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Methane emissions partially offset "blue carbon" burial in mangroves
Judith A Rosentreter1, Damien T Maher1,2, Dirk V Erler1
1Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia.
Science Advances
|June 22, 2018
Summary
Mangrove forests store atmospheric carbon dioxide ("blue carbon"), but methane emissions can offset this benefit. This study estimates that methane evasion partially offsets blue carbon burial by an average of 20%.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Climate Science
- Marine Biology
Background:
- Mangrove forests sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) through organic matter burial, a process termed "blue carbon."
- However, microbial metabolism of buried organic matter releases methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas.
- The global warming potential of CH4 can counteract the climate mitigation benefits of blue carbon storage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the global magnitude of methane evasion offsetting blue carbon burial in mangrove ecosystems.
- To quantify the impact of CH4 emissions on the net climate benefit of mangrove carbon sequestration.
- To highlight the importance of including CH4 emissions in blue carbon assessments.
Main Methods:
- The study synthesized data to estimate global CH4 evasion rates from mangrove sediments.
- Calculations were performed to determine the extent to which CH4 emissions offset CO2 removal via carbon burial.
- Sensitivity analyses were conducted using different global warming potentials for CH4.
Main Results:
- High methane evasion rates partially offset blue carbon burial rates in mangrove sediments.
- On average, CH4 emissions offset blue carbon burial by approximately 20% (range: 18–22%) when using the 20-year global warming potential.
- This offset indicates that the net climate benefit of mangroves may be lower than previously assumed.
Conclusions:
- Methane emissions from mangrove sediments significantly impact the net climate mitigation potential of blue carbon.
- Accurate blue carbon assessments must incorporate CH4 evasion to provide a comprehensive understanding of mangrove climate services.
- Further research is needed to refine estimates of CH4 fluxes and their global impact.
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