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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands
Published on: January 31, 2025
No evidence for substantial aerobic methane emission by terrestrial plants: a 13C-labelling approach
Tom A Dueck1, Ries De Visser2, Hendrik Poorter3
1Plant Research International, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Abstract:
* The results of a single publication stating that terrestrial plants emit methane has sparked a discussion in several scientific journals, but an independent test has not yet been performed. * Here it is shown, with the use of the stable isotope (13)C and a laser-based measuring technique, that there is no evidence for substantial aerobic methane emission by terrestrial plants, maximally 0.3% (0.4 ng g(-1) h(-1)) of the previously published values. * Data presented here indicate that the contribution of terrestrial plants to global methane emission is very small at best. * Therefore, a revision of carbon sequestration accounting practices based on the earlier reported contribution of methane from terrestrial vegetation is redundant.
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