Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) significantly impact air quality and climate. Mechanical injury is a common stressor affecting plants in both natural and urban environments, and it has potentially large influences on BVOC emissions. However, the interspecific variability in wounding-induced BVOC emissions remains poorly understood, particularly for subtropical trees and shrubs. In this study, we investigated the effects of controlled mechanical injury on isoprenoid and aromatic compound emissions in a taxonomically diverse set of 45 subtropical broad-leaved woody species, 26 species without and in 19 species with BVOC storage structures (oil glands, resin ducts and glandular trichomes for volatile compound storage). Emissions of light-weight non-stored isoprene and monoterpenes and aromatic compounds in non-storage species showed moderate and variable emission increases after mechanical injury, likely reflecting the wounding impacts on leaf physiology. In storage species, mechanical injury triggered a substantial release of monoterpenes and aromatic compounds due to the rupture of storage structures. Across species, the proportion of monoterpenes in total emissions increased from 40.9% to 85.4% after mechanical injury, with 32.2% of this increase attributed to newly released compounds not detected in emissions from intact leaves. Sesquiterpene emissions, in contrast, were generally low and decreased after mechanical injury. Furthermore, wounding responses varied among plant functional groups, with evergreen species and those adapted to high temperatures and shade exhibiting stronger damage-induced BVOC emissions than deciduous species and those adapted to dry or cold environments. These findings suggest that mechanical disturbances such as pruning can significantly enhance BVOC emissions in subtropical urban forests and should be considered when modeling BVOC fluxes in both natural and managed ecosystems. Further research is needed to elucidate the relationship between storage structure characteristics and BVOC emissions, as well as their broader ecological and atmospheric implications.

This study focuses on the development and optimization of a water removal device for biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) from plant emissions. BVOCs play a crucial role in various ecological processes and have potential therapeutic effects on human health. However, it is challenging to accurately detect and analyze BVOCs due to their very low concentrations and interference by water vapor. This study systematically evaluates different filler materials and ratios to alleviate water vapor interference while maintaining BVOCs’ integrity. The experimental results demonstrate that the combination of MgSO₄ + Na₂SO₄ mixed filling and CuSO₄ layered filling in a 3:3:1 ratio can effectively improve the collection efficiency and detection accuracy of BVOCs. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of the device in improving the detection of volatile compounds in plant samples is also confirmed by the VOC verification experiments on Michelia maudiae and Cinnamomum camphora tree species after mechanical damage. The experimental results show that the device is effective in improving the detection of volatile compounds in plant samples. The findings provide a powerful technical means for exploring the role of BVOCs in environmental monitoring and scientific research.