Soil methane oxidation in both dry and wet temperate eucalypt forests shows a near-identical relationship with soil air-filled porosity

Benedikt J Fest; Nina Hinko-Najera; Tim Wardlaw; David WT Griffith; Stephen J Livesley; Stefan K Arndt

Journal article

Soil methane oxidation in both dry and wet temperate eucalypt forests shows a near-identical relationship with soil air-filled porosity

Benedikt J Fest, Nina Hinko-Najera, Tim Wardlaw, David WT Griffith, Stephen J Livesley, Stefan K Arndt

Biogeosciences | Copernicus Publications | Published : 2017

DOI: 10.5194/bg-14-467-2017

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Abstract

Well-drained, aerated soils are important sinks for atmospheric methane (CH4) via the process of CH4 oxidation by methane-oxidising bacteria (MOB). This terrestrial CH4 sink may contribute towards climate change mitigation, but the impact of changing soil moisture and temperature regimes on CH4 uptake is not well understood in all ecosystems. Soils in temperate forest ecosystems are the greatest terrestrial CH4 sink globally. Under predicted climate change scenarios, temperate eucalypt forests in south-eastern Australia are predicted to experience rapid and extreme changes in rainfall patterns, temperatures and wild fires. To investigate the influence of environmental drivers on seasonal and..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Dr Nina Hinko-Najera Author

Prof Stephen Livesley Author

Prof Stefan Arndt Author

Related Projects (2)

MEGA-MOBILE ECOSYSTEM GAS-EXCHANGE ANALYSER FOR AUSTRALIAN LANDSCAPES

This Mobile Ecosystem Gas-exchange Analyser will be able to continuously monitor water, energy, carbon and nitrogen exchange in a multitude ..

Methane uptake of forest soils

This project will provide a detailed understanding of capacity of soils in Australia to sequester the greenhouse gas methane. It will identi..

Grants

Awarded by Australian Research Council (ARC)

Funding Acknowledgements

The study was supported by funding from the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) Australian Supersite Network, the TERN OzFlux Network, the Australian Research Council (ARC, grants LE0882936 and DP120101735) and the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Integrated Forest Ecosystem Research program. We would like to thank Julio Najera and student volunteers for assistance with site and instrument maintenance.