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Title: Improved model for estimating emissions of volatile organic compounds from forests in the eastern United States

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7131244

The article discusses an improved model for estimating emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from forests in the Eastern U.S. Regional estimates of biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions are important inputs for models of atmospheric chemistry and carbon budgets. Since forests are the primary emitters of BVOCs, it is important to develop reliable estimates of their areal coverage and BVOC emission rate. A new system is developed to estimate these emissions for specific tree genera at hourly and county level resolution. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Services' Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Eastwide Database is used to describe areal extent, species composition, and tree diameter distribution of U.S. forests. Horizontal canopy occupancy by genera is then estimated as a function of diameter at breast height. Growing season peak foliar masses are derived from the empirical literature for canopies of deciduous and coniferous genera. A simple canopy model is used to adjust photosynthetically active solar radiation at five vertical levels in the canopy.

Research Organization:
National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States). Atmospheric Chemistry Div.
OSTI ID:
7131244
Report Number(s):
PB-94-210440/XAB; CNN: EPA-68W00043
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Pub. in Jnl. of Geophysical Research, Vol. 99, No. D6, 12,773-12,791(Jun 1994)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English