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Volatile organic compound fluxes in a subarctic peatland and lake

Seco, Roger ; Holst, Thomas LU ; Sillesen Matzen, Mikkel ; Westergaard-Nielsen, Andreas ; Li, Tao ; Simin, Tihomir LU ; Jansen, Joachim ; Crill, Patrick ; Friborg, Thomas and Rinne, Janne LU , et al. (2020) In Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 20(21). p.13399-13416
Abstract

Ecosystems exchange climate-relevant trace gases with the atmosphere, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are a small but highly reactive part of the carbon cycle. VOCs have important ecological functions and implications for atmospheric chemistry and climate.We measured the ecosystem-level surface-atmosphere VOC fluxes using the eddy covariance technique at a shallow subarctic lake and an adjacent graminoid-dominated fen in northern Sweden during two contrasting periods: the peak growing season (mid-July) and the senescent period post-growing season (September-October). In July, the fen was a net source of methanol, acetaldehyde, acetone, dimethyl sulfide, isoprene, and monoterpenes. All of these VOCs showed a diel cycle... (More)

Ecosystems exchange climate-relevant trace gases with the atmosphere, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are a small but highly reactive part of the carbon cycle. VOCs have important ecological functions and implications for atmospheric chemistry and climate.We measured the ecosystem-level surface-atmosphere VOC fluxes using the eddy covariance technique at a shallow subarctic lake and an adjacent graminoid-dominated fen in northern Sweden during two contrasting periods: the peak growing season (mid-July) and the senescent period post-growing season (September-October). In July, the fen was a net source of methanol, acetaldehyde, acetone, dimethyl sulfide, isoprene, and monoterpenes. All of these VOCs showed a diel cycle of emission with maxima around noon and isoprene dominated the fluxes (93±22 μmolm-2 d-1, mean±SE). Isoprene emission was strongly stimulated by temperature and presented a steeper response to temperature (Q10 = 14:5) than that typically assumed in biogenic emission models, supporting the high temperature sensitivity of arctic vegetation. In September, net emissions of methanol and isoprene were drastically reduced, while acetaldehyde and acetone were deposited to the fen, with rates of up to-6:7±2:8 μmolm-2 d-1 for acetaldehyde. Remarkably, the lake was a sink for acetaldehyde and acetone during both periods, with average fluxes up to -19±1:3 μmolm-2 d-1 of acetone in July and up to-8:5± 2:3 μmolm-2 d-1 of acetaldehyde in September. The deposition of both carbonyl compounds correlated with their atmospheric mixing ratios, with deposition velocities of-0:23± 0:01 and-0:68±0:03 cm s-1 for acetone and acetaldehyde, respectively. Even though these VOC fluxes represented less than 0.5%and less than 5%of the CO2 and CH4 net carbon ecosystem exchange, respectively, VOCs alter the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere. Thus, understanding the response of their emissions to climate change is important for accurate prediction of the future climatic conditions in this rapidly warming area of the planet.

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publishing date
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Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
volume
20
issue
21
pages
18 pages
publisher
Copernicus GmbH
external identifiers
  • scopus:85096466976
ISSN
1680-7316
DOI
10.5194/acp-20-13399-2020
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5e196752-3200-41c1-a663-ee8e318f0ca7
date added to LUP
2020-11-30 14:17:43
date last changed
2022-04-26 22:15:46
@article{5e196752-3200-41c1-a663-ee8e318f0ca7,
  abstract     = {{<p>Ecosystems exchange climate-relevant trace gases with the atmosphere, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are a small but highly reactive part of the carbon cycle. VOCs have important ecological functions and implications for atmospheric chemistry and climate.We measured the ecosystem-level surface-atmosphere VOC fluxes using the eddy covariance technique at a shallow subarctic lake and an adjacent graminoid-dominated fen in northern Sweden during two contrasting periods: the peak growing season (mid-July) and the senescent period post-growing season (September-October). In July, the fen was a net source of methanol, acetaldehyde, acetone, dimethyl sulfide, isoprene, and monoterpenes. All of these VOCs showed a diel cycle of emission with maxima around noon and isoprene dominated the fluxes (93±22 μmolm-2 d-1, mean±SE). Isoprene emission was strongly stimulated by temperature and presented a steeper response to temperature (Q10 = 14:5) than that typically assumed in biogenic emission models, supporting the high temperature sensitivity of arctic vegetation. In September, net emissions of methanol and isoprene were drastically reduced, while acetaldehyde and acetone were deposited to the fen, with rates of up to-6:7±2:8 μmolm-2 d-1 for acetaldehyde. Remarkably, the lake was a sink for acetaldehyde and acetone during both periods, with average fluxes up to -19±1:3 μmolm-2 d-1 of acetone in July and up to-8:5± 2:3 μmolm-2 d-1 of acetaldehyde in September. The deposition of both carbonyl compounds correlated with their atmospheric mixing ratios, with deposition velocities of-0:23± 0:01 and-0:68±0:03 cm s-1 for acetone and acetaldehyde, respectively. Even though these VOC fluxes represented less than 0.5%and less than 5%of the CO2 and CH4 net carbon ecosystem exchange, respectively, VOCs alter the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere. Thus, understanding the response of their emissions to climate change is important for accurate prediction of the future climatic conditions in this rapidly warming area of the planet.</p>}},
  author       = {{Seco, Roger and Holst, Thomas and Sillesen Matzen, Mikkel and Westergaard-Nielsen, Andreas and Li, Tao and Simin, Tihomir and Jansen, Joachim and Crill, Patrick and Friborg, Thomas and Rinne, Janne and Rinnan, Riikka}},
  issn         = {{1680-7316}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{21}},
  pages        = {{13399--13416}},
  publisher    = {{Copernicus GmbH}},
  series       = {{Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics}},
  title        = {{Volatile organic compound fluxes in a subarctic peatland and lake}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-13399-2020}},
  doi          = {{10.5194/acp-20-13399-2020}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}