We need to find out how much gasses plants, soil, fungi and bacteria emit into the atmosphere. The gases they release influence the planet's climate, and we know too little about them. On 19 June 2023, possibly the first research center in the world specializing in this area will open at the University of Copenhagen.
We are constantly surrounded by them. Though we cannot see or feel them, we can often catch their whiff. Volatile gases are emitted into the atmosphere by nearly everything around us - both by human creations and from nature itself: furniture, cosmetics, plants, fungi, bacteria - and even by our own bodies. These chemical compounds, which evaporate easily and mix with other things in the air, are collectively referred to as volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
In nature, all organisms produce VOCs and use them to communicate with each other and protect themselves from enemies by way of scent and chemistry. For example, leaf-eating insects cause plants to begin releasing VOCs that eventually repel the same insects. On the other hand, flowers make themselves irresistibly delicious to attract honeybees and ensure for their own pollination. In this way, organisms 'talk' to each other across ecosystems with the help of VOC gases.
