Using optical remote sensing techniques to track the development of ozone-induced stress

In this paper, a literature review about optical remote sensing (RS) of O3 stress is presented. Studies on O3-induced effects on vegetation reflectance have been conducted since late ‘70s based on the analysis of optical RS data. Literature review reveals that traditional RS techniques were able to detect changes in leaf and canopy reflectance related to O3-induced stress when visible symptoms already occurred. Only recently, advanced RS techniques using hyperspectral sensors, demonstrated the feasibility of detecting the stress in its early phase by monitoring excess energy dissipation pathways such as chlorophyll fluorescence and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). Steady-state fluorescence (Fs), measured by exploiting the Fraunhofer line depth principle and NPQ related xanthophyll-cycle, estimated through the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) responded to O3 fumigation before visible symptoms occurred. This opens up new possibilities for the early detection of vegetation O3 stress by means of hyperspectral RS.