Litcius/Paper detail

High temperature sensitivity of monoterpene emissions from global vegetation

Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Andrea Pozzer, Jonathan Williams, David Makowski, Josep Peñuelas, Vasileios N. Matthaios, Georgia Lazoglou, Ana María Yáñez‐Serrano, Jos Lelieveld, Philippe Ciais, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Nikos Daskalakis, Jean Sciare

2024Communications Earth & Environment41 citationsDOIOpen Access PDF

Abstract

Abstract Terrestrial vegetation emits vast amounts of monoterpenes into the atmosphere, influencing ecological interactions and atmospheric chemistry. Global emissions are simulated as a function of temperature with a fixed exponential relationship (β coefficient) across forest ecosystems and environmental conditions. We applied meta-analysis algorithms on 40 years of published monoterpene emission data and show that relationship between emissions and temperature is more sensitive and intricate than previously thought. Considering the entire dataset, a higher temperature sensitivity (β = 0.13 ± 0.01 °C −1 ) is derived but with a linear increase with the reported coefficients of determination (R 2 ), indicating that co-occurring environmental factors modify the temperature sensitivity of the emissions that is primarily related to the specific plant functional type (PFT). Implementing a PFT-dependent β in a biogenic emission model, coupled with a chemistry – climate model, demonstrated that atmospheric processes are exceptionally dependent on monoterpene emissions which are subject to amplified variations under rising temperatures.

Topics & Concepts

MonoterpeneVegetation (pathology)Environmental scienceAtmospheric sciencesAtmospheric chemistryClimate sensitivityClimate changeEcosystemAtmosphere (unit)Terrestrial ecosystemClimatologyEcologyClimate modelChemistryMeteorologyGeographyOzoneBiologyPhysicsGeologyMedicinePathologyBiochemistryAtmospheric chemistry and aerosolsPlant responses to elevated CO2Fire effects on ecosystems