A statistical approach for estimating representative emission rates of 1 biogenic volatile organic compounds and their determination for 192 plant 2 species / genera in China 3

† These authors contributed equally 9 10 Abstract. To obtain more and accurate biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emission rates 11 for more plant species in China and further improve the accuracy of emission rates used in BVOC 12 emission inventories, we conducted field measurements and developed a statistical approach for 13 estimating representative emission rates. We performed field measurements of BVOC emissions from 14 50 plant species at nine locations in China using our established semi-static enclosure system. The 15 emissions of 102 VOCs, including isoprene, α-pinene, β-pinene, and other VOC species, were 16 analyzed with a custom-built online gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/flame ionization detector 17 system. From the results, broadleaf trees were the greatest potential emitters of isoprene, while 18 needle-leaf trees emitted more pinene. Shrubs had lower isoprene and pinene emission potentials, but 19 higher emission potentials for other VOCs. Methyl methacrylate, isopropylbenzene, isopentane, 20 acetone, ethane, propane, toluene, and xylene were the dominant species among other VOCs, 21 probably with high emission intensities. Therefore, their emissions should be considered in future 22 global and regional BVOC estimation studies. Next, we summarized our field measurements along 23 with reported emission rates from China and abroad. The emission intensity categories were produced 24 based on statistics, with more detailed categories, accurate emission rate intervals and representative 25 rates compared to previous studies. The results showed that the BVOC emission intensities of plants 26 displayed different categories, such as lowest, lower, low, moderate, high, higher, and highest. The 27 isoprene emission rate intervals and representative rates were: lowest, 0.08–0.11 and 0.1 μg C gdw -1 h 28