Articles | Volume 21, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8045-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8045-2021
Research article
 | 
26 May 2021
Research article |  | 26 May 2021

Sesquiterpenes and oxygenated sesquiterpenes dominate the VOC (C5–C20) emissions of downy birches

Heidi Hellén, Arnaud P. Praplan, Toni Tykkä, Aku Helin, Simon Schallhart, Piia P. Schiestl-Aalto, Jaana Bäck, and Hannele Hakola

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Cited articles

Aalto, J., Kolari, P., Hari, P., Kerminen, V.-M., Schiestl-Aalto, P., Aaltonen, H., Levula, J., Siivola, E., Kulmala, M., and Bäck, J.: New foliage growth is a significant, unaccounted source for volatiles in boreal evergreen forests, Biogeosciences, 11, 1331–1344, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-1331-2014, 2014. 
Ahlberg E.: BVOC emissions from a subarctic Mountain birch: Analysis of shortterm chamber measurements. Department of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Physical Geography and Ecosystems Analysis, Lund University, Seminar series nr 204, 2011. 
Bäck, J., Aalto, J., Henriksson, M., Hakola, H., He, Q., and Boy, M.: Chemodiversity of a Scots pine stand and implications for terpene air concentrations, Biogeosciences, 9, 689–702, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-689-2012, 2012. 
Be, A. G., Upshur, M. A., Liu, P., Martin, S. T., Geiger, F. M., and Thompson, R. J.: Cloud activation potentials for atmospheric a-pinene and b-caryophyllene ozonolysis products, ACS Central Science, 3, 715–725, https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.7b00112, 2017. 
Beck, P., Caudullo, G., de Rigo, D., and Tinner, W.: Betula pendula, Betula pubescens and other birches in Europe: distribution, habitat, usage and threats, in: European Atlas of Forest Tree Species, edited by: San-Miguel-Ayanz, J., de Rigo, D., Caudullo, G., Houston Durrant, T., and Mauri, A., Publications Office of the EU, Luxembourg, Luxembourg, e010226+, 2016. 
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Short summary
Even though terpene emissions of boreal needle trees have been studied quite intensively, there is less knowledge of the emissions of broadleaved deciduous trees and emissions of larger terpenes and oxygenated volatile organic compounds. Here we studied downy birch (Betula pubescens) emissions, and especially sesquiterpene and oxygenated sesquiterpene emissions were found to be high. These emissions may have significant effects on secondary organic aerosol formation in boreal areas.
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