Articles | Volume 14, issue 17
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-9087-2014
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-14-9087-2014
Research article
 | 
05 Sep 2014
Research article |  | 05 Sep 2014

Uptake and emission of VOCs near ground level below a mixed forest at Borden, Ontario

M. Gordon, A. Vlasenko, R. M. Staebler, C. Stroud, P. A. Makar, J. Liggio, S.-M. Li, and S. Brown

Abstract. Understanding of the atmosphere/forest canopy exchange of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) requires insight into the deposition, emission, and chemical reactions of VOCs below the canopy. Between 18 July and 9 August 2009, VOCs were measured with proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) at six heights between 1 and 6 m beneath a 23 m high mixed-forest canopy. Measured VOCs included methanol, isoprene, acetone, methacrolein and methyl vinyl ketone (MACR + MVK), monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes. There are pronounced differences in the behaviour of isoprene and its by-products and that of the terpenes. Non-terpene mixing ratios increase with height, suggesting predominantly downward fluxes. In contrast, the terpene mixing ratios decrease with height, suggesting upward fluxes. A 1-D canopy model was used to compare results to measurements with and without surface deposition of isoprene and MACR + MVK and emissions of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. Results suggest deposition velocities of 2.7 mm s−1 for isoprene and 1.2 mm s−1 for MACR + MVK and daytime surface emission rates of 63 μg m−2 h−1 for monoterpenes. The modelled isoprene surface deposition is approximately 2% of the canopy-top isoprene emissions and the modelled emissions of monoterpenes comprise approximately 15 to 27% of the canopy-top monoterpene emissions to the atmosphere. These results suggest that surface monoterpene emissions are significant for forest canopy/atmosphere exchange for this mixed-forest location and surface uptake is relatively small for all the species measured in this study.

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