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Climate impacts

Subarctic warming still boosts plant VOC emissions

Valolahti H, Kivimäenpää M, Faubert P, et al. · Global change biology · 2015

Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC

After 13 years, +2°C open-top chambers raised subarctic heath sesquiterpenes fivefold and roughly doubled isoprene and monoterpenes, with vegetation shifts helping drive the fluxes.

Key findings

Warming remained effective after 13 years. Sesquiterpenes rose 5-fold (P=0.006); 2010-average isoprene 1.9× (P=0.003) and monoterpenes 2× (P=0.019). Combined warming+litter increased deciduous and evergreen shrub cover in 2010; forbs increased under warming by 2012. Chamber air during measurements was only +0.5°C.

Methodology

On a subarctic heath, authors measured BVOCs from plots warmed ~2°C with open-top tents, with/without extra litter, using adsorbent tubes and GC, relating emissions to cover of shrubs, forbs, mosses, and lichens (n=6 plots).

Limitations

Tents warm air/soil modestly and alter wind. n=6 is small. Emissions are plot-scale, not a regional atmospheric model, and 2012 vegetation differences were weaker than 2010.

How this study connects

Role on claims

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  • SupportsClimate impactsconcept

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    Evidence for the claim as stated.

  • SupportsClimate impactsconcept

    After 13 years, +2°C open-top chambers raised subarctic heath sesquiterpenes fivefold and roughly doubled isoprene and monoterpenes, with vegetation shifts helping drive the fluxes.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

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