Emission of reactive terpene compounds from orange orchards and their removal by within-canopy processes

VOC emission from orange orchards was determined in the framework of two field campaigns aimed at assessing the contribution of vegetation emissions to tropospheric ozone formation in the Valencia Citrus belt. Branch emission from different varieties of Citrus sinensis and Citrus Clementi was dominated by β‐caryophyllene during the summer period and by linalool during the blossoming season (April‐May). Large emission of D‐limonene from soil was also measured. Data collected with the enclosure technique were upscaled to determine canopy emission rates of terpene compounds. Values obtained were compared with fluxes measured by relaxed eddy accumulation. Substantial removal of β‐caryophyllene and linalool was detected during transport from the canopy into the atmospheric boundary layer. While within‐canopy removal of the sesquiterpene component was fully consistent with laboratory studies indicating the high reactivity of this compound with ozone, linalool losses were more difficult to explain. Although high canopy fluxes of acetone and acetaldehyde suggested linalool decomposition by gas‐phase reactivity, removal by heterogeneous chemistry seems the more likely explanation for the observed losses.