Articles | Volume 23, issue 18
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-6639-2026
© 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-23-6639-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
21 Sep 2026
Research article |
| 21 Sep 2026
| 21 Sep 2026
Plant belowground traits indicate increased plant-mediated methane transport along a peatland permafrost thaw gradient
Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
now at: Climate System Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Erik Palménin aukio 1, 00560 Helsinki, Finland
Samantha H. Bosman
Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Jeffrey P. Chanton
Department of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fl 32306, USA
Patrick Crill
Department of Geological Sciences and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Suzanne B. Hodgkins
Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
Jalisha Theanutti Kallingal
Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
Rachel M. Wilson
Department of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fl 32306, USA
Ruth Varner
Department of Geological Sciences and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
Department of Earth Sciences and Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
Avni Malhotra
Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard, Richland, WA, USA
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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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Revised manuscript accepted for ESSD
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Amey Tilak, Alina Premrov, Ruchita Ingle, Nigel Roulet, Benjamin R. K. Runkle, Matthew Saunders, Avni Malhotra, and Kenneth Byrne
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3852, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3852, 2024
Preprint archived
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For the future model users, 16 peatland and wetland models reviewed to identify individual model operational scale (spatial and temporal), stabilization timeframes of different carbon pools, model specific advantages and limitations, common and specific model driving inputs, critical inputs of individual models impacting CH4 plant mediated, CH4 diffusion and CH4 ebullition. Finally, we qualitatively ranked the process representations in each model for CH4 production, oxidation and transport.
Katherine E. O. Todd-Brown, Rose Z. Abramoff, Jeffrey Beem-Miller, Hava K. Blair, Stevan Earl, Kristen J. Frederick, Daniel R. Fuka, Mario Guevara Santamaria, Jennifer W. Harden, Katherine Heckman, Lillian J. Heran, James R. Holmquist, Alison M. Hoyt, David H. Klinges, David S. LeBauer, Avni Malhotra, Shelby C. McClelland, Lucas E. Nave, Katherine S. Rocci, Sean M. Schaeffer, Shane Stoner, Natasja van Gestel, Sophie F. von Fromm, and Marisa L. Younger
Biogeosciences, 19, 3505–3522, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3505-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3505-2022, 2022
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Research data are becoming increasingly available online with tantalizing possibilities for reanalysis. However harmonizing data from different sources remains challenging. Using the soils community as an example, we walked through the various strategies that researchers currently use to integrate datasets for reanalysis. We find that manual data transcription is still extremely common and that there is a critical need for community-supported informatics tools like vocabularies and ontologies.
Sparkle L. Malone, Youmi Oh, Kyle A. Arndt, George Burba, Roisin Commane, Alexandra R. Contosta, Jordan P. Goodrich, Henry W. Loescher, Gregory Starr, and Ruth K. Varner
Biogeosciences, 19, 2507–2522, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2507-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2507-2022, 2022
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To understand the CH4 flux potential of natural ecosystems and agricultural lands in the United States of America, a multi-scale CH4 observation network focused on CH4 flux rates, processes, and scaling methods is required. This can be achieved with a network of ground-based observations that are distributed based on climatic regions and land cover.
Shuang Ma, Lifen Jiang, Rachel M. Wilson, Jeff P. Chanton, Scott Bridgham, Shuli Niu, Colleen M. Iversen, Avni Malhotra, Jiang Jiang, Xingjie Lu, Yuanyuan Huang, Jason Keller, Xiaofeng Xu, Daniel M. Ricciuto, Paul J. Hanson, and Yiqi Luo
Biogeosciences, 19, 2245–2262, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2245-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2245-2022, 2022
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The relative ratio of wetland methane (CH4) emission pathways determines how much CH4 is oxidized before leaving the soil. We found an ebullition modeling approach that has a better performance in deep layer pore water CH4 concentration. We suggest using this approach in land surface models to accurately represent CH4 emission dynamics and response to climate change. Our results also highlight that both CH4 flux and belowground concentration data are important to constrain model parameters.
Mika Korkiakoski, Tiia Määttä, Krista Peltoniemi, Timo Penttilä, and Annalea Lohila
Biogeosciences, 19, 2025–2041, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2025-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2025-2022, 2022
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We measured CH4 fluxes and production and oxidation potentials from irrigated and non-irrigated podzolic soil in a boreal forest. CH4 sink was smaller at the irrigated site but did not cause CH4 emission, with one exception. We also showed that under laboratory conditions, not only wet conditions, but also fresh carbon, are needed to make podzolic soil into a CH4 source. Our study provides important data for improving the process models describing the upland soil CH4 dynamics.
David Olefeldt, Mikael Hovemyr, McKenzie A. Kuhn, David Bastviken, Theodore J. Bohn, John Connolly, Patrick Crill, Eugénie S. Euskirchen, Sarah A. Finkelstein, Hélène Genet, Guido Grosse, Lorna I. Harris, Liam Heffernan, Manuel Helbig, Gustaf Hugelius, Ryan Hutchins, Sari Juutinen, Mark J. Lara, Avni Malhotra, Kristen Manies, A. David McGuire, Susan M. Natali, Jonathan A. O'Donnell, Frans-Jan W. Parmentier, Aleksi Räsänen, Christina Schädel, Oliver Sonnentag, Maria Strack, Suzanne E. Tank, Claire Treat, Ruth K. Varner, Tarmo Virtanen, Rebecca K. Warren, and Jennifer D. Watts
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 5127–5149, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5127-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5127-2021, 2021
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Wetlands, lakes, and rivers are important sources of the greenhouse gas methane to the atmosphere. To understand current and future methane emissions from northern regions, we need maps that show the extent and distribution of specific types of wetlands, lakes, and rivers. The Boreal–Arctic Wetland and Lake Dataset (BAWLD) provides maps of five wetland types, seven lake types, and three river types for northern regions and will improve our ability to predict future methane emissions.
McKenzie A. Kuhn, Ruth K. Varner, David Bastviken, Patrick Crill, Sally MacIntyre, Merritt Turetsky, Katey Walter Anthony, Anthony D. McGuire, and David Olefeldt
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 5151–5189, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5151-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5151-2021, 2021
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Methane (CH4) emissions from the boreal–Arctic region are globally significant, but the current magnitude of annual emissions is not well defined. Here we present a dataset of surface CH4 fluxes from northern wetlands, lakes, and uplands that was built alongside a compatible land cover dataset, sharing the same classifications. We show CH4 fluxes can be split by broad land cover characteristics. The dataset is useful for comparison against new field data and model parameterization or validation.
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Short summary
Permafrost thaw can lead to vegetation shifts and higher methane (CH4) emissions in peatlands. However, plant belowground controls of these emissions are uncertain. We investigated how plant roots and rhizomes contribute to CH4 emissions along a peatland permafrost thaw gradient. We found that low herbaceous plant root tissue density and high rhizome surface area were associated with higher CH4 emissions. This indicated increased plant-mediated CH4 transport with thaw.
Permafrost thaw can lead to vegetation shifts and higher methane (CH4) emissions in peatlands....
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