Wetlands are the largest natural source of methane to the atmosphere. In freshwater mineral-soil wetlands, about 30–90% of methane fluxes are mediated by plants through a reversal of mechanisms in place to transport oxygen into the roots as an adaptation to the predominantly anoxic conditions in wetland soils. The rates of methane transport by plants, regulated by photosynthesis and stomatal conductance, are highly variable and are not well represented in models due to a lack of observational data, leading to high variability in model results.
Credit: Jim West / Alamy Stock Photo
Jorge Villa from Ohio State University, USA, and colleagues investigate methane flux, plant-mediated methane transport and carbon uptake in three plant species (cattail, American lotus and water lily). They find that plant conductance of methane depends on the species as well as leaf area, and varies intra-seasonally. Although methane flux and CO2 uptake were correlated, this relationship cannot be generalized across plant functional types. Nevertheless, using species — distinguished based on whether gas transport is stomatal-controlled — could improve model predictions of wetland methane emissions.
Source: Ecology - nature.com
