Root oxygen mitigates methane fluxes in tropical peatlands
Tropical peatlands are a globally important source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Vegetation is critical in regulating fluxes, providing a conduit for emissions and regular carbon inputs. However, plant roots also release oxygen, which might mitigate methane efflux through oxidation prior to e...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2020-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab8495 |
| _version_ | 1797747469505789952 |
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| author | Nicholas T Girkin Christopher H Vane Benjamin L Turner Nicholas J Ostle Sofie Sjögersten |
| author_facet | Nicholas T Girkin Christopher H Vane Benjamin L Turner Nicholas J Ostle Sofie Sjögersten |
| author_sort | Nicholas T Girkin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tropical peatlands are a globally important source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Vegetation is critical in regulating fluxes, providing a conduit for emissions and regular carbon inputs. However, plant roots also release oxygen, which might mitigate methane efflux through oxidation prior to emission from the peat surface. Here we show, using in situ mesocosms, that root exclusion can reduce methane fluxes by a maximum of 92% depending on species, likely driven by the significant decrease in root inputs of oxygen and changes in the balance of methane transport pathways. Methanotroph abundance decreased with reduced oxygen input, demonstrating a likely mechanism for the observed response. These first methane oxidation estimates for a tropical peatland demonstrate that although plants provide an important pathway for methane loss, this can be balanced by the influence of root oxygen inputs that mitigate peat surface methane emissions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:52:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-94a4a22aa44449f8ad0d18d1469020ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:52:00Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-94a4a22aa44449f8ad0d18d1469020ba2023-08-09T15:07:27ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262020-01-0115606401310.1088/1748-9326/ab8495Root oxygen mitigates methane fluxes in tropical peatlandsNicholas T Girkin0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7562-5775Christopher H Vane1Benjamin L Turner2Nicholas J Ostle3Sofie Sjögersten4Soil and Agrifood Institute, Cranfield University , Cranfield MK43 0AL, United Kingdom; School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham , Nottingham NG7 2RD, United KingdomCentre for Environmental Geochemistry, British Geological Survey , Keyworth NG12 5GG, United KingdomSmithsonian Tropical Research Institute , Apartado, 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancon, PanamaLancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University , Lancaster LA1 4YQ, United KingdomSchool of Biosciences, University of Nottingham , Nottingham NG7 2RD, United KingdomTropical peatlands are a globally important source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Vegetation is critical in regulating fluxes, providing a conduit for emissions and regular carbon inputs. However, plant roots also release oxygen, which might mitigate methane efflux through oxidation prior to emission from the peat surface. Here we show, using in situ mesocosms, that root exclusion can reduce methane fluxes by a maximum of 92% depending on species, likely driven by the significant decrease in root inputs of oxygen and changes in the balance of methane transport pathways. Methanotroph abundance decreased with reduced oxygen input, demonstrating a likely mechanism for the observed response. These first methane oxidation estimates for a tropical peatland demonstrate that although plants provide an important pathway for methane loss, this can be balanced by the influence of root oxygen inputs that mitigate peat surface methane emissions.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab8495tropical peatoxygenmethanemethanogenesismethanotrophy |
| spellingShingle | Nicholas T Girkin Christopher H Vane Benjamin L Turner Nicholas J Ostle Sofie Sjögersten Root oxygen mitigates methane fluxes in tropical peatlands Environmental Research Letters tropical peat oxygen methane methanogenesis methanotrophy |
| title | Root oxygen mitigates methane fluxes in tropical peatlands |
| title_full | Root oxygen mitigates methane fluxes in tropical peatlands |
| title_fullStr | Root oxygen mitigates methane fluxes in tropical peatlands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Root oxygen mitigates methane fluxes in tropical peatlands |
| title_short | Root oxygen mitigates methane fluxes in tropical peatlands |
| title_sort | root oxygen mitigates methane fluxes in tropical peatlands |
| topic | tropical peat oxygen methane methanogenesis methanotrophy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab8495 |
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