Constitutive emissions
Light, temperature, atmospheric CO₂ and nutrition control biosynthetic release.
BVOCs in Alpine ecosystems
Forests release
reactive chemical signals.
We investigate how plants emit volatile organic compounds and how these emissions are coupled to carbon, water, stress and atmospheric chemistry.
Plant chemical diversity
More than isoprene and monoterpenes.
About 1,700 substances have been described as plant emissions. Leaves, stems, flowers and roots can release biogenic volatile organic compounds. Isoprene and monoterpenes dominate many fluxes, while methanol, acetone, aldehydes and organic acids are also important.
These molecules support communication, defence and adaptation. Once in the atmosphere they continue to react and—depending on NOx conditions—influence the formation or loss of ground-level ozone and secondary aerosol.
Emission mechanisms
Baseline emissions, development and stress.
BVOC emissions are dynamic: they follow plant development, respond to environmental conditions and can change within short periods under stress.
Developmental stages
Many compounds are most apparent during particular life-cycle and growth stages.
Stress-induced signals
Wounding, herbivory, heat and drought can stimulate, suppress or trigger new emissions.
Chemical–hydrological coupling
Observing BVOCs, carbon and water together.
Our projects quantify BVOC, CO₂ and water-vapour exchange between Alpine forests and the atmosphere, revealing how photosynthesis, transpiration, drought and chemical signals interact.
- High-resolution mass spectrometry
- Eddy covariance and micrometeorology
- Plant physiology and ecosystem observations
- Field campaigns across stress and elevation gradients
Team & collaboration
Understanding ecosystems across disciplines.
Doctorateers: Marcus Striednig and Judith Schmack.
Coordinators: Werner Jud and Thomas Karl.
The work connects atmospheric physics and chemistry with biometeorology, ecology, botany, microbiology and plant physiology. The collaboration environment includes Georg Wohlfahrt, Hans Sanden, Lisa Kaser, Alex Guenther, Jörg Schnitzler, Arianna Peron, Stefan Mayr, Michael Bahn, Ilse Kranner, Walter Oberhuber, Ursula Peintner and Ulrike Tappeiner.
Collaboration environment
BUBOKU UniversityCollaboration partnerBIBiometeorology InnsbruckEcosystem exchange and micrometeorologyCCIRESAtmospheric chemistry and field researchUOCUniversity of California, IrvineBVOCs and biosphere–atmosphere exchangeHMHelmholtz MunichPlant emissions and stress responses
Universität InnsbruckEcology, botany and microbiology
Universität InnsbruckEcology, botany and microbiologyFrom ecosystem signal to atmospheric process.
Projects, instruments and thesis work connect observations, method development and data analysis.