Secluding the vegetation of India in retaliation to tropospheric ozone: a mechanistic approach

Rapid urban development and population outbursts in India have led to a tremendous increase in pollutant emissions and their transboundary dispersion. Hence, the increase in tropospheric ozone (O₃) formation is further amplified depending on the meteorology of the area. This review attempts to compile the studies reporting tropospheric O₃-induced loss of yield and biomass in the vegetation of the Indian sub-continent from 2012 to 2023, with a mechanistic approach. The response of vegetation (agricultural, horticultural, perennial, medicinal and grassland) to O₃ have been collated and their order of sensitivity has been established. The vegetation displayed two significant strategies to cope with the O₃ induced stress- stomatal flux regulation and shifting the photoassimilates towards either defense or reproduction (trade-off), which decides the plant's ability to respond towards O₃. Considering the varying responses of plants, it was observed that plants that adopted both stomatal regulation and trade-off strategies to endure the stress were least sensitive to O₃ than those focusing on one of them.