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Methane fluxes in tidal marshes of the conterminous United States

Journal Article · · Global Change Biology
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17462· OSTI ID:2439804
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  1. Physics Department Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Barcelona Spain, Ecosystem Science Division, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California Berkeley California USA
  2. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater Maryland USA
  3. Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Oregon Eugene Oregon USA
  4. Department of Geography The University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada, Department of Geography McGill University Montreal Quebec Canada
  5. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois Chicago Chicago Illinois USA
  6. Department of Environmental Science and Technology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
  7. Earth System Science Stanford University Stanford California USA
  8. U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Mission Area Menlo Park California USA
  9. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences California State University East Bay, Hayward California USA
  10. Ecosystem Science Division, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California Berkeley California USA
  11. Department of Architecture &, Environmental Design Temple University Ambler Pennsylvania USA
  12. Department of Plant &, Soil Sciences University of Delaware Newark Delaware USA
  13. Department of Environmental Sciences University of California Riverside Riverside California USA
  14. Maryland Department of Natural Resources Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Annapolis Maryland USA
  15. Coastal Sciences Division Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Sequim Washington USA
  16. Ecosystems Center Marine Biological Laboratory Woods Hole Massachusetts USA, Department of Environmental Sciences University of Toledo Toledo Ohio USA
  17. Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
  18. Schmid College of Science and Technology Chapman University Orange California USA, Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences Claremont McKenna College Claremont California USA
  19. Department of Geological Sciences University of Missouri Columbia Missouri USA
  20. Botany Department, Faculty of Science Tanta University Tanta Egypt, Department of Environmental Science and Technology University of Maryland College Park Maryland USA
  21. U.S. Geological Survey Wetland and Aquatic Research Center Lafayette Louisiana USA
  22. Comite Resources Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
  23. Tierra Resources LLC Lafitte Louisiana USA
  24. Department of Biological Sciences University of Rhode Island Kingston Rhode Island USA
  25. Bryn Mawr College, Department of Biology Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania USA
  26. Institute of Landscape Ecology University of Münster Münster Germany
  27. Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia USA
  28. Earth and Environmental Science Dept Rutgers University Newark Newark New Jersey USA
  29. U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Woods Hole Massachusetts USA
  30. Department of Environmental Science Rowan University Glassboro New Jersey USA
  31. Department of Geography and the Environment Villanova University Villanova Pennsylvania USA
  32. Department of Biological Sciences Florida International University Miami Florida USA
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Abstract

Methane (CH 4 ) is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) with atmospheric concentrations that have nearly tripled since pre‐industrial times. Wetlands account for a large share of global CH 4 emissions, yet the magnitude and factors controlling CH 4 fluxes in tidal wetlands remain uncertain. We synthesized CH 4 flux data from 100 chamber and 9 eddy covariance (EC) sites across tidal marshes in the conterminous United States to assess controlling factors and improve predictions of CH 4 emissions. This effort included creating an open‐source database of chamber‐based GHG fluxes ( https://doi.org/10.25573/serc.14227085 ). Annual fluxes across chamber and EC sites averaged 26 ± 53 g CH 4 m −2  year −1 , with a median of 3.9 g CH 4 m −2  year −1 , and only 25% of sites exceeding 18 g CH 4 m −2  year −1 . The highest fluxes were observed at fresh‐oligohaline sites with daily maximum temperature normals (MATmax) above 25.6°C. These were followed by frequently inundated low and mid‐fresh‐oligohaline marshes with MATmax ≤25.6°C, and mesohaline sites with MATmax >19°C. Quantile regressions of paired chamber CH 4 flux and porewater biogeochemistry revealed that the 90th percentile of fluxes fell below 5 ± 3 nmol m −2  s −1 at sulfate concentrations >4.7 ± 0.6 mM, porewater salinity >21 ± 2 psu, or surface water salinity >15 ± 3 psu. Across sites, salinity was the dominant predictor of annual CH 4 fluxes, while within sites, temperature, gross primary productivity (GPP), and tidal height controlled variability at diel and seasonal scales. At the diel scale, GPP preceded temperature in importance for predicting CH 4 flux changes, while the opposite was observed at the seasonal scale. Water levels influenced the timing and pathway of diel CH 4 fluxes, with pulsed releases of stored CH 4 at low to rising tide. This study provides data and methods to improve tidal marsh CH 4 emission estimates, support blue carbon assessments, and refine national and global GHG inventories.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
2439804
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2484334
Journal Information:
Global Change Biology, Journal Name: Global Change Biology Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 30; ISSN 1354-1013
Publisher:
Wiley-BlackwellCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English

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