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Temperate forest methane sink diminished by tree emissions.

Scott Pitz1,2, J Patrick Megonigal2

  • 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.

The New Phytologist
|April 4, 2017
PubMed
Summary
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Trees in temperate forests emit methane (CH4) from their stems, challenging the assumption that soils are the only CH4 exchange surface. These tree emissions can offset a portion of the soil

Area of Science:

  • Forest ecology
  • Biogeochemistry
  • Atmospheric science

Background:

  • Upland soils are recognized as significant methane (CH4) sinks, accounting for 4-10% of global budgets.
  • Historically, forest soils were considered the sole surface for CH4 exchange in upland forest ecosystems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and quantify methane (CH4) emissions from tree stems in a temperate upland forest.
  • To compare CH4 exchange rates between tree stems and adjacent soils.
  • To assess the impact of tree stem CH4 emissions on the overall forest CH4 budget.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized traditional static-chamber methods for CH4 flux measurements.
  • Employed a novel high-frequency, automated system for continuous CH4 monitoring.
  • Measured CH4 emissions from stems of dominant tree species and CH4 uptake by adjacent soils.
Keywords:
carbondiurnalfreely drained soilmethane (CH4)temperate foreststree stemsupland forests

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Main Results:

  • Tree stems emitted methane (CH4) at an average rate of 1.59 ± 0.88 μmol CH4 m⁻² stem h⁻¹.
  • Adjacent soils consumed CH4 at a rate of -4.52 ± 0.64 μmol CH4 m⁻² soil h⁻¹.
  • High-frequency data revealed diurnal patterns in tree stem CH4 emissions, potentially offsetting 1-6% of the soil CH4 sink during the growing season.

Conclusions:

  • Tree stems represent a previously underestimated source of methane (CH4) emissions in temperate upland forests.
  • The inclusion of tree stem emissions is crucial for accurate forest CH4 budget calculations.
  • Under certain conditions, tree stem emissions could shift the forest from a net CH4 sink to a temporary net source.