Global atmospheric methane uptake by upland tree woody surfaces

Vincent Gauci (), Sunitha Rao Pangala, Alexander Shenkin, Josep Barba, David Bastviken, Viviane Figueiredo, Carla Gomez, Alex Enrich-Prast, Emma Sayer, Tainá Stauffer, Bertie Welch, Dafydd Elias, Niall McNamara, Myles Allen and Yadvinder Malhi
Additional contact information
Vincent Gauci: University of Birmingham
Sunitha Rao Pangala: Lancaster University
Alexander Shenkin: Northern Arizona University
Josep Barba: University of Birmingham
David Bastviken: Linköping University
Viviane Figueiredo: Linköping University
Carla Gomez: The Open University
Alex Enrich-Prast: Linköping University
Emma Sayer: Lancaster University
Tainá Stauffer: University Federal of Rio de Janeiro
Bertie Welch: The Open University
Dafydd Elias: Lancaster Environment Centre
Niall McNamara: Lancaster Environment Centre
Myles Allen: University of Oxford
Yadvinder Malhi: University of Oxford

Nature, 2024, vol. 631, issue 8022, 796-800

Abstract: Abstract Methane is an important greenhouse gas1, but the role of trees in the methane budget remains uncertain2. Although it has been shown that wetland and some upland trees can emit soil-derived methane at the stem base3,4, it has also been suggested that upland trees can serve as a net sink for atmospheric methane5,6. Here we examine in situ woody surface methane exchange of upland tropical, temperate and boreal forest trees. We find that methane uptake on woody surfaces, in particular at and above about 2 m above the forest floor, can dominate the net ecosystem contribution of trees, resulting in a net tree methane sink. Stable carbon isotope measurement of methane in woody surface chamber air and process-level investigations on extracted wood cores are consistent with methanotrophy, suggesting a microbially mediated drawdown of methane on and in tree woody surfaces and tissues. By applying terrestrial laser scanning-derived allometry to quantify global forest tree woody surface area, a preliminary first estimate suggests that trees may contribute 24.6–49.9 Tg of atmospheric methane uptake globally. Our findings indicate that the climate benefits of tropical and temperate forest protection and reforestation may be greater than previously assumed.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07592-w

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