What are the enviromental effects (flauna&flora) of ozone depletion?

Answer 1

Without the full protection of an intact ozone layer:

1. Animals of all kinds are exposed to a higher than usual amount of ultraviolet light, causing skin cancers, cataracts, premature aging, mutations in unprotected amphibian eggs, etc.
2. Plants that are exposed to a higher than usual amount of ultraviolet light have brittle leaves, DNA damage, decreased photosynthetic activity and productivity (depending on the species), and changes in overall plant structure. It should be noted that some plants do not exhibit any damage from the elevated levels of UV radiation.

Answer 2

Ozone depletion describes two distinct, but related observations: a slow, steady decline of about 4 percent per decade in the total amount of ozone in Earth's stratosphere since around 1980; and a much larger, but seasonal, decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's polar regions during the same period. The latter phenomenon is commonly referred to as the ozone hole.

Consequences of ozone depletion

Since the ozone layer absorbs UVB ultraviolet light from the Sun, ozone layer depletion is expected to increase surface UVB levels, which could lead to damage, including increases in skin cancer.

An increase of UV radiation would also affect crops. A number of economically important species of plants, such as rice, depend on cyanobacteria residing on their roots for the retention of nitrogen. Cyanobacteria are sensitive to UV light and they would be affected by its increase.

Recent research has analyzed a widespread extinction of plankton 2 million years ago that coincided with a nearby supernova. Researchers speculate that the extinction was caused by a significant weakening of the ozone layer at that time when the radiation from the supernova produced nitrogen oxides that catalyzed the destruction of ozone (plankton are particularly susceptible to effects of UV light, and are vitally important to marine food webs).