Ozone effects on two ecosystem services at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA

Bingham, Andrew; Porter, Ellen

Protected areas such as national parks are recognized as important providers of ecosystem services, the benefits nature conveys to humans. However, some threats to these services, such as air pollution, can derive from outside a park’s boundaries. Ground-level ozone (O3) is a human-made pollutant that at elevated levels can damage vegetation, resulting in decreased growth and increased water loss through evapotranspiration, which in turn results in decreased overall streamflow. Using studies conducted on similar ecosystems in and near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we estimated the potential loss from O3 damage of two ecosystem services, climate regulation (through the intermediate service of carbon sequestration) and water provisioning (through streamflow), at this national park. These ecosystem functions directly benefit humans by providing a livable climate and by providing downstream beneficiaries with water for drinking, agriculture, recreation, and hydropower. We found the loss from impairment of these services could be significant when O3 levels are elevated. A 50% increase in O3 exposure is projected to result in a loss of carbon (C) sequestration of 500,000–960,000 t C yr −1 (metric tons of C per year) (551,000 sh t C yr −1), while a 25% reduction in O3 concentrations could result in an increase in streamflow of 109.6 M m3 (million cubic meters) (88,854 ac-ft) from the park during the critical dry August–October period. This highlights the important services provided by protected landscapes such as this national park and the need for more in-depth research on the effects air pollution can have on the benefits we receive from nature.

Ozone effects on two ecosystem services at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA

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