Methane emissions from tree stems: a new frontier in the global carbon cycle

Josep Barba; Mark A. Bradford; Paul E. Brewer; Dan Bruhn; Kristofer Covey; Joost van Haren; J.  Patrick Megonigal; Teis Nørgaard Mikkelsen; Sunitha R. Pangala; Mari Pihlatie; Ben Poulter; Albert Rivas-Ubach; Christopher W. Schadt; Kazuhiko Terazawa; Daniel L. Warner; Zhen Zhang; Rodrigo Vargas

doi:10.1111/nph.15582

Methane emissions from tree stems: a new frontier in the global carbon cycle

Josep Barba, Mark A. Bradford, Paul E. Brewer, Dan Bruhn, Kristofer Covey, Joost van Haren, J. Patrick Megonigal, Teis Nørgaard Mikkelsen, Sunitha R. Pangala, Mari Pihlatie, Ben Poulter, Albert Rivas-Ubach, Christopher W. Schadt, Kazuhiko Terazawa, Daniel L. Warner, Zhen Zhang, Rodrigo Vargas

Integrative Microbiomics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

125 Scopus citations

Abstract

Tree stems from wetland, floodplain and upland forests can produce and emit methane (CH ₄ ). Tree CH ₄ stem emissions have high spatial and temporal variability, but there is no consensus on the biophysical mechanisms that drive stem CH ₄ production and emissions. Here, we summarize up to 30 opportunities and challenges for stem CH ₄ emissions research, which, when addressed, will improve estimates of the magnitudes, patterns and drivers of CH ₄ emissions and trace their potential origin. We identified the need: (1) for both long-term, high-frequency measurements of stem CH ₄ emissions to understand the fine-scale processes, alongside rapid large-scale measurements designed to understand the variability across individuals, species and ecosystems; (2) to identify microorganisms and biogeochemical pathways associated with CH ₄ production; and (3) to develop a mechanistic model including passive and active transport of CH ₄ from the soil–tree–atmosphere continuum. Addressing these challenges will help to constrain the magnitudes and patterns of CH ₄ emissions, and allow for the integration of pathways and mechanisms of CH ₄ production and emissions into process-based models. These advances will facilitate the upscaling of stem CH ₄ emissions to the ecosystem level and quantify the role of stem CH ₄ emissions for the local to global CH ₄ budget.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	18-28
Number of pages	11
Journal	New Phytologist
Volume	222
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15582
State	Published - Apr 2019

Funding

We acknowledge the feedback and comments from Zhi-Ping Wang while developing the manuscript and the insights from two anonymous reviewers. We also acknowledge support from Oak Spring Garden Foundation. RV acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation (grant 1652594). ZZ and BP acknowledge support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (grant GBMF5439). CWS acknowledges support from the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Sciences Office. JvH acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation (grants 1355066 and 1442152). MP thanks the Academy of Finland Research Fellow project (288494) and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement no. 757695). AR-U acknowledges Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), operated for the DOE by Battelle Memorial Institute under contract DE-AC06-76RL0. We acknowledge the feedback and comments from Zhi-Ping Wang while developing the manuscript and the insights from two anonymous reviewers. We also acknowledge support from Oak Spring Garden Foundation. RV acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation (grant 1652594). ZZ and BP acknowledge support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (grant GBMF5439). CWS acknowledges support from the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Sciences Office. JvH acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation (grants 1355066 and 1442152). MP thanks the Academy of Finland Research Fellow project (288494) and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement no. 757695). AR-U acknowledges Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), operated for the DOE by Battelle Memorial Institute under contract DE-AC06-76RL0.

Keywords

CH transport
methane emissions
methanogenesis
spatial variability
temporal variability
tree stems
upland forests
wetland forests

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10.1111/nph.15582

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Barba, J., Bradford, M. A., Brewer, P. E., Bruhn, D., Covey, K., van Haren, J., Megonigal, J. P., Mikkelsen, T. N., Pangala, S. R., Pihlatie, M., Poulter, B., Rivas-Ubach, A., Schadt, C. W., Terazawa, K., Warner, D. L., Zhang, Z., & Vargas, R. (2019). Methane emissions from tree stems: a new frontier in the global carbon cycle. New Phytologist, 222(1), 18-28. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15582

@article{6e5fdac21eba4c27bcd4bb2ac6344895,

title = "Methane emissions from tree stems: a new frontier in the global carbon cycle",

abstract = " Tree stems from wetland, floodplain and upland forests can produce and emit methane (CH 4 ). Tree CH 4 stem emissions have high spatial and temporal variability, but there is no consensus on the biophysical mechanisms that drive stem CH 4 production and emissions. Here, we summarize up to 30 opportunities and challenges for stem CH 4 emissions research, which, when addressed, will improve estimates of the magnitudes, patterns and drivers of CH 4 emissions and trace their potential origin. We identified the need: (1) for both long-term, high-frequency measurements of stem CH 4 emissions to understand the fine-scale processes, alongside rapid large-scale measurements designed to understand the variability across individuals, species and ecosystems; (2) to identify microorganisms and biogeochemical pathways associated with CH 4 production; and (3) to develop a mechanistic model including passive and active transport of CH 4 from the soil–tree–atmosphere continuum. Addressing these challenges will help to constrain the magnitudes and patterns of CH 4 emissions, and allow for the integration of pathways and mechanisms of CH 4 production and emissions into process-based models. These advances will facilitate the upscaling of stem CH 4 emissions to the ecosystem level and quantify the role of stem CH 4 emissions for the local to global CH 4 budget.",

keywords = "CH transport, methane emissions, methanogenesis, spatial variability, temporal variability, tree stems, upland forests, wetland forests",

author = "Josep Barba and Bradford, {Mark A.} and Brewer, {Paul E.} and Dan Bruhn and Kristofer Covey and {van Haren}, Joost and Megonigal, {J. Patrick} and Mikkelsen, {Teis N{\o}rgaard} and Pangala, {Sunitha R.} and Mari Pihlatie and Ben Poulter and Albert Rivas-Ubach and Schadt, {Christopher W.} and Kazuhiko Terazawa and Warner, {Daniel L.} and Zhen Zhang and Rodrigo Vargas",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 No claim to original US government works New Phytologist {\textcopyright} 2018 New Phytologist Trust",

year = "2019",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1111/nph.15582",

language = "English",

volume = "222",

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Barba, J, Bradford, MA, Brewer, PE, Bruhn, D, Covey, K, van Haren, J, Megonigal, JP, Mikkelsen, TN, Pangala, SR, Pihlatie, M, Poulter, B, Rivas-Ubach, A, Schadt, CW, Terazawa, K, Warner, DL, Zhang, Z & Vargas, R 2019, 'Methane emissions from tree stems: a new frontier in the global carbon cycle', New Phytologist, vol. 222, no. 1, pp. 18-28. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15582

TY - JOUR

T1 - Methane emissions from tree stems

T2 - a new frontier in the global carbon cycle

AU - Barba, Josep

AU - Bradford, Mark A.

AU - Brewer, Paul E.

AU - Bruhn, Dan

AU - Covey, Kristofer

AU - van Haren, Joost

AU - Megonigal, J. Patrick

AU - Mikkelsen, Teis Nørgaard

AU - Pangala, Sunitha R.

AU - Pihlatie, Mari

AU - Poulter, Ben

AU - Rivas-Ubach, Albert

AU - Schadt, Christopher W.

AU - Terazawa, Kazuhiko

AU - Warner, Daniel L.

AU - Zhang, Zhen

AU - Vargas, Rodrigo

PY - 2019/4

Y1 - 2019/4

N2 - Tree stems from wetland, floodplain and upland forests can produce and emit methane (CH 4 ). Tree CH 4 stem emissions have high spatial and temporal variability, but there is no consensus on the biophysical mechanisms that drive stem CH 4 production and emissions. Here, we summarize up to 30 opportunities and challenges for stem CH 4 emissions research, which, when addressed, will improve estimates of the magnitudes, patterns and drivers of CH 4 emissions and trace their potential origin. We identified the need: (1) for both long-term, high-frequency measurements of stem CH 4 emissions to understand the fine-scale processes, alongside rapid large-scale measurements designed to understand the variability across individuals, species and ecosystems; (2) to identify microorganisms and biogeochemical pathways associated with CH 4 production; and (3) to develop a mechanistic model including passive and active transport of CH 4 from the soil–tree–atmosphere continuum. Addressing these challenges will help to constrain the magnitudes and patterns of CH 4 emissions, and allow for the integration of pathways and mechanisms of CH 4 production and emissions into process-based models. These advances will facilitate the upscaling of stem CH 4 emissions to the ecosystem level and quantify the role of stem CH 4 emissions for the local to global CH 4 budget.

AB - Tree stems from wetland, floodplain and upland forests can produce and emit methane (CH 4 ). Tree CH 4 stem emissions have high spatial and temporal variability, but there is no consensus on the biophysical mechanisms that drive stem CH 4 production and emissions. Here, we summarize up to 30 opportunities and challenges for stem CH 4 emissions research, which, when addressed, will improve estimates of the magnitudes, patterns and drivers of CH 4 emissions and trace their potential origin. We identified the need: (1) for both long-term, high-frequency measurements of stem CH 4 emissions to understand the fine-scale processes, alongside rapid large-scale measurements designed to understand the variability across individuals, species and ecosystems; (2) to identify microorganisms and biogeochemical pathways associated with CH 4 production; and (3) to develop a mechanistic model including passive and active transport of CH 4 from the soil–tree–atmosphere continuum. Addressing these challenges will help to constrain the magnitudes and patterns of CH 4 emissions, and allow for the integration of pathways and mechanisms of CH 4 production and emissions into process-based models. These advances will facilitate the upscaling of stem CH 4 emissions to the ecosystem level and quantify the role of stem CH 4 emissions for the local to global CH 4 budget.

KW - CH transport

KW - methane emissions

KW - methanogenesis

KW - spatial variability

KW - temporal variability

KW - tree stems

KW - upland forests

KW - wetland forests

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U2 - 10.1111/nph.15582

DO - 10.1111/nph.15582

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AN - SCOPUS:85058848039

SN - 0028-646X

VL - 222

SP - 18

EP - 28

JO - New Phytologist

JF - New Phytologist

IS - 1

ER -

Methane emissions from tree stems: a new frontier in the global carbon cycle

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