Are mediterranean plant species likely to have a distinctive response to SO₂ pollution?

There has been very little research on the response to SO₂ of plants which grow in Mediterranean climates; the vast majority of research has been on plants grown in cooler, moister climates. Vegetation grown in a Mediterranean climate, however, possesses certain biological features that enable success in such a climate; evidence presented suggests that the vegetations' response to SO₂ may be different from that of other vegetation types. More particularly, as a most distinctive feature common to plants grown in Mediterranean climates is their drought stress resistance, it is possible that common mechanisms underlie the resistance of both drought stress and SO₂ stress; this is explored at a theoretical level. As a consequence of biological differences, extrapolation from studies on plant species successful in cool, moist climates may be inappropriate in predicting the response to SO₂ of Mediterranean climate vegetation; this has important implications for policy formulation and the development of Air Quality Standards.