Impacts of Climate Change, Extreme Events, and Biotic Stress on Plant CO2 Exchange and Volatile Organic Compound Emissions: Experimental Evidence and Modelling Advances

PhD defence by Marta Contreras Serrano

Assessment Committee

Associate Professor Kathrin Rousk, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Professor Ülo Niinemets, Estonian University of Life Sciences
Senior lecturer Anne Bjorkman, University of Gothenburg

Supervisors

Professor Riikka Tiivi Mariisa Rinnan
Associate Professor Eva Rosenqvist
Tenure Track Adjunkt Jing Tang

Department

Department of Biology

Place

The defence is conducted as a hybrid defence.

To attend the defence in person:
Building: Building 1, Room: Auditorium A,
Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen

To attend the defence online:
Please follow the link to attend the defence online: https://ucph-ku.zoom.us/j/3217642598?pwd=MWlvNHZqNnU2T3BiNUVEd3g4MVIxUT09
MeetingID: 321 764 2598
Password: 562734

Email address to gain access to the thesis: marta.contreras@bio.ku.dk.
You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.
Recipients of copies of the thesis are not allowed to share or distribute it due to copyright compliance.

Short description of the thesis

Global temperatures are rising, while stressors such as heat waves, drought, and insect herbivory become more frequent. These changes affect plant CO₂ exchange and the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have key roles in atmospheric chemistry and climate. This thesis quantifies the effects of warming, heat waves, drought, and insect herbivory on plant CO₂ exchange and VOC emissions in tundra shrubs and subalpine forests. The results show that warming and stressors alter plant net CO₂ uptake and VOC emissions. Importantly, warming modifies plant responses to stressors in ways that cannot be predicted from individual drivers. By integrating measurements of CO₂ exchange and VOC emissions in response to multiple drivers, this thesis improves the representation of plant gas exchange in ecosystem models.