UC Irvine

Natural biogenic non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) emissions significantly influence the concentrations of free hydroxyl and peroxy radicals, carbon monoxide and tropospheric ozone. Present concerns with air pollution and the global carbon balance call for a better understanding of the respective roles of climate dynamics and vegetation succession in determining NMHC emissions. This constitutes the focus of the present paper. The approach consists in coupling the Energy, Water and Momentum Exchange and Ecological Dynamics model, a climatically sensitive, physically based gas phase forest dynamics model, and NMHC trace gas emission algorithms to assess possible changes in NMHC emissions from forests under stationary and changing climatic conditions. In summary, it is possible to follow the temporal evolution of foliar emissions over centuries using a vegetation dynamics model coupled with an NMHC emissions module. -from Authors