How Does Tree-Mediated Methane Emission Affect the Climate Mitigation Potential of Forests?

The production and uptake of methane in forests is poorly described and represents a central uncertainty in global methane budgets. The goal of this research is to quantify the magnitude of microbial methane production and uptake (i.e., oxidation) in trees, and their net effect on the greenhouse gas budget and carbon sequestration potential of forests. Proposed studies include gene expression tool development for the high-resolution tracking of in situ methane production and oxidation rates, and field-based studies in northeastern temperate forests to explore methane microbial metabolisms in a variety of tree species, tree tissues, and surrounding soils. Results from this collaborative work will fundamentally support new forest management approaches for mitigating methane emissions in a changing climate and improve the carbon accounting on which global climate models, carbon markets, and emission targets are based.