Differential responses and mechanisms of monoterpene emissions from broad-leaved and coniferous species under elevated ozone scenarios

Abstract

Although ozone (O₃) pollution affects plant growth and monoterpene (MT) emissions, the responses of MT emission rates to elevated O₃ and the related mechanisms are not entirely understood. To gain an insight into these effects and mechanisms, we evaluated physiological (leaf MT synthesis ability, including precursor availability and enzyme kinetics) and physicochemical limiting factors (e.g. leaf thickness of the lower and upper epidermis, palisade and spongy tissue, and size of resin ducts and stomatal aperture) affecting MT emissions simultaneously from two broad-leaved and two coniferous species after one growing season of field experiment. The effects of elevated O₃ on MT emissions and the related mechanisms differed between plant functional types. Specifically, long-term moderate O₃ exposure significantly reduced MT emissions in broad-leaved species, primarily attributed to a systematic decrease in MT synthesis ability, including reductions in all MT precursors, geranyl diphosphate content, and MT synthase protein levels. In contrast, the same O₃ exposure significantly enhanced MT emissions in coniferous species. However, the change in MT emissions in coniferous species was not due to modifications in leaf MT synthesis ability but rather because of alterations in leaf anatomical structure characteristics, particularly the size of resin ducts and stomatal aperture. These findings provide an important understanding of the mechanisms driving MT emissions from different tree functional groups and can enlighten the estimation of MT emissions in the context of O₃ pollution scenarios as well as the development of MT emission algorithms.

Keywords: Leaf anatomical traits; Monoterpene; Ozone pollution; Plant functional type; Synthesis ability.