The Accent-Vocbas Field Campaign on Biosphere-Atmosphere interaction in a Mediterranean ecosystem of Castelporziano (Rome): site characteristics, climatic and meteorological conditions, and eco-physiology of vegetation

The Accent-Vocbas Field Campaign on Biosphere-Atmosphere 189 the European Projects ACCENT and VOCBAS. The campaign was carried out in the Presidential estate of Castelporziano, a periurban park close to Rome. Former campaigns (eg BEMA) performed in Castelporziano inves- tigated the emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC). These campaigns focused on pseudosteppe and evergreen oak groves whereas the con- tribution of the largely biodiverse dune vegetation, a prominent component of the Mediterranean ecosystem, was overlooked. While specific aspects of the campaign will be discussed in companion papers, the general climatic and physiological aspects are presented here, together with information regarding BVOC emission from the most common plant species of the dune ecosystem