How Does Air Pollution Affect Plants and Ecosystems? Webinar

About the Webinar

Watch the webinar (Originally presented March 21, 2023)

The effects of air pollution on plants have been studied since the early 1800s. By the 1960’s, growing concerns about the detrimental effects of air pollution on human health and the environment spurred the passage of the U.S. Clean Air Act in 1970. Part of the Clean Air Act is designated to protect the environment from pollutants such as smog and acid rain. This webinar will discuss air pollution research on trees, crops, and ecosystems, with a focus on ground-level ozone from the last several decades to the present. How this research can be used to inform policy at the EPA and other agencies will be also be discussed.

About the Presenter

Jeffrey Herrick, Ph.D.

Jeff is an ecologist with EPA’s Office of Research and Development. He has primarily worked on scientific support and policy-making for the ecological aspects of the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Jeff’s current work focuses on the effect of air pollutants on vegetation and ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on direct effects of gaseous pollutants such as ozone, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. His work also includes characterizing the effects of atmospheric nitrogen deposition and acidifying deposition on terrestrial ecosystems. Jeff is an EPA resource for the translation of science into informed policy-making. He received his Ph.D. in environmental plant biology from West Virginia University and conducted his dissertation research on the effects of elevated carbon dioxide on forests.