XVI International Botanical Congess
The production and emission of isoprene by plants provides the single largest source of reduced reactive compounds to the troposphere. It also represents a pathway for carbon loss from plants that can, under certain conditions, equal a substantial fraction of net photosynthesis. I present evidence for a hierarchy of production controls, from genetic to biogeochemical. I show that phylogenetic factors appear to be the most important in regulating isoprene emissions. I also demonstrate the role of biochemical, physiological, and ecological processes in regulating isoprene production and emission. Understanding the controls at each of these scales is essential for studying the adaptive significance of isoprene production and for developing predictive models of isoprene emission from plants to the atmosphere.