia, Central America and South Africa. An overview of contributions to the WGE work plan and other research activities in the year 2009/10 is provided in this report, including ozone impacts in Mediterranean areas, and a European heavy metal and nitrogen in mosses survey.