Articles | Volume 22, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-305-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-305-2025
Research article
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15 Jan 2025
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 15 Jan 2025

Ensemble estimates of global wetland methane emissions over 2000–2020

Zhen Zhang, Benjamin Poulter, Joe R. Melton, William J. Riley, George H. Allen, David J. Beerling, Philippe Bousquet, Josep G. Canadell, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Philippe Ciais, Nicola Gedney, Peter O. Hopcroft, Akihiko Ito, Robert B. Jackson, Atul K. Jain, Katherine Jensen, Fortunat Joos, Thomas Kleinen, Sara H. Knox, Tingting Li, Xin Li, Xiangyu Liu, Kyle McDonald, Gavin McNicol, Paul A. Miller, Jurek Müller, Prabir K. Patra, Changhui Peng, Shushi Peng, Zhangcai Qin, Ryan M. Riggs, Marielle Saunois, Qing Sun, Hanqin Tian, Xiaoming Xu, Yuanzhi Yao, Yi Xi, Wenxin Zhang, Qing Zhu, Qiuan Zhu, and Qianlai Zhuang

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Cited articles

Arndt, K. A., Oechel, W. C., Goodrich, J. P., Bailey, B. A., Kalhori, A., Hashemi, J., Sweeney, C., and Zona, D.: Sensitivity of Methane Emissions to Later Soil Freezing in Arctic Tundra Ecosystems, J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 124, 2595–2609, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JG005242, 2019. 
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Bansal, S., Post van der Burg, M., Fern, R. R., Jones, J. W., Lo, R., McKenna, O. P., Tangen, B. A., Zhang, Z., and Gleason, R. A.: Large increases in methane emissions expected from North America's largest wetland complex, Sci. Adv., 9, eade1112, https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ade1112, 2023. 
Basso, L. S., Marani, L., Gatti, L. V., Miller, J. B., Gloor, M., Melack, J., Cassol, H. L. G., Tejada, G., Domingues, L. G., Arai, E., Sanchez, A. H., Corrêa, S. M., Anderson, L., Aragão, L. E. O. C., Correia, C. S. C., Crispim, S. P., and Neves, R. A. L.: Amazon methane budget derived from multi-year airborne observations highlights regional variations in emissions, Commun. Earth Environ., 2, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00314-4, 2021. 
Bastviken, D., Treat, C. C., Pangala, S. R., Gauci, V., Enrich-Prast, A., Karlson, M., Gålfalk, M., Romano, M. B., and Sawakuchi, H. O.: The importance of plants for methane emission at the ecosystem scale, Aquat. Bot., 184, 103596, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2022.103596, 2023. 
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Co-editor-in-chief
This paper provides a critical evaluation of decadal trends in wetland methane emissions, offering robust insights into how climate change is driving increases in this potent greenhouse gas. By utilizing an ensemble of sixteen models alongside ground-based measurements, the paper provides a robust quantification of emission trends and associated uncertainties. As an international collaboration, this work contributes a comprehensive analysis that not only quantifies recent trends but also identifies temperature as the primary driver, offering essential information for predicting and managing future methane feedbacks.
Short summary
This study assesses global methane emissions from wetlands between 2000 and 2020 using multiple models. We found that wetland emissions increased by 6–7 Tg CH4 yr-1 in the 2010s compared to the 2000s. Rising temperatures primarily drove this increase, while changes in precipitation and CO2 levels also played roles. Our findings highlight the importance of wetlands in the global methane budget and the need for continuous monitoring to understand their impact on climate change.
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