Determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere over central Siberian forest and southern part of European Taiga in Russia

Our knowledge about emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from Siberian forest and southern European taiga is still insufficient. Thus, in the frames of Terrestrial Carbon Observation System project we have performed a series of measurements during summer 2004. The aim of our research was to understand biogenic fluxes, vertical exchange, and atmospheric transport of VOCs. In this paper we have described the measurement of the atmospheric mixing ratio of different VOCs above the forest canopy and at different altitudes in Fyodorovskoje (southern part of European taiga, 400 km from Moscow) and near Zotino (central Siberia, 700 km to the north of Krasnoyarsk). In both probing sites, isoprene and α-pinene were the main components measured above the forest canopy. In Fyodorovskoje and Zotino, the most abundant monoterpenes found at higher altitudes (>300 m above sea level) were α-pinene and p-cymene, respectively. Concentration of isoprene in both probing sites was about 1 ppb. In determinations of VOCs, GC-MS and GC-FID with thermal desorption were utilised. These belong to the most widespread method for analysis ofVOCs. The data obtained in these studies will be used for modeling atmospheric distribution ofVOC species over central Siberian forest and the southern part of European taiga.