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Plant gasses can counteract arctic climate change
http://www.science.ku.dk/english/press/news/2016/plant-gasses-can-counteract-arctic-climate-change/[font face=Serif]05 April 2016
[font size=5]Plant gasses can counteract arctic climate change[/font]
[font size=4]Plant gasses possibly dampen the temperature rise in Greenland. Plants emit compounds to deter pests or attract pollinators, and as a side effect particles are formed when the compounds interact in the air. These particles can contribute to the formation of clouds, which reflect incoming solar radiation, and thus prevent solar heat from reaching the ground and warming it additionally. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have studied the effect of the imminent climate changes on the release of so-called “biogenic volatiles” to the atmosphere above Greenland. The sensational results are now being published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Geoscience.[/font]
[font size=3]The study of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) is in itself interesting. They include fragrances, which are released by all organisms, and they are important to the communication between plants and animals, e.g. as a defense mechanism through the repelling of pests. This is well-known in the scientific community, but the possible role of these gasses is less well-known in connection with the arctic climate changes, which are predicted to be more pronounced than elsewhere on the planet.
Now, researchers from the Department of Biology and Center for Permafrost (CENPERM) at the University of Copenhagen have studied the biogenic volatiles in Greenland in a climate change context, and the results are sensational. The release of volatiles is known to be sensitive to temperature and light availability. Now the researchers show, that the biogenic volatiles of the arctic areas are much more sensitive to climate changes than previously expected.
…
Even though the “shady side” of the story is positive, the “sunny side of the tundra” is negative. “When volatile compounds react in the atmosphere, they impact two different directions. Firstly, they prolong the lifespan of methane, which is an extremely powerful greenhouse gas – 25 times as bad as CO₂. Secondly, they stimulate formation and growth of particles in the air, and this cools down the climate. Thanks to the purity of the arctic air, the release of the particle-forming volatiles from the tundra is of particular importance. Cloud formation depends on the presence of particles, on which water condenses, and an increased release of volatile compounds from the tundra leads to the formation of more particles in the atmosphere and perhaps clouds. This can have a large impact on the arctic climate”, Riikka Rinnan points out.
…[/font][/font]
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2692[font size=5]Plant gasses can counteract arctic climate change[/font]
[font size=4]Plant gasses possibly dampen the temperature rise in Greenland. Plants emit compounds to deter pests or attract pollinators, and as a side effect particles are formed when the compounds interact in the air. These particles can contribute to the formation of clouds, which reflect incoming solar radiation, and thus prevent solar heat from reaching the ground and warming it additionally. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have studied the effect of the imminent climate changes on the release of so-called “biogenic volatiles” to the atmosphere above Greenland. The sensational results are now being published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Geoscience.[/font]
[font size=3]The study of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) is in itself interesting. They include fragrances, which are released by all organisms, and they are important to the communication between plants and animals, e.g. as a defense mechanism through the repelling of pests. This is well-known in the scientific community, but the possible role of these gasses is less well-known in connection with the arctic climate changes, which are predicted to be more pronounced than elsewhere on the planet.
Now, researchers from the Department of Biology and Center for Permafrost (CENPERM) at the University of Copenhagen have studied the biogenic volatiles in Greenland in a climate change context, and the results are sensational. The release of volatiles is known to be sensitive to temperature and light availability. Now the researchers show, that the biogenic volatiles of the arctic areas are much more sensitive to climate changes than previously expected.
…
Even though the “shady side” of the story is positive, the “sunny side of the tundra” is negative. “When volatile compounds react in the atmosphere, they impact two different directions. Firstly, they prolong the lifespan of methane, which is an extremely powerful greenhouse gas – 25 times as bad as CO₂. Secondly, they stimulate formation and growth of particles in the air, and this cools down the climate. Thanks to the purity of the arctic air, the release of the particle-forming volatiles from the tundra is of particular importance. Cloud formation depends on the presence of particles, on which water condenses, and an increased release of volatile compounds from the tundra leads to the formation of more particles in the atmosphere and perhaps clouds. This can have a large impact on the arctic climate”, Riikka Rinnan points out.
…[/font][/font]
