Investigation of Tropospheric Ozone (O₃) Injury on Shola Forest, Grassland and Tea Ecosystem with Silver Oak Tree System at Western Ghats of Nilgiris by Visual Observation Techniques and its Symptomatic Characteristics

Tropospheric ozone (O₃) is considered to be a very dangerous phytotoxic gaseous air pollutant and the negative impacts on both the cell and the organ level of physiological characteristics of shola forest plants, grasses, tea and silver oak system at Western Ghats of Nilgiris. An assessment of tropospheric ozone impact on forest vegetation and ecosystems using plants as bioindicators based on ambient ozone concentrations and it is insufficient to conclude the impacts of ozone at an elevated levels of internal ozone dose of 50, 100 & 200 parts per billion (ppb) exposure on shola forest tree seedlings, grasses, tea and silver oak by using Open Top Chamber (OTC) and the real symptoms are more appropriate toidentify impacts of tropospheric ozone (O₃) on forest species, grasses, tea and silver oak ecosystem. Such a possible technique is investigation, identification and documentationof tropospheric ozone impact by visible symptoms on plant ecosystem and the visible symptoms are characterized by a few typical signs.