Summary• Biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions from arctic ecosystems are important in view of their role in global atmospheric chemistry and unknown feedbacks to global warming. These cold ecosystems are hotspots of climate warming, which will be more severe here than averaged over the globe. We assess the effects of climatic warming on non-methane BVOC emissions from a subarctic heath.• We performed ecosystem-based chamber measurements and gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses of the BVOCs collected on adsorbent over two growing seasons at a wet subarctic tundra heath hosting a long-term warming and mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii) litter addition experiment.• The relatively low emissions of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were doubled in response to an air temperature increment of only 1.9-2.5°C, while litter addition had a minor influence. BVOC emissions were seasonal, and warming combined with litter addition triggered emissions of specific compounds.• The unexpectedly high rate of release of BVOCs measured in this conservative warming scenario is far above the estimates produced by the current models, which underlines the importance of a focus on BVOC emissions during climate change. The observed changes have implications for ecological interactions and feedback effects on climate change via impacts on aerosol formation and indirect greenhouse effects.

Summary• Emissions of isoprene, a reactive hydrocarbon, from Subarctic vegetation are not well documented. However, the Arctic is likely to experience the most pronounced effects of climatic warming, which may increase temperature-dependent isoprene emission.• Here, we assessed isoprene emission from a Subarctic heath subjected to a 3-4°C increase in air temperature and mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii) litter addition for 7-8 yr, simulating climatic warming and the subsequent expansion of deciduous shrub species and migration of the treeline. The measurements were performed using the dynamic chamber method on a wet heath with a mixture of shrubs, herbs and graminoids.• Isoprene emissions averaged across the treatments were 36 ± 5 µg m • These results show that isoprene emissions from Subarctic heaths are comparable to those from Subarctic peatlands. Climatic warming will increase the emissions, and the amount of carbon lost as isoprene, from Subarctic heath ecosystems.

Tropospheric ozone levels are continuously rising due to human activities in the 21st century. Although the phytotoxic impact of ozone on plants has been well documented, the effect of ozone on plant emissions has received little attention. We have conducted a field-based investigation utilizing two clones of hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. Â P. tremuloides Michx.) in a free-air ozone concentration enrichment (FACE) facility. The effects of chronic exposure to moderately increased concentrations of ozone on insectinduced terpene emissions by these trees were investigated. We used two herbivore species, Phyllobius piri, and Epirrita autumnata, both of which can reach outbreak levels on deciduous trees in Northern Europe. Our results indicated only very small changes in emissions due to increased ozone levels, but showed induction of some terpenes, particularly the monoterpene trans-b-ocimene and the homoterpene (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, in response to insect feeding. Here, we consider the positive aspects of conducting this type of study in the field and consider the possible influences of other field-based environmental factors.

Summary• Isoprene is a reactive hydrocarbon with an important role in atmospheric chemistry, and emissions from vegetation contribute to atmospheric carbon fluxes. The magnitude of isoprene emissions from arctic peatlands is not known, and it may be altered by increasing UV-B radiation.• Isoprene emission was measured with the dynamic chamber method from a subarctic peatland under long-term enhancement of UV-B radiation targeted to correspond to a 20% loss in the stratospheric ozone layer. The site type of the peatland was a flark fen dominated by the moss Warnstorfia exannulata and sedges Eriophorum russeolum and Carex limosa . The relationship between species densities and the emission was also assessed.• Isoprene emissions were significantly increased by enhanced UV-B radiation during the second (2004) and the fourth (2006) growing seasons under the UV-B exposure. Emissions were related to the density of E. russeolum . The dominant moss, W. exannulata , proved to emit small amounts of isoprene in a laboratory trial.• Subarctic fens, even without Sphagnum moss, are a significant source of isoprene to the atmosphere, especially under periods of warm weather. Warming of the Arctic together with enhanced UV-B radiation may substantially increase the emissions.

Background and aims Mountain birch forests dominate in the Subarctic but little is known of their nonmethane biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions. The dwarf shrubs Empetrum hermaphroditum, Vaccinium myrtillus and Vaccinium uliginosum co-dominate in the forest floors of these forests. The abundance of these three dwarf shrubs relative to each other could be affected by climate warming expected to increase nutrient availability by accelerating litter decomposition and nutrient mineralization. We 1) compared the BVOC emission profiles of vegetation covers dominated by E. hermaphroditum and V. myrtillus plus V. uliginosum in a subarctic mountain birch forest floor, 2) distinguished the BVOCs emitted from plants and soil and 3) measured how the BVOC emissions from the different vegetation covers differed under darkness. Methods BVOCs were sampled during two growing seasons using a conventional ecosystem chamberbased method, collected on adsorbent and analyzed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.Results High abundance of E. hermaphroditum increased the sesquiterpene emissions. Soil released fewer different BVOCs than controls (i.e. natural vegetation) but the total emission rates were similar. Darkness did not affect the emissions. Carbon emitted as BVOCs was less than 0.2% of the CO 2 exchange. Conclusions Our results suggest that sesquiterpene emissions from subarctic mountain birch forest floors would be reduced following an increased abundance of V. myrtillus and V. uliginosum with climate change because these species respond rapidly to increased nutrient availability.

No abstract

To study the effects of elevated ozone concentration on methane dynamics and a sedge species, Eriophorum vaginatum, we exposed peatland microcosms, isolated by coring from an oligotrophic pine fen, to double ambient ozone concentration in an open-air ozone exposure field for four growing seasons. The field consists of eight circular plots of which four were fumigated with elevated ozone concentration and four were ambient controls. At the latter part of the first growing season (week 33, 2003), the methane emission was 159 AE 14 mg CH 4 m À2 day À1 (mean AE SE) in the ozone treatment and 214 AE 8 mg CH 4 m À2 day À1 under the ambient control. However, towards the end of the experiment the ozone treatment slightly, but consistently, enhanced the methane emission. At the end of the third growing season (2005), microbial biomass (estimated by phospholipid fatty acid biomarkers) was higher in peat exposed to ozone (1975 AE 108 nmol g À1 dw) than in peat of the control microcosms (1589 AE 115 nmol g À1 dw). The concentrations of organic acids in peat pore water showed a similar trend. Elevated ozone did not affect the shoot length or the structure of the sedge E. vaginatum leaves but it slightly increased the total number of sedge leaves towards the end of the experiment. Our results indicate that elevated ozone concentration enhances the general growth conditions of microbes in peat by increasing their substrate availability. However, the methane production did not reflect the increase in the concentration of organic acids, probably because hydrogenotrophic methane production dominated in the peat studied. Although, we used isolated peatland microcosms with limited size as study material, we did not find experimental factors that could have hampered the basic conclusions on the effects of ozone.

No abstract