Strong correlation between isoprene emission and gross photosynthetic capacity during leaf phenology of the tropical tree species Hymenaea courbaril with fundamental changes in volatile organic compounds emission composition during early leaf development

A tropical species was found in the Amazon basin able to switch its terpenoid emission from isoprene to monoterpenes as a function of growth. Young leaves were found to emit hudge amounts of isoprene whereas old leaves were emitting monoterpenes. Both compounds were following a light and temeperature dependent algorithm. It is the first time that evidence of this behaviour has been collected in a tropical plant species.