Biogeochemical and plant trait mechanisms drive enhanced methane emissions in response to whole-ecosystem warming
Abstract
Climate warming perturbs ecosystem carbon (C) cycling, causing both positive and negative feedbacks on greenhouse gas emissions. In 2016, we began a tidal marsh field experiment in two vegetation communities to investigate the mechanisms by which whole-ecosystem warming alters C gain, via plant-driven sequestration in soils, and C loss, primarily via methane (CH4) emissions. Here, we report the results from the first 4 years. As expected, warming of 5.1°C more than doubled CH4 emissions in both plant communities. We propose this was caused by a combination of four mechanisms: (i) a decrease in the proportion of CH4 consumed by CH4 oxidation, (ii) more C substrates available for methanogenesis, (iii) reduced competition between methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria, and (iv) indirect effects of plant traits. Plots dominated by Spartina patens consistently emitted more CH4 than plots dominated by Schoenoplectus americanus, indicating key differences in the roles these common wetland plants play in affecting anaerobic soil biogeochemistry and suggesting that plant composition can modulate coastal wetland responses to climate change.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Science Foundation (NSF); Smithsonian Institution
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1778410
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1774254
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0014413; SC0019110; DEB-155700; DEB-1457100; DEB-0950080
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Biogeosciences (Online)
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Biogeosciences (Online) Journal Volume: 18 Journal Issue: 8; Journal ID: ISSN 1726-4189
- Publisher:
- Copernicus GmbH
- Country of Publication:
- Germany
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; methane; coastal wetlands; climate change; warming
Citation Formats
Noyce, Genevieve L., and Megonigal, J. Patrick. Biogeochemical and plant trait mechanisms drive enhanced methane emissions in response to whole-ecosystem warming. Germany: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.5194/bg-18-2449-2021.
Noyce, Genevieve L., & Megonigal, J. Patrick. Biogeochemical and plant trait mechanisms drive enhanced methane emissions in response to whole-ecosystem warming. Germany. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2449-2021
Noyce, Genevieve L., and Megonigal, J. Patrick. Mon .
"Biogeochemical and plant trait mechanisms drive enhanced methane emissions in response to whole-ecosystem warming". Germany. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2449-2021.
@article{osti_1778410,
title = {Biogeochemical and plant trait mechanisms drive enhanced methane emissions in response to whole-ecosystem warming},
author = {Noyce, Genevieve L. and Megonigal, J. Patrick},
abstractNote = {Climate warming perturbs ecosystem carbon (C) cycling, causing both positive and negative feedbacks on greenhouse gas emissions. In 2016, we began a tidal marsh field experiment in two vegetation communities to investigate the mechanisms by which whole-ecosystem warming alters C gain, via plant-driven sequestration in soils, and C loss, primarily via methane (CH4) emissions. Here, we report the results from the first 4 years. As expected, warming of 5.1°C more than doubled CH4 emissions in both plant communities. We propose this was caused by a combination of four mechanisms: (i) a decrease in the proportion of CH4 consumed by CH4 oxidation, (ii) more C substrates available for methanogenesis, (iii) reduced competition between methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria, and (iv) indirect effects of plant traits. Plots dominated by Spartina patens consistently emitted more CH4 than plots dominated by Schoenoplectus americanus, indicating key differences in the roles these common wetland plants play in affecting anaerobic soil biogeochemistry and suggesting that plant composition can modulate coastal wetland responses to climate change.},
doi = {10.5194/bg-18-2449-2021},
journal = {Biogeosciences (Online)},
number = 8,
volume = 18,
place = {Germany},
year = {Mon Apr 19 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Mon Apr 19 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}
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