Abstract
Cryptogamic organisms such as bryophytes and lichens cover most surfaces within tropical forests, yet their impact on the emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds is unknown. These compounds can strongly influence atmospheric oxidant levels as well as secondary organic aerosol concentrations, and forest canopy leaves have been considered the dominant source of these emissions. Here we present cuvette flux measurements, made in the Amazon rainforest between 2016–2018, and show that common bryophytes emit large quantities of highly reactive sesquiterpenoids and that widespread lichens strongly uptake atmospheric oxidation products. A spatial upscaling approach revealed that cryptogamic organisms emit sesquiterpenoids in quantities comparable to current canopy attributed estimates, and take up atmospheric oxidation products at rates comparable to hydroxyl radical chemistry. We conclude that cryptogamic organisms play an important and hitherto overlooked role in atmospheric chemistry above and within tropical rainforests.
Highlights
Cryptogamic organisms such as bryophytes and lichens cover most surfaces within tropical forests, yet their impact on the emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds is unknown
Terrestrial vegetation emits between 700 and 1000 TgC per year of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), with tropical forests accounting for roughly 70% of these emissions[1,2]
Over a time period of two years (November 2016 – November 2018), BVOC emissions of 10 bryophyte samples dominated by Symbiezidium transversale were measured
Summary
Cryptogamic organisms such as bryophytes and lichens cover most surfaces within tropical forests, yet their impact on the emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds is unknown. Lichens in contrast to bryophytes displayed a prominent seasonal difference in emission strength of SQTs (see Supplementary Fig. 4).
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