Nonmethane hydrocarbons are ubiquitous trace atmospheric constituents yet they control the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere. Both anthropogenic and biogenic processes contribute to the release of hydrocarbons to the atmosphere. In this manuscript, the state of the science concerning biosynthesis, transport, and chemical transformation of hydrocarbons emitted by the terrestrial biosphere is reviewed. In particular, the focus is on isoprene, monoterpenes, and oxygenated hydrocarbons. The generated science during the last 10 years is reviewed to explain and quantify hydrocarbon emissions from vegetation and to discern impacts of biogenic hydrocarbons on local and regional atmospheric chemistry. Furthermore, the physiological and environmental processes controlling biosynthesis and production of hydrocarbon compounds are reported on. Many advances have been made on measurement and modeling approaches developed to quantify hydrocarbon emissions from leaves and forest ecosystems. A synthesis of the atmospheric chemistry of biogenic hydrocarbons and their role in the formation of oxidants and aerosols is presented. The integration of biogenic hydrocarbon kinetics and atmospheric physics into mathematical modeling systems is examined to assess the contribution of biogenic hydrocarbons to the formation of oxidants and aerosols, thereby allowing us to study their impacts on the earth's climate system and to develop strategies to reduce oxidant precursors in affected regions.
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[1] The biogeochemical cycling of carbon, water, energy, aerosols, and trace gases in the Amazon Basin was investigated in the project European Studies on Trace Gases and Atmospheric Chemistry as a Contribution to the Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA-EUSTACH). We present an overview of the design of the project, the measurement sites and methods, and the meteorological conditions during the experiment. The main results from LBA-EUSTACH are: Eddy correlation studies in three regions of the Amazon Basin consistently show a large net carbon sink in the undisturbed rain forest. Nitrogen emitted by forest soils is subject to chemical cycling within the canopy space, which results in re-uptake of a large fraction of soilderived NO x by the vegetation. The forest vegetation is both a sink and a source of volatile organic compounds, with net deposition being particularly important for partially oxidized organics. Concentrations of aerosol and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) are highly seasonal, with a pronounced maximum in the dry (burning) season. High CCN concentrations from biomass burning have a pronounced impact on cloud microphysics, rainfall production mechanisms, and probably on large-scale climate dynamics.
We studied the emission of a-pinene from Quercus ilex leaves. Only the abaxial side of the hypostomatous Q. ilex leaf emits a-pinene. Light induced photosynthesis and a-pinene emission. However, the response of photosynthesis to dark-to-light transitions was faster than that of a-pinene, suggesting that ATP controls the emission. The emission was higher at 30 than at 20"C, whereas photosynthesis did not change. Therefore, the relationship between photosynthesis and a-pinene emission does not always hold. When CO, was removed from the air, transpiration was stimulated but photosynthesis and a-pinene emission were inhibited. a-Pinene inhibition was more rapid under low O,. When CO, in the air was increased, photosynthesis was stimulated and transpiration was reduced, but a-pinene emission was unaffected. Therefore, the emission depends on the availability of photosynthetic carbon, is not saturated at ambient CO,, and is not dependent on stomatal opening. The pattern of a-pinene emission from Q. ilex is different from that of plants having specialized structures for storage and emission of terpenes. We suggest that a-pinene emitted by Q. ilex leaves is synthesized in the chloroplasts and shares the same biochemical pathway with isoprene emitted by isoprene-emitting oak species.
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