skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Ecological controls over monoterpene emissions from confiers

Abstract

Ecological controls over monoterpene emissions from two species of conifers, Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir are studied. Monoterpenes are hydrocarbons that serve as part of these plant's chemical defense system. They are highly volatile and make up approximately 40% of the reduced carbon budget of the lower atmosphere playing a major role in tropospheric photochemistry. Previous research has emphasized the controls over emissions from any one plant at any one time. This paper considers some of the controls over the baseline emission rates from different plants. In field studies on Ponderosa pine and greenhouse experiments with Douglas fir in which photosynthesis, tissue chemistry, and monoterpene emissions were measured, there is a strong correlation between the concentration of particular monoterpenes within foliage and emissions from that foliage. Changes in pine photosynthesis were not correlated with changes in monoterpene emissions. In Douglas fir a strong relationship existed among nitrogen availability, phenology (seasonal plant growth), and monoterpene concentration and emission. When foliage is not expanding, there is a direct relationship among nitrogen availability and monoterpene concentrations and emissions. However, during that time of the year when needles are expanding, there is a negative relationship among nitrogen availability and monoterpene concentrations and emissions. Frommore » these results I have parameterized a model of monoterpene emissions from vegetation that runs as a subroutine of an ecosystem gas exchange model. The model includes the physiochemical controls on instantaneous flux found in previous work and biological controls on baseline emission rates. Results from initial simulations suggest that low temperatures can decouple monoterpene concentrations from monoterpene emissions. These results also indicate that herbivory could be a major factor controlling monoterpene emissions from forests.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
6760446
Resource Type:
Miscellaneous
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CONIFERS; BIOCHEMISTRY; TERPENES; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; EMISSION; VARIATIONS; ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY; FIRS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; PINES; CHEMISTRY; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; PINOPHYTA; PLANTS; TREES; 540120* - Environment, Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)

Citation Formats

Lerdau, M T. Ecological controls over monoterpene emissions from confiers. United States: N. p., 1994. Web.
Lerdau, M T. Ecological controls over monoterpene emissions from confiers. United States.
Lerdau, M T. 1994. "Ecological controls over monoterpene emissions from confiers". United States.
@article{osti_6760446,
title = {Ecological controls over monoterpene emissions from confiers},
author = {Lerdau, M T},
abstractNote = {Ecological controls over monoterpene emissions from two species of conifers, Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir are studied. Monoterpenes are hydrocarbons that serve as part of these plant's chemical defense system. They are highly volatile and make up approximately 40% of the reduced carbon budget of the lower atmosphere playing a major role in tropospheric photochemistry. Previous research has emphasized the controls over emissions from any one plant at any one time. This paper considers some of the controls over the baseline emission rates from different plants. In field studies on Ponderosa pine and greenhouse experiments with Douglas fir in which photosynthesis, tissue chemistry, and monoterpene emissions were measured, there is a strong correlation between the concentration of particular monoterpenes within foliage and emissions from that foliage. Changes in pine photosynthesis were not correlated with changes in monoterpene emissions. In Douglas fir a strong relationship existed among nitrogen availability, phenology (seasonal plant growth), and monoterpene concentration and emission. When foliage is not expanding, there is a direct relationship among nitrogen availability and monoterpene concentrations and emissions. However, during that time of the year when needles are expanding, there is a negative relationship among nitrogen availability and monoterpene concentrations and emissions. From these results I have parameterized a model of monoterpene emissions from vegetation that runs as a subroutine of an ecosystem gas exchange model. The model includes the physiochemical controls on instantaneous flux found in previous work and biological controls on baseline emission rates. Results from initial simulations suggest that low temperatures can decouple monoterpene concentrations from monoterpene emissions. These results also indicate that herbivory could be a major factor controlling monoterpene emissions from forests.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6760446}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994},
month = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994}
}

Miscellaneous:
Other availability
Please see Document Availability for additional information on obtaining the full-text document. Library patrons may search WorldCat to identify libraries that may hold this item.

Save / Share: