Press release Carriero

Dr Giulia Carriero, from the IPP-CNR Institute for Plant Protection in Florence (Italy) visited the Institute Plant Sciences in Juelich (Germany) during a Short Term Scientific Mission funded by the COST Action FP1204. In her STSM, she studied the volatiles (BVOCs) emitted by an urban tree species and their influence on ozone (O3) formation potential and uptake rate in urban ecosystems. The experiment was conducted in Jülich Plant Atmosphere Chamber facility (JPAC) that simulated the urban environment. The target plant was Quercus ilex, an urban Mediterranean tree species. By measuring stomatal uptake and gas phase losses of O3, at low NOx conditions, she determined the maximum sink strengths. By measuring stomatal uptake and photochemical O3 production from BVOCs emitted by the plant, at high NOx conditions, the maximum net O3 formation was determined. It was found that O3 production, by photochemical reaction with BVOCs, was higher than O3 uptake at high NOx levels. The experiment was made at different leaf temperatures. The data suggested that net O3 production from Holm oak depends on leaf temperature and O3 concentrations.