No evidence for substantial aerobic methane emission by terrestrial plants: a 13C-labelling approach

doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.02103.x

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Wiley InterScience

New Phytologist

Volume 175 Issue 1, Pages 29 - 35

Published Online: 27 Apr 2007

Published on behalf of the New Phytologist Trust

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No evidence for substantial aerobic methane emission by terrestrial plants: a ¹³C-labelling approach

Tom A. Dueck ¹ , Ries de Visser ² , Hendrik Poorter ³ , Stefan Persijn ⁴ , Antonie Gorissen ² , Willem de Visser ¹ , Ad Schapendonk ⁵ , Jan Verhagen ¹ , Jan Snel ¹ , Frans J. M. Harren ⁴ , Anthony K. Y. Ngai ⁴ , Francel Verstappen ¹ , Harro Bouwmeester ¹ , Laurentius A. C. J. Voesenek ³ and Adrie van der Werf ¹

¹ Plant Research International, PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands; ² IsoLife, PO Box 349, 6700 AH, Wageningen, the Netherlands; ³ Plant Ecophysiology, Utrecht University, PO Box 800.84, 3508 TB, Utrecht, the Netherlands; ⁴ Molecular & Laser Physics, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, the Netherlands; ⁵ Plant Dynamics, Englaan 8, 6703 EW, Wageningen, the Netherlands

Author for correspondence:Tom A. Dueck
Tel:+31 317475918
Fax:+31 317423110
Email: tom.dueck@wur.nl

KEYWORDS

¹³C-labelling • climate change • methane emission.

New Phytologist (2007) 175: 29–35

No claim to original Dutch government works. Journal compilation ©New Phytologist (2007)

doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.02103.x

ABSTRACT

•
The results of a single publication stating that terrestrial plants emit methane has sparked a discussion in several scientific journals, but an independent test has not yet been performed.
•
Here it is shown, with the use of the stable isotope ¹³C and a laser-based measuring technique, that there is no evidence for substantial aerobic methane emission by terrestrial plants, maximally 0.3% (0.4 ng g⁻¹ h⁻¹) of the previously published values.
•
Data presented here indicate that the contribution of terrestrial plants to global methane emission is very small at best.
•
Therefore, a revision of carbon sequestration accounting practices based on the earlier reported contribution of methane from terrestrial vegetation is redundant.