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Environmental conditions regulate the impact of plants on cloud formation

Author

Listed:
  • D. F. Zhao

    (Institute for Energy and Climate Research)

  • A. Buchholz

    (Institute for Energy and Climate Research
    Present address: Department of Applied Physics, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland)

  • R. Tillmann

    (Institute for Energy and Climate Research)

  • E. Kleist

    (Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-2)

  • C. Wu

    (Institute for Energy and Climate Research)

  • F. Rubach

    (Institute for Energy and Climate Research
    Present address: Department of Atmospheric Chemistry, Max-Planck-Institute for Chemistry, Mainz 55128, Germany)

  • A. Kiendler-Scharr

    (Institute for Energy and Climate Research)

  • Y. Rudich

    (Weizmann Institute of Science)

  • J. Wildt

    (Institute for Energy and Climate Research
    Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-2)

  • Th. F. Mentel

    (Institute for Energy and Climate Research)

Abstract

The terrestrial vegetation emits large amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOC) into the atmosphere, which on oxidation produce secondary organic aerosol (SOA). By acting as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), SOA influences cloud formation and climate. In a warming climate, changes in environmental factors can cause stresses to plants, inducing changes of the emitted VOC. These can modify particle size and composition. Here we report how induced emissions eventually affect CCN activity of SOA, a key parameter in cloud formation. For boreal forest tree species, insect infestation by aphids causes additional VOC emissions which modifies SOA composition thus hygroscopicity and CCN activity. Moderate heat increases the total amount of constitutive VOC, which has a minor effect on hygroscopicity, but affects CCN activity by increasing the particles’ size. The coupling of plant stresses, VOC composition and CCN activity points to an important impact of induced plant emissions on cloud formation and climate.

Suggested Citation

  • D. F. Zhao & A. Buchholz & R. Tillmann & E. Kleist & C. Wu & F. Rubach & A. Kiendler-Scharr & Y. Rudich & J. Wildt & Th. F. Mentel, 2017. "Environmental conditions regulate the impact of plants on cloud formation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-8, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms14067
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14067
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    Cited by:

    1. Pan Liao & Itay Maoz & Meng-Ling Shih & Ji Hee Lee & Xing-Qi Huang & John A. Morgan & Natalia Dudareva, 2023. "Emission of floral volatiles is facilitated by cell-wall non-specific lipid transfer proteins," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.

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