Journal article
Rapid bark-mediated tree stem methane transport occurs independently of the transpiration stream in Melaleuca quinquenervia
New Phytologist, Vol.242(1), pp.49-60
04/2024
PMID: 37984803
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Abstract
Tree stem methane emissions are important components of lowland forest methane budgets. The potential for species-specific behaviour among co-occurring lowland trees with contrasting bark characteristics has not been investigated. We compare bark-mediated methane transport in two common lowland species of contrasting bark characteristics (Melaleuca quinquenervia featuring spongy/layered bark with longitudinally continuous airspaces and Casuarina glauca featuring hard/dense common bark) through several manipulative experiments. First, the progressive cutting through M. quinquenervia bark layers caused exponential increases in methane fluxes (c. 3 orders of magnitude); however, sapwood-only fluxes were lower, suggesting that upward/axial methane transport occurs between bark layers. Second, concentrated methane pulse-injections into exposed M. quinquenervia bark, revealed rapid axial methane transport rates (1.42 mm s À1), which were further supported through laboratory-simulated experiments (1.41 mm s À1). Laboratory-simulated radial CH 4 diffusion rates (through bark) were c. 20-times slower. Finally, girdling M. quinquenervia stems caused a near-instantaneous decrease in methane flux immediately above the cut. By contrast, girdling C. glauca displayed persistent, though diminished, methane fluxes. Overall, the experiments revealed evidence for rapid 'between-bark' methane transport independent from the transpiration stream in M. quinquenervia, which facilitates diffusive axial transport from the rhizosphere and/or sapwood sources. This contrasts with the slower, radial 'through-bark' diffusive-dominated gas transportation in C. glauca.
Details
- Title
- Rapid bark-mediated tree stem methane transport occurs independently of the transpiration stream in Melaleuca quinquenervia
- Creators
- Luke C Jeffrey (Corresponding Author) - Southern Cross UniversityScott G Johnston (Author) - Southern Cross UniversityDouglas Robert Tait (Author) - Southern Cross UniversityJohannes Dittmann (Author) - Southern Cross UniversityDamien Troy Maher (Author) - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- New Phytologist, Vol.242(1), pp.49-60
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
- Grants
- Beyond burial: redefining the blue carbon paradigm, DP180101285, Australian Research CouncilTree-mediated methane fluxes: A new frontier in the global carbon cycle, DP210100096, Australian Research Council
- Grant note
- Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering Australian Research Council. Grant Numbers: DP180101285, DP210100096, LP160100061 Hermon Slade Foundation
- Identifiers
- 991013150413702368
- Copyright
- © 2023 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2023 New Phytologist Foundation This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License. Open access publishing facilitated by Southern Cross University, as part of the Wiley - Southern Cross University agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article