Plant specific emission pattern of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) from common plant species of Central India Tanzil Gaffar Malik & Triratnesh Gajbhiye & Sudhir Kumar Pandey Received: 6 October 2017 /Accepted: 26 September 2018 # Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018 Abstract In this study, we examined 49 representative plant species of the Achanakmar-Amarkantak Bio- sphere Reserve (AABR) forest of Central India for emission of a number of biogenic volatile organic com- pounds (BVOCs). The BVOCs emissions from seven plant species are reported here for the first time. The emission rates of different plant species were ranged from negligible to 80.6 ± 0.82 (μgg -1 h -1 ). Forty-seven plant species were found to emit isoprene and monoter- penes (23 high emitters , 12 moderate emitters, and 12 low emitters). Dalbergia sissoo showed the maximum total average volatile organic compound (TAVOC) emission rates (80.6 μgg -1 h -1 ). The percentage com- position of monoterpenes was also varied across differ- ent plant species. Alpha-pinene (α-pinene) was found as the most dominant monoterpene with about 41.40% of the total monoterpene emission. The highest emission range of α-pinene (7.8 μgg -1 h -1 ) was observed in Murraya koenigii. Carene was emitted only from two species (i.e., Mangifera indica and Terminalia tomentosa). When the emission rates of present study were compared to previous studies, there were consid- erable differences even for the same species. The study also reports the emission of BVOCs from Shorea robus- ta for the first time which is the most dominant plant species of the AABR (covering 60% of the total forest area). Keywords Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) . Total average volatile organic compounds (TAVOCs) . Isoprenes . Monoterpenes . Climate change Introduction A wide range of heterogeneous biogenic volatile organic compounds is emitted from plants. Vegetation is the main source of BVOCs with about 98% of total emis- sion (Guenther et al. 2000). According to an estimate, among BVOCs, 400–600-Tg carbon is emitted annually to the atmosphere in the form of isoprene emission (Ashworth et al. 2013; Laothawornkitkul et al. 2009). In addition to isoprene, vegetation also contributes a significant amount of monoterpenes. The emission of BVOCs has demonstrated a significant role in plant growth, reproduction, and defense mechanisms (Helmig et al. 2013; Penuelas and Staudt 2010). More- over, the composition of atmosphere alters the interac- tion of highly reactive BVOCs with the oxides of nitro- gen and other atmospheric radicals subsequently (Fares et al. 2011; Fehsenfeld et al. 1992), and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) which can contribute to cloud formation and precipitation, thereby affecting climate (Andreae and Crutzen 1997; Poschl et al. 2010). The emission of these BVOCs is projected to enhance in predicted climate change conditions. As such, these altered emission patterns of BVOCs can also lead to unprecedented consequences for the biosphere structure and functioning. Additionally, BVOC emission may represent a considerable loss of photosynthetically fixed carbon. Hence, they can exert a great influence Environ Monit Assess (2018) 190:631 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-7015-6 T. G. Malik : T. Gajbhiye : S. K. Pandey (*) Department of Botany, Guru Ghasidas Central University, Bilaspur, C.G. 495009, India e-mail: skpbhu@gmail.com