What Can Plants Tell Us About Air Pollution?
Channel: NSF NCAR & UCAR Science Education
Date: 2019-06-11

In this Explorer Series lecture, learn how ground-level ozone, a harmful air pollutant, is a problem in Colorado’s Front Range. Ground-level or “bad” ozone is toxic to plants and animals – including humans. This invisible pollutant causes lung irritation, harms forests, and reduces crop yields. Although this pollutant is imperceptible, its effect can cause visible damage on the leaves of certain plants.  Specifically designed Ozone Gardens show how ozone pollution damages plants.

Danica Lombardozzi, is a project scientist in the Climate and Global Dynamics (CGD) laboratory at NCAR. She is a global change ecologist and co-founder of the Boulder’s Ozone Gardens, which includes the garden at NCAR’s Mesa Lab main entrance. Lombardozzi's work uses a combination of ecological observations and global-scale models to investigate how terrestrial ecosystems are changing in response to human activities.

Learn more about the NCAR Explorer Series: https://edec.ucar.edu/public/ncar-explorer-series