EXPLO3RVOC · Ecophysiological control by Mediterranean forest ecosystems on the exchange processes of ozone and reactive Volatile Organic Compounds with a polluted atmosphere
FP7 — People (Marie Curie Actions)
- Duration
- 2012-08-01 → 2016-07-31
- EU contribution
- €100,000
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MC-CIG
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Ecophysiological control by Mediterranean forest ecosystems on the exchange processes of ozone and reactive Volatile Organic Compounds with a polluted atmosphere
The main goals of EXPLO3RVOC were to set up laboratory and field sites to fulfill the main objectives of the project: Objective 1: Characterization of VOC emission and deposition processes from soils and plants, exploring antioxidant effects of BVOC in a polluted atmosphere. Objective 2: Plant physiological control on ozone deposition sinks, and negative effects of ozone exposure to vegetation. The main goal of the research was for the first time aimed at characterizing ecophysiological plant response to environmental pressure, highlighting the role of BVOC in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, with novel investigations at leaf scale, ecosystem scale (Eddy Covariance technique with PTR-MS to study emission and canopy deposition of VOC including those with anthropogenic origin), and use of measured emission factors to parameterize and implement an emission model at landscape/regional scale. The two main objectives have been fulfilled with the following steps successfully achieved: -Field installation of equipment and start of monitoring greenhouse gas fluxes: ozone, CO2, CH4, H2O. - These long term measurements produced significant results in terms of quantification of Greenhouse gas balance in a key Mediterranean forest ecosystem in the Italian coast. Thanks to the experimental efforts, the EXPLO3RVOC experimental site is now the only Italian forest site candidate as a level I site for ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observatory System), a EU strategic ESFRI aimed at collecting long-term observations in European forest and agricultural ecosystems. The research initiated within EXPLO3RVOC is meant to continue for the next years. -Recruitment of a PhD full time involved in the objectives of EXLO3VOC. The candidate successfully completed a PhD thesis in June 2016 entitled: “Bi-directional exchange of greenhouse gases and pollutants between a Mediterranean Holm oak forest and the atmosphere”. The work has been particularly appreciated by the PhD commission and the successful doctorate has now high potential for continuing a research career with a PostDoc. -Initiation of intensive field campaign measuring fluxes of VOC with PTRMS in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Two intensive field campaigns were carried out at the experimental field site in Castelporziano. Thanks to collaboration with the National research Council, we brought a PTRMS (proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer) on site to explore concentrations and fluxes of VOC in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum in key vegetative seasons. -Laboratory experiments at CREA and CNR laboratories to test fluxes and uptake of VOC and their reaction products in the atmosphere. Successful manipulative experiments on Mediterranean plants revealed leaf capacity to emit BVOC and at the same take scavenge from the atmosphere relevant secondary products of atmospheric pollution. -Dissemination activities in international conferences and national open science conferences. -Publication of papers on international Journals. EXPLO3RVOC has launched the future research directions of Dr Fares lab, now composed of 5 members: a new PhD student, two postdoctoral scientists and two field technicians which are helping with long time measurements of GHG fluxes, database collection, modelling plant-atmosphere interactions.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Multipurpose and biodiverse forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean area have to deal with the negative effects of climate change and a strong human pressure, often represented by gaseous emission transported to the vegetation through polluted air sheds. In the polluted lower atmosphere ozone is formed in the presence of sunlight through photochemical reactions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen, which can have biogenic (foliar and soil emissions) or anthropogenic (e.g. combustion processes) sources.Plants are natural sinks for ozone and therefore phytoremediate the atmosphere. On the other hand, ozone is the main oxidant for plants and humans. The uptake of ozone by plant ecosystems is attributed to both stomatal (ozone enters leaves through stomata and is detoxified) and non-stomatal sinks (ozone is deposited on plant/soil surfaces or reacts with VOC in the gas-phase). The scientific program foresees experiments on key representative Mediterranean forest species with the intent to study environmental control on plant ecophysiology, and responses of plants in terms of ozone and VOC exchanges with the atmosphere. In the field, experimental stations will be equipped and advanced micrometeorological techniques will be used to measure stomatal and non-stomatal sinks of ozone and reactive VOC at canopy-scale in the soil-plant continuum, as well as different sources of VOC, and their reaction products in the atmosphere. Laboratory “in-vivo” investigations will finely describe leaf physiological responses to environmental variables, including exposure to different levels of ozone concentrations. Novel techniques will be applied to study the emission of constitutive and induced VOC emissions, quantifying endogenous emissions of oxidation products of VOC with Reactive Oxygen Species produced inside the leaves by ozone and temperature stress. The project would help understanding the complex interactions between Mediterranean forests and the atmosphere.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- CONSIGLIO PER LA RICERCA IN AGRICOLTURA E L'ANALISI DELL'ECONOMIA AGRARIA · ROMACoordinatorItaly
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union