- 1University of Leipzig, Institute of Biology, Johannisallee 21-23, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany (bhavana.valath_bhuan_das@uni-leipzig.de)
- 2Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, D-04318, Leipzig, Germany
- 3Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743, Jena, Germany
- 4German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstrasse 4, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany
Primary Biological Aerosols (PBAPs) or bioaerosols are airborne particles originating from biological sources that are directly emitted from the biosphere into the atmosphere. These include bacteria, archaea, viruses, pollen, fungal spores, and fragments of plants and animals (Després, 2012) PBAPs play a significant role in atmospheric processes, climate regulation, and human health, making it essential to investigate their sources, composition, and emission mechanisms.
Bioaerosols can be transported over short or long distances, influenced by factors such as atmospheric turbulence, and environmental conditions (Fröhlich-Nowoisky, 2016) However, the mixing of locally emitted particles with those transported over long distances complicates the accurate identification of their emission sources. This challenge hinders our ability to fully understand their real influence on the atmosphere and ecosystem of origin.
To better elucidate the exchange of particles between these interconnected systems, in this study we investigated the plant and soil litter composition of a temperate floodplain forest thanks to the Leipzig Canopy Crane facility, located in the Leipzig Auwald, along with the dynamics of bioparticles in the air between the spring and autumn seasons.
Relevant data were obtained through sequencing the samples. By comparing the sequences with their potential sources, we obtained temporal and source-specific variations in the bioaerosol community structure across the different months. In Bacteria there is an increase in the overall diversity from spring to autumn, similar seasonal variation is observed in the fungal population. Ascomycota, one of the more dominant groups in the microbial community, varies in abundance with seasonal shifts, being consistently more abundant in the air samples when compared to Basidiomycota which are more prevalent in source communities, likely contributed by their individual dispersion properties.
References-
- Després, V. R., Huffman, J., et al. (2012). Primary biological aerosol particles in the atmosphere: A review. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 64(0), 15598. https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v64i0.15598
- Fröhlich-Nowoisky, J., et al. (2016). Bioaerosols in the Earth system: Climate, health, and ecosystem interactions. Atmospheric Research, 182, 346–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2016.07.018
How to cite: Valath Bhuan Das, B., Herrmann, M., Michalzik, B., Dunker, S., and Sánchez-Parra, B.: In-depth analysis of the origin of Primary Biological Aerosol Particles in a temperate forest of Leipzig, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11035, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11035, 2025.
