1 research outputs found
Effect of Bark Beetle Infestation on Secondary Organic Aerosol Precursor Emissions
Bark beetles are a potentially destructive force in forest
ecosystems;
however, it is not known how insect attacks affect the atmosphere.
The emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were sampled i.)
from bark beetle infested and healthy lodgepole pine (<i>Pinus
contorta var. latifolia</i>) trees and ii.) from sites with and
without active mountain pine beetle infestation. The emissions from
the trunk and the canopy were collected via sorbent traps. After collection,
the sorbent traps were extracted with hexane, and the extracts were
separated and detected using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy.
Canister samples were also collected and analyzed by a multicolumn
gas chromatographic system. The samples from bark beetle infested
lodgepole pine trees suggest a 5- to 20-fold enhancement in total
VOCs emissions. Furthermore, increases in the β-phellandrene
emissions correlated with bark beetle infestation. A shift in the
type and the quantity of VOC emissions can be used to identify bark
beetle infestation but, more importantly, can lead to increases in
secondary organic aerosol from these forests as potent SOA precursors
are produced