Tidal wetlands are extremely important environmentally, not only for the role of their ecosystems in conserving biodiversity, or the protection of erosion and promotions of fishing activity, but also because they contribute to the elimination of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and slow down the decomposition of organic material in soils which are humid and poor in oxygen.
Tidal wetlands are extremely important environmentally, not only for the role of their ecosystems in conserving biodiversity, or the protection of erosion and promotions of fishing activity, but also because they contribute to the elimination of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and slow down the decomposition of organic material in soils which are humid and poor in oxygen.
However, these conditions also promote the release of methane, a greenhouse gas that is significantly more powerful than carbon dioxide and have more potential to trap heat in the atmosphere. The effect of methane emissions counteract the effect of carbon dioxide sequestration so determining and predicting methane gas emissions in tidal wetlands with precision is essential for assessing the climate implications of the restoration or degradation of these natural environments.
A study led by a Ariane Arias-Ortiz of the UAB Department of Physics, and member of the Marine and Environmental Biogeosciences research group of ICTA-UAB, has analysed the data for methane fluxes in 109 tidal wetlands in the USA, focussing on factors such as climate, vegetation and the chemical composition of water trapped in the sediment. This is the first time that a such a large set o data on these emissions, together with a broad range of environmental and biogeochemical parameters has been made available to the entire scientific community in a standardised manner.
Read More: Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Photo Credit: Emphyrio via Pixabay
