Quantification of VOC emission rates from the biosphere

Determining which volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are synthesized by plants and emitted into the atmosphere and at what rates is a critical component of our understanding of the Earth system, as is understanding how these emissions respond to environmental controls and how they may change in the future. Here, we review the methods used to sample biogenic VOC emissions, from the leaf scale to the regional scale, and focus on the challenges that this task presents.