Concentrations and fluxes of biogenic volatile organic compounds above a Mediterranean macchia ecosystem in western Italy

Abstract

Abstract. Emission rates and concentrations of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) were measured at a Mediterranean coastal site at Castelporziano, approximately 25 km south-west of Rome, between 7 May and 3 June 2007, as part of the ACCENT-VOCBAS field campaign on biosphere–atmosphere interactions. Concentrations and emission rates were measured using the disjunct eddy covariance (DEC) method utilizing three different proton transfer reaction mass spectrometers (PTR-MS) so allowing a comparison between the instruments. The high resolution data from the PTR-MS instruments considerably enhances the original BEMA measurements of the mid 1990s. Depending on the measurement period, the volume mixing ratios were in the range 1.6–3.5 ppbv for methanol, 0.44–1.3 ppbv for acetaldehyde, 0.96–2.1 ppbv for acetone, 0.10–0.14 ppbv for isoprene, and 0.13–0.30 ppbv for monoterpenes. A diurnal cycle in mixing ratios was apparent with daytime maxima for methanol, acetaldehyde, acetone, and isoprene. The fluxes ranged from 370–440 μg m−2 h−1 for methanol, 180–360 μg m−2 h−1 for acetaldehyde, 180–450 μg m−2 h−1 for acetone, 71–290 μg m−2 h−1 for isoprene, and 240–860 μg m−2 h−1 for monoterpenes. From the measured flux data (7 May–3 June) an average basal emission rate for the Macchia vegetation was calculated of 430 μg m−2 h−1 for isoprene and 1100 μg m−2 h−1 for monoterpenes.