Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences

Science Rendezvous > Posters
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Implications of landscape structure and composition on terpenoid emissions

Monica Madronich (1, 2), Peter Harley (2), Alex Guenther (2), Carol Wessman (1)

(1) CIRES & EBIO, (2) NCAR-Atmospheric Chemistry Division

Emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) from vegetation are known to play a major role in the chemistry of the lower atmosphere (troposphere). An important category within those biogenic compounds is the terpenoid group. The emissions of terpenes to the atmosphere are regulated by plant biochemistry, plant physiology, and by environmental factors like radiation and temperature. Plant abundance and plant species will determine the amount and type of terpenes emitted to the atmosphere by vegetation. If the amount and type of species in the landscape fluctuate, the amount and composition of terpenoid compounds will also vary. Furthermore, landscape configuration, more specifically landscape fragmentation, is likely to be another important influence on terpenoid emissions. If the amounts of solar radiation and temperature are different in different areas of the landscape, then landscape fragmentation could have an effect on the emission rates of terpenoid compounds. This poster will present a summary of projects being carried out in order to improve the understanding of how landscape structure and composition can influence emissions rates of terpenoid compounds.