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Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures
Published on: January 7, 2019
Biogenic volatile organic compounds in the Earth system
Jullada Laothawornkitkul1, Jane E Taylor1, Nigel D Paul1
1Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK.
The New Phytologist
|May 9, 2009
Summary
Plants release biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) vital for growth, defense, and communication. These compounds significantly impact atmospheric chemistry and the biosphere-atmosphere relationship, with potential risks from climate change.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric Chemistry
- Plant Ecology
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Plants emit biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) crucial for various biological processes.
- BVOCs play a role in plant communication, influencing interactions within plant communities and with insects.
- These compounds are highly reactive and emitted in large quantities, affecting atmospheric composition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the multifaceted roles of BVOCs in plant biology and ecosystem functions.
- To emphasize the significant impact of BVOCs on atmospheric chemistry and physics.
- To explore the implications of environmental changes, such as climate change, on BVOC-mediated biosphere-atmosphere interactions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of existing research on BVOCs.
- Analysis of the chemical properties and emission rates of BVOCs.
- Discussion of the ecological and atmospheric consequences of BVOC production and function.
Main Results:
- BVOCs are integral to plant growth, reproduction, defense mechanisms, and inter-species communication.
- The high reactivity and emission rates of BVOCs profoundly influence atmospheric chemical processes and characteristics.
- BVOCs act as key mediators in the exchange between the biosphere and the atmosphere.
Conclusions:
- BVOCs are essential components of plant life and ecosystem dynamics.
- Anthropogenic environmental changes, particularly global climate change, may disrupt the delicate balance of BVOC-mediated biosphere-atmosphere interactions.
- Such disruptions could lead to unpredictable and potentially adverse consequences for the Earth system.
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