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Stable carbon isotope ratio of methyl chloride emitted from glasshouse‐grown tropical plants and its implication for the global methyl chloride budget
Author(s) -
Saito Takuya,
Yokouchi Yoko
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2007gl032736
Subject(s) - isotopes of carbon , chloride , carbon fibers , natural abundance , isotope , environmental chemistry , stable isotope ratio , biomass (ecology) , greenhouse gas , chemistry , total organic carbon , biology , agronomy , ecology , physics , materials science , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , composite number , composite material
Stable carbon isotope ratios of methyl chloride (CH 3 Cl) were measured in foliar emissions from 14 species of tropical plants growing in a glasshouse. The isotopic ratio of CH 3 Cl (arithmetic mean: −83.2 ± 15.2‰) ranged from −56‰ to −114‰; that from dipterocarp trees (−87.4 ± 12.3‰) was on average more depleted in 13 C than that from tree ferns (−61.9 ± 9.7‰). The isotopic ratio was lower than that of CH 3 Cl produced by other known sources (e.g., biomass burning and salt marshes), with the exception of that by dead leaves. Using the distinctive isotope ratio of CH 3 Cl emitted from tropical plants together with previously reported isotopic data of CH 3 Cl sources and sinks to an isotopic mass balance calculation, global CH 3 Cl emission by tropical plants was estimated to be approximately 1500–3000 Gg yr −1 with uncertainties of 30–60%, which could account for 30–50% of the global emission.