1. Trees as net sinks for methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the lowland tropical rain forest on volcanic Réunion Island
- Author
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Ülo Mander, Kaido Soosaar, Katerina Machacova, Claudine Ah-Peng, Libor Borak, Thomas Schindler, Thomas Agyei, Czech Academy of Sciences [Prague] (CAS), Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (GCRI), Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences [Tartu], University of Tartu, Peuplements végétaux et bioagresseurs en milieu tropical (UMR PVBMT), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université de La Réunion (UR)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), This research was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (17-18112Y), transnational Environmental Research Infrastructure (ENVRIplus) access supported by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 - Research and Innovation Action (H2020-INFRADEV-1-2014-1, Grant Agreement: 654182), SustES - Adaptation strategies for sustainable ecosystem services and food security under adverse environmental conditions (CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000797). Also, financial support was provided by the Estonian Research Council (PRG-352 and MOBERC20) and by the EU through the European Regional Development Fund (EcolChange Centre of Excellence). Logistical support was provided by the Feder project (DIVINES), Reunion National Park, Office National des Forets and OSU-Reunion., European Project: 654182,H2020,H2020-INFRADEV-1-2014-1,ENVRI PLUS(2015), and Global Change Research Centre (CzechGlobe)
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,0301 basic medicine ,Wet season ,tree stem ,Rainforest ,Physiology ,Nitrous Oxide ,cryptogams ,Wetland ,Plant Science ,basaltic lava flows ,Forests ,Atmospheric sciences ,01 natural sciences ,Methane ,Sink (geography) ,Trees ,soil ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,methane flux ,[SDV.BV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Vegetal Biology ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Full Paper ,tropical lowland rain forest ,Research ,15. Life on land ,Carbon Dioxide ,Full Papers ,nitrous oxide flux ,030104 developmental biology ,Volcano ,chemistry ,13. Climate action ,Greenhouse gas ,uptake ,Soil water ,Environmental science ,Reunion ,010606 plant biology & botany - Abstract
International audience; . Trees are known to emit methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), with tropical wetland trees being considerable CH4 sources. Little is known about CH4 and especially N2O exchange of trees growing in tropical rain forests under nonflooded conditions. . We determined CH4 and N2O exchange of stems of six dominant tree species, cryptogamic stem covers, soils and volcanic surfaces at the start of the rainy season in a 400-yr-old tropical lowland rain forest situated on a basaltic lava flow (R eunion Island). We aimed to understand the unknown role in greenhouse gas fluxes of these atypical tropical rain forests on basaltic lava flows. . The stems studied were net sinks for atmospheric CH4 and N2O, as were cryptogams, which seemed to be co-responsible for the stem uptake. In contrast with more commonly studied rain forests, the soil and previously unexplored volcanic surfaces consumed CH4. Their N2O fluxes were negligible. . Greenhouse gas uptake potential by trees and cryptogams constitutes a novel and unique finding, thus showing that plants can serve not only as emitters, but also as consumers of CH4 and N2O. The volcanic tropical lowland rain forest appears to be an important CH4 sink, as well as a possible N2O sink.
- Published
- 2020