High methane concentrations in tidal salt marsh soils: Where does the methane go?

Capooci, Margaret; Seyfferth, Angelia L.; Tobias, Craig; Wozniak, Andrew S.; Hedgpeth, Alexandra; Bowen, Malique; Biddle, Jennifer F.; McFarlane, Karis J.; Vargas, Rodrigo

doi:10.1111/gcb.17050

Title: High methane concentrations in tidal salt marsh soils: Where does the methane go?

Journal Article · 30 November 2023 · Global Change Biology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17050 · OSTI ID:2228379

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University of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States)
University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry
Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Livermore California USA

Tidal salt marshes produce and emit CH₄. Therefore, it is critical to understand the biogeochemical controls that regulate CH₄ spatial and temporal dynamics in wetlands. The prevailing paradigm assumes that acetoclastic methanogenesis is the dominant pathway for CH₄ production, and higher salinity concentrations inhibit CH₄ production in salt marshes. Recent evidence shows that CH₄ is produced within salt marshes via methylotrophic methanogenesis, a process not inhibited by sulfate reduction. To further explore this conundrum, we performed measurements of soil–atmosphere CH₄ and CO₂ fluxes coupled with depth profiles of soil CH₄ and CO₂ pore water gas concentrations, stable and radioisotopes, pore water chemistry, and microbial community composition to assess CH₄ production and fate within a temperate tidal salt marsh. We found unexpectedly high CH₄ concentrations up to 145,000 μmol mol^-1 positively correlated with S^2- (salinity range: 6.6–14.5 ppt). Despite large CH₄ production within the soil, soil–atmosphere CH4 fluxes were low but with higher emissions and extreme variability during plant senescence (84.3 ± 684.4 nmol m^-2 s^-1). CH₄ and CO₂ within the soil pore water were produced from young carbon, with most Δ¹⁴C-CH₄ and Δ¹⁴C-CO₂ values at or above modern. We found evidence that CH₄ within soils was produced by methylotrophic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Several pathways exist after CH₄ is produced, including diffusion into the atmosphere, CH₄ oxidation, and lateral export to adjacent tidal creeks; the latter being the most likely dominant flux. Our findings demonstrate that CH₄ production and fluxes are biogeochemically heterogeneous, with multiple processes and pathways that can co-occur and vary in importance over the year. This study highlights the potential for high CH₄ production, the need to understand the underlying biogeochemical controls, and the challenges of evaluating CH₄ budgets and blue carbon in salt marshes.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Science Foundation (NSF)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344; SC0014664; NSF-1652594; SC0023099; SC0022185; NSF-1247394; DE‐AC52‐07NA27344; DE‐SC0022185; DE‐SC0023099

OSTI ID:: 2228379

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 2228776; OSTI ID: 2345980

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-850640; 1076880

Journal Information:: Global Change Biology, Vol. 30, Issue 1; ISSN 1354-1013

Publisher:: WileyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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