Comprehensive estimation of beneficial biogenic volatile organic compounds components in Chinese forests using two complementary approaches

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), mainly emitted by forests, are important healthcare resources that contain a large number of beneficial components which have been neglected in previous studies. This study firstly identifies 99 beneficial BVOC components through literature review. Pioneering the application of two complementary approaches (G95 and MEGAN), we systematically quantify emissions of beneficial BVOCs from Chinese forests. The results show that the beneficial BVOCs and beneficial terpene resources emitted by China's forests are 3.67Tg and 2.91Tg respectively using the MEGAN and G95 methods. Monoterpenes are the main components of beneficial BVOCs, accounting for an average of 85.22 %, followed by sesquiterpenes and OVOCs. The corresponding main components are α-pinene, β-caryophyllene, and linalool. The areas with higher beneficial BVOC resources are mainly distributed in the southern forest areas and southwestern areas. The seasons with abundant beneficial BVOC resources are concentrated in summer, followed by autumn and spring, and the least in winter. The tree species with higher emissions include Cupressus funebris, Pinus massoniana, and Quercus. A comparison of two methods reveals that G95 method offers relatively comprehensive estimates of beneficial compounds in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, reflecting local emission characteristics. In contrast, although MEGAN method is less detailed in vegetation classification, its broader compound coverage helps to supplement the estimation of beneficial BVOCs, particularly OVOCs. This study facilitates to maximize the utilization of beneficial BVOC resources and provides data and theoretical support in fields such as biomedicine, forest health care, and landscape design.