Emission of 2‐methyl‐3‐buten‐2‐ol by pines: A potentially large natural source of reactive carbon to the atmosphere

High rates of emission of 2‐methyl‐3‐buten‐2‐ol (MBO) were measured from needles of several pine species. Emissions of MBO in the light were 1 to 2 orders of magnitude higher than emissions of monoterpenes and, in contrast to monoterpene emissions from pines, were absent in the dark. MBO emissions were strongly dependent on incident light, behaving similarly to net photosynthesis. Emission rates of MBO increased exponentially with temperature up to approximately 35°C. Above approximately 42°C, emission rates declined rapidly. Emissions could be modeled using existing algorithms for isoprene emission. We propose that emissions of MBO from lodgepole and ponderosa pine are the primary source of high concentrations of this compound, averaging 1–3 ppbv, found in ambient air samples collected in Colorado at an isolated mountain site approximately 3050 m above sea level. Subsequent field studies in a ponderosa pine plantation in California confirmed high MBO emissions, which averaged 25 μg C g −1 h −1 for 1‐year‐old needles, corrected to 30°C and photon flux of 1000 μmol m −2 s −1 . A total of 34 pine species growing at Eddy Arboretum in Placerville, California, were investigated, of which 11 exhibited high emissions of MBO (>5 μg C g −1 h −1 ), and 6 emitted small but detectable amounts. All the emitting species are of North American origin, and most are restricted to western North America. These results indicate that MBO emissions from pines may constitute a significant source of reactive carbon and a significant source of acetone, to the atmosphere, particularly in the western United States.