Weather stations for biodiversity: a comprehensive approach to an automated and modular monitoring system

Wägele JW, Tschan GF (2024)


Publication Type: Authored book

Publication year: 2024

Publisher: Advanced Books

ISBN: 9786192481230

DOI: 10.3897/ab.e119534

Abstract

Plant volatile organic compounds (pVOCs) are emitted by plants into the atmosphere. The emissions are influenced by a variety of abiotic and biotic factors (e. g. Herbivory, drought, heat, etc.) and can therefore provide information about the physiological status of plants within an ecosystem. However, ambient air is a complex and humid mixture and the concentrations of pVOCs are very low. Thus, highly sensitive and selective analytical tools are required for a continuous monitoring. In the AMMOD project, we installed an ion mobility spectrometer with coupled gas chromatographic pre-separation combined with an in-line preconcentration systems in the field (ppq-tec-GC-IMS). This allowed automated monitoring, with minimal maintenance and good results in terms of the robustness of the device in the field. Based on this, annual courses of emissions could be analysed from the ambient with high time resolution, revealing a clear seasonal course of emissions. Furthermore, 15 compounds have already been identified in reference experiments and assigned to plant origin, including typical green leave volatiles such as (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate or (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol and monoterpenes such as α-pinene, β-pinene and camphene.


In addition to seasonal changes, the temporal resolution was sufficient to record detailed diurnal concentration differences of individual volatile compounds. In our data, especially monoterpenes such as α-pinene showed a maximum in the morning hours, while other substances showed an early afternoon peak. Furthermore, correlations with abiotic factors could also be identified by comparing the data with weather data, whereby temperature seems to be the main driver.

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How to cite

APA:

Wägele, J.W., & Tschan, G.F. (2024). Weather stations for biodiversity: a comprehensive approach to an automated and modular monitoring system. Advanced Books.

MLA:

Wägele, J. Wolfgang, and Georg F. Tschan. Weather stations for biodiversity: a comprehensive approach to an automated and modular monitoring system. Advanced Books, 2024.

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