综述了国内外生物源挥发性有机化合物(Biological volatile organic compounds, BVOCs)研究现状及未来的研究方向，侧重介绍了陆地生态系统中植物排放BVOCs的种类、生物学功能及其对大气化学过程的影响。BVOCs按其化学结构以及在大气中的滞留时间可以分为4类：异戊二烯、单萜、其它活性BVOCs和其它次活性BVOCs。不同的植物类群排放不同的BVOCs种类并具有不同的排放特性，环境条件对植物不同BVOCs的排放影响也不同。BVOCs作为有机物质被排放到体外，从植物能量代谢的角度来讲要消耗一部分植物光合作用产物从而降低植物的生产力，因此推测植物排放BVOCs具有一定的生理学或者生态学的功能。其中比较成熟的假说是抗热胁迫假说，其次是抗氧化假说，也有一些其它假说例如促氮同化假说等。但这些假说都还缺乏直接的有力证据，有待更多的研究来支持。BVOCs被排放到大气中对大气化学过程的影响更是科学家关注的问题，BVOCs对大气的影响一方面是在大气对流层中促进臭氧(O3)的形成，造成环境污染，另一方面BVOCs通过对大气中的OH自由基和臭氧等氧化物浓度的调整而影响到大气中甲烷等温室气体的平衡，对大气温室效应具有间接的贡献。我国在BVOCs的研究上也做了大量的工作，包括分析鉴定了一些植物排放的BVOCs，探讨了环境因子对植物BVOCs排放速率的影响，从不同尺度估测了BVOCs的排放量等等。今后对BVOCs的研究将会集中在以下几个方面：1) 进一步研究不同植物类群释放的BVOCs种类及其它们在大气中的理化性质；2) 继续探讨植物排放BVOCs的合成与代谢途径及其生物学功能；3) 研究BVOCs对大气化学过程的作用，以及区域植被变化对BVOCs排放格局进而对区域乃至全球环境变化的影响； 4) 加强对一些研究比较薄弱的生态系统例如在热带地区所进行的BVOCs研究工作；5) 进一步建立和完善BVOCs排放的理论模型，以模拟不同陆地生态系统BVOCs排放的时空动态。
The classification, biological functions and the ecological roles in the atmospheric chemical processes of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted from plants of terrestrial ecosystems are summarized in this paper. BVOCs are grouped according to their structure and atmospheric lifetime into four categories: isoprenes, monoterpenes, other reactive BVOCs and other less reactive BVOCs. BVOCs are emitted from a diverse array of plants, and these emissions are affected by environmental factors and the chemical traits and synthesis mechanisms of different BVOCs. From a plant energetic standpoint, BVOC emissions may substantially reduce the amount of carbon that is fixed by vegetation and consequently may strongly affect plant productivity. Why plants give off such a relevant amount of resources is still a matter of debate. The most accepted opinion is the Thermotolerance Hypothesis, which states that isoprenes protect photosynthesis from damage caused by high leaf temperatures. Thylakoid membranes become leaky at moderately high temperatures, and isoprene could reside in thylakoid membranes for a time and enhance hydrophobic interactions. The second common hypothesis is that BVOCs serve as an antioxidant in leaves due to the rapid reaction of isoprenes with ozone and hydroxyl radicals. BVOCs play an important role in some ecological processes, such as deterring herbivores and attracting pollinators. More recently, isoprenes emitted by plants are thought to be associated with the enhancement of nitrogen assimilation from the atmosphere. This idea is based on the fact that early successional forest communities emit large amounts of isoprenes as a means for converting nitric oxide (NO) emitted by soils to available forms of nitrogen, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric acid (HNO3), and various organic nitrates in the canopy atmosphere, which are assimilated by plants. In spite of all these hypotheses, the biological function of BVOCs still is unclear due to the lack of direct evidence. BVOCs also play an important role in atmospheric chemical processes. In the presence of NOx, BVOCs react in the atmosphere to form tropospheric ozone, an important pollutant in the atmosphere. These reactions may also cause a decrease in the concentration of the hydroxyl radical (OH) which could lead to the accumulation of methane and other greenhouse gases. A further consequence of these reactions is the formation of secondary organic aerosol particles, which has an influence on the regional climate as well as on the atmospheric environment. Compared with other areas, research on BVOCs in China is in its beginning state, but some basic work has been conducted. The work includes the identification of BVOCs emitted from some important plants and factors influencing their emission, BVOC flux at different scales and in various ecosystems, and ozone concentrations in some areas, which are thought to be related to BVOC emissions. In the future, research on BVOCs should focus on the following aspects: 1) BVOC surveys from different plant groups and their chemical and physical properties in the atmosphere; 2) The biosynthesis and metabolic mechanisms of BVOCs in plants; 3) The roles of BVOCs in plant-environment interactions; 4) Enhancement of the study of BVOCs in some unstudied regions, such as tropical Asia; and 5) Modeling of BVOCs.