Interaction between isoprene and ozone fluxes in a poplar plantation and its impact on air quality at the European level.
Terenzio Zenone, Carlijn Hendriks, Federico Brilli, Erik Fransen, Beniamio Gioli, Miguel Portillo-Estrada, Martijn Schaap, Reinhart Ceulemans
Author Information
Terenzio Zenone: Department of Biology, Centre of Excellence on Plant and Vegetation Ecology (PLECO), University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
Carlijn Hendriks: TNO, Department of Climate, Air and Sustainability, P.O. Box 80015, 3508 TA, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Federico Brilli: National Research Council, Institute of Agro-Environmental and Forest Biology (IBAF-CNR), Via Salaria Km 29,300 - 00016 Monterotondo Scalo, Roma, Italy.
Erik Fransen: StatUa Centre for Statistics, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
Beniamio Gioli: National Research Council, Institute of Biometeorology (IBIMET-CNR), Via G. Caproni 8, 50145, Firenze, Italy.
Miguel Portillo-Estrada: Department of Biology, Centre of Excellence on Plant and Vegetation Ecology (PLECO), University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
Martijn Schaap: TNO, Department of Climate, Air and Sustainability, P.O. Box 80015, 3508 TA, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Reinhart Ceulemans: Department of Biology, Centre of Excellence on Plant and Vegetation Ecology (PLECO), University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
The emission of isoprene and other biogenic volatile organic compounds from vegetation plays an important role in tropospheric ozone (O3) formation. The potentially large expansion of isoprene emitting species (e.g., poplars) for bioenergy production might, therefore, impact tropospheric O3 formation. Using the eddy covariance technique we have simultaneously measured fluxes isoprene, O3 and of CO2 from a poplar (Populus) plantation grown for bioenergy production. We used the chemistry transport model LOTOS-EUROS to scale-up the isoprene emissions associated with the existing poplar plantations in Europe, and we assessed the impact of isoprene fluxes on ground level O3 concentrations. Our findings suggest that isoprene emissions from existing poplar-for-bioenergy plantations do not significantly affect the ground level of O3 concentration. Indeed the overall land in Europe covered with poplar plantations has not significantly changed over the last two decades despite policy incentives to produce bioenergy crops. The current surface area of isoprene emitting poplars-for-bioenergy remains too limited to significantly enhance O3 concentrations and thus to be considered a potential threat for air quality and human health.
