Project leader(s)
Etienne Quivet - Julien Kammer
- Thesis title: LITOSMED
- Type of project: Research
- Event: 2022
The LITOSMED project studies emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), mainly biogenic (VBOCs), from plant litter in Mediterranean urban and forest environments. These compounds play an important role in tropospheric ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) training, affecting air quality and ecosystems.
Although "green" vegetation is frequently studied as a source of VOCs, litter, which represents a biomass of decaying leaves, is rarely addressed. Yet it is a significant source of VOCs, often overlooked, and could contribute to the training of AOS.
The objectives of the LITOSMED project are :
- Characterize the emissions of VOCBs from urban and forest litter, while assessing their degradation via ecological indicators.
- Study the capacity of these VOCBs to generate AOS by reacting with atmospheric oxidants.
These studies will be carried out in forest and urban environments in the Sud-PACA region, simulating different climate scenarios and taking into account the diversity of plant species. Research, conducted in collaboration with landscaping professionals, aims to improve the management of urban green spaces and air quality by taking into account the state of litter degradation.