Large emissions of sesquiterpenes and methyl chavicol quantified from branch enclosure measurements

• Published in: Atmospheric environment (1994) Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 389 - 401
• Main Authors: Bouvier-Brown, Nicole C., Holzinger, Rupert, Palitzsch, Katrin, Goldstein, Allen H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Analysis methods; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Branch enclosure; BVOC emission rates; Ceanothus; Dispersed sources and other; Exact sciences and technology; Methyl chavicol; Pinus ponderosa; Pollution; Pollution sources. Measurement results; Sesquiterpenes; SPME fibers; Terpenes; California; United States; North America; America; USA, California, Sierra Nevada Mts; USA, California; SPME fibers; Terpenes; Branch enclosure; Methyl chavicol; BVOC emission rates; Sesquiterpenes; Ether; Hydrocarbon; Summer; Volatile organic compound; Flame ionization detector; Solid phase microextraction; Gas chromatography; Biogenic factor; Ion trap; Terpene; Air biosphere interaction; Air pollution; Aromatic compound; Emission measure; Measurement method; Organic compounds; Coniferous forest
• ISSN: 1352-2310; 1873-2844
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.08.039

Multiple field studies have suggested chemistry within a forest canopy is poorly understood due to inadequate detection and quantification of reactive biogenic emissions, such as terpenes. To measure emission rates of terpenes at Blodgett Forest, a coniferous forest in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, we placed enclosures over branches of the dominant species at the site – Ponderosa pine, manzanita, and ceanothus – in the summer of 2005. Zero air, with ambient CO 2 concentrations, flowed through the chamber system and volatile organic compound (VOC) emission measurements were made by proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS), solid phase microextraction (SPME) on fibers followed by direct injection into a gas chromatograph with an ion trap mass spectrometer (GC-ITMS), and by in situ GC with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). We show that previously undetected sesquiterpenes and methyl chavicol significantly contribute to the total reactive biogenic emission profile from this field site.