Articles | Volume 23, issue 13
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-4893-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-4893-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
16 Jul 2026
Research article |
| 16 Jul 2026
| 16 Jul 2026
Are ghost forest trees a substantial source of methane from reservoirs?
Johannes Dittmann
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia
Damien T. Maher
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia
Scott G. Johnston
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia
Douglas R. Tait
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia
Paula Gomez-Alvarez
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia
Alistair Grinham
School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
Katrin Sturm
Seqwater, 117 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, QLD, 4305, Australia
Luke C. Jeffrey
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia
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Short summary
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The Pondi is a cost-effective, lightweight logger designed for long-term monitoring of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. It addresses key challenges in greenhouse gas monitoring by providing an automated, low-cost, solar-powered solution with cloud connectivity and real-time analytics. Its robust design enables deployment in diverse environmental conditions, supporting large-scale, high-resolution emission assessments.
Naima Iram, Emad Kavehei, Damien T. Maher, Stuart E. Bunn, Mehran Rezaei Rashti, Bahareh Shahrabi Farahani, and Maria Fernanda Adame
Biogeosciences, 18, 5085–5096, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5085-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5085-2021, 2021
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Greenhouse gas emissions were measured and compared from natural coastal wetlands and their converted agricultural lands across annual seasonal cycles in tropical Australia. Ponded pastures emitted ~ 200-fold-higher methane than any other tested land use type, suggesting the highest greenhouse gas mitigation potential and financial incentives by the restoration of ponded pastures to natural coastal wetlands.
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Short summary
Reservoir dead trees (‘ghost forests’) are an overlooked methane (CH4) source in standing freshwaters. We measured CH4 fluxes from 34 trees at multiple stem heights, alongside aquatic CH4 fluxes and physicochemistry, across two field campaigns. Ghost forest CH4 fluxes were highest near reservoir inflows, with tree CH4 contributing extra emissions of 14–15 % on top of the commonly quantified pathways of ebullition and diffusion.
Reservoir dead trees (‘ghost forests’) are an overlooked methane (CH4) source in standing...
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