Impact of changing meteorology and air pollution on forest ecosystems in Lithuania -strategies for adaptation to and mitigation of the main threats of global change

Abstract

Global change in Lithuania is predicted to promote increasing air temperature across seasons, a decrease in snow cover and an increase in heavy rain events. Changes in atmospheric circulation reduce seasonal climatic amplitudes, but enhance air pollution presumably tropospheric ozone, acidification and biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) which will impact on tree growth and ecosystem performance. To mitigate main threats of global change the objective of the recently established comprehensive survey in Lithuanian forests is to develop strategies for silvicultural management in order to prepare forest systems ensuring ecosystem services. Intensive investigations at selected forest sites combine growth and injury analysis with ecophysiological assessments of tree water consumption, stomatal regulation and stomatal uptake of ozone, and tree bound BVOC emissions. Combining such investigations with long-term monitoring on environmental pollution and regional peculiarities in Lithuania insight is gathered on tree growth in dependence of environmental stress. The combination of knowledge on tree growth, ecophysiolocal performance and methods of BSOA formation will provide a diagnostic tool for differential stress diagnosis and treatment measures under the specific requirements of Lithuania.