Abstract Detail

Physiology

Kiel, Scott [1], Eppley, Sarah [1], Rosenstiel, Todd [1].

Characterization of BVOCs Emission from Terrestrial Mosses in Antarctica.

The Western Antarctic Peninsula and the Scotia Arc are two of the most rapidly warming regions of our planet with nearly 87% of glaciers along the western coast of the Peninsula receding during the early part of the 21^st century. With this accelerated rate of warming and associated glacial retreat, more and more ice-free regions are becoming available for colonization by Antarctica's unique assemblage of terrestrial plants, almost exclusively mosses and lichens, promoting unprecedented recent rates of Antarctic-greening. At a local scale, clearly, the establishment of plants on previously ice-covered margins is a profound step in the transformation of terrestrial Antarctica, although the collective ecosystem implications of this modern revegetation are poorly understood. Among these, biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emission from terrestrial Antarctic plants to the atmosphere is one the least understood in both presence and abundance. There are numerous studies that show the effect BVOC emissions can have on atmospheric chemistry, including the formation of tropospheric ozone and secondary organic aerosols. It is still unclear how changes in biosphere-atmosphere interactions in a greening Antarctica will affect atmospheric chemistry in the region. This is one of the first studies to characterize BVOC emissions across 6 dominant Antarctic moss species, including Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sanionia georgicouncinata, Ceratodon purpureus, Bryum pseudotriquetrum, Syntrichum magellanica, and Chorisodontium aciphyllum. The emissions of BOVCs from these mosses were highly variable; the number of individual compounds detected ranged from 45-109 with C. purpureus having the lowest number of detectable compound and S. magellanica having the highest, indicating significant moss-species-specific differences in emission profiles. Notable, and atmospherically relevant, emissions include a diverse array of alkanes from S. georgicouncinata and C. purpureus, representing 63% and 58% of their total BVOC profiles, respectively. P. alpinum showed significant emission of isoprene, contributing to 75% of this species' total BVOC profile. The observation of BVOC emission, including isoprene, from Antarctic mosses, suggests that BVOC mediated biosphere-atmosphere interactions may represent an important and unknown consequence of the continued warming of Antarctica. The role that such emerging BOVC emissions could play in influencing regional atmospheric chemistry and terrestrial feedbacks will be discussed.

1 - Portland State University, Biology, Center for Life in Extreme Environments, 1719 SW 10th Avenue, SRTC rm 246, Portland, Oregon, 97207, United States

Keywords:
Antarctica
BVOCs
climate change
terpenoids.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: PHYS, Physiology
Location: /
Date: Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
Time: 2:15 PM(EDT)
Number: PHYS014
Abstract ID:524
Candidate for Awards:A. J. Sharp Award