ACINN Graduate Seminar - WS 2023/24

2023-11-29 at 12:00 (on-line and on-site)

VOCs in urban context

Arianna Peron

ACINN, University of Innsbruck, Austria

At present, about 1700 substances have been found to be emitted from plants. Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) are emitted constitutively and the emissions can be observed throughout the life cycle of the plant and are strongly influenced by external factors. In fact, they play a role in protecting vegetation from abiotic/biotic stress and as systems of plant-plant and plant-animal communication.
Interactions between abiotic factors due to climate change and plants, are of increasing importance and actuality. With the increase in average global  temperature and its continuous enhancement during the twentieth century, there was an enhancement in global emissions of BVOCs. This increase in emissions is caused by the extension of the plant activity season but also due to an enhancement in emissions caused by the response to the stresses to which plants are subjected, such as drought stress.
The VOCs and BVOCs are also important for the air quality, because are involved in the formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosols.
Understanding how BVOC emissions respond to climate change is therefore essential to understand what direct or indirect actions they can have on the biosphere-atmosphere-climate system.

In this presentation, I will explain how, during the course of my PhD, I analysed different aspects of volatile organic compound emissions in relation to both laboratory and urban area measurements.

 

 

 

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