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Emission of Methane from Tree Stems in the Amazon Basin

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Emission of Methane from Tree Stems in the Amazon Basin Department of Thematic Studies Campus Norrköping Emission of methane from tree stems in the Amazon basin A study to investigate short temporal and spatial variability of methane emission of tree stems in the Amazon basin Lindgren, M. & Pehrson, I. Bachelor of Science Thesis, Environmental Science Programme, 2018 Linköpings universitet, Campus Norrköping, SE-601 74 Norrköping, Sweden Institution, Avdelning Department, Division Datum Tema Miljöförändring, Date Miljövetarprogrammet 2018-05-30 Department of Thematic Studies – Environmental change Environmental Science Programme Språk Rapporttyp ISBN Language Report category _____________________________________________________ ISRN LIU-TEMA/MV-C—18/11--SE Svenska/Swedish Licentiatavhandling _____________________________________________________________ Engelska/English Examensarbete ____ AB-uppsats ISSN C-uppsats _____________________________________________________________ D-uppsats ____ Övrig rapport Serietitel och serienummer Title of series, numbering URL för elektronisk version Handledare Tutor http://www.ep.liu.se/index.sv.html Dr. Alex Enrich-Prast Titel Title Emission of methane from tree stems in the Amazon basin A study to investigate short temporal and spatial variability of methane emission of tree stems in the Amazon basin Författare Author Ida Pehrson & Magdalena Lindgren Sammanfattning Det är välkänt att metan (CH4) släpps ut från jord, vatten och våtmarker i syrefattiga förhållanden från bakterien metanogenes. CH4 är en restprodukt av den anaerobiska respirationen som sker från bakterien metanogenes. Nyligen har studier visat att CH4 även släpps ut via träd och om bara utsläpp från jord och vatten mäts kommer mängden CH4 i ekosystemet bli underskattad. Gällande utsläppen från träd så har Amazonasregionen en stor inverkan på dessa utsläpp. För att undersöka om det behövs utveckling av metoderna då CH4 mäts från träd, är vårt syfte med denna studie att testa om mätningarna påverkades av rumsliga och tidsmässiga faktorer. Detta undersöktes under två säsonger, vid tre olika platser, i Amazonas avrinningsområde under 2017. Säsongerna undersöktes både var för sig och i en jämförelse mot varandra. Prover hämtades med hjälp av semi-hårda kammare som placerades på trädstammarna. Proverna blev sedan analyserade i laboratoriemiljö med hjälp av maskinen Los Gatos Ultraportable Greenhouse Gas Analyzer (UGGA). För att kunna genomföra statistisk analys av provresultaten användes icke- parametriska tester i och med att datan inte var normalfördelad. Resultatet för denna studie visar att det inte finns en signifikant statistisk tidsmässig skillnad inom någon av platser under de enskilda säsongerna men det finns en statistisk signifikant tidsmässig skillnad när de två olika säsongerna jämförs med varandra. Detta visar på att det är av vikt att ta prover under flera olika säsonger. Den rumsliga skillnaden för olika höjder på trädstammen är statistiskt signifikant under båda säsongerna. Det är av vikt att ta prover från flera höjder av trädstammarna oavsett när på året provtagningen genomförs. Abstract It is well known that methane (CH4) is emitted from soil, water and wetlands under anaerobic conditions through methanogenesis. CH4 is the final product of the anaerobic respiration of the microorganism methanogen. More recently, it has been shown that CH4 is also emitted by trees and if only the emissions from soil and water are measured the fluxes of CH4 in the ecosystem will be underestimated. Considering the emission from trees, the Amazon region greatly contributes to global emissions. To investigate if there is need for method development for measuring CH4 fluxes, the aim in this study was to statistically test the spatial and the short temporal variability of CH4 emissions from trees. This was done within and between two different seasons in three different plots in the Amazon basin during the year 2017. Samples of CH4 were collected using semi rigid chambers placed on tree stems. The samples were later analyzed in a laboratory environment using the Los Gatos Ultraportable Greenhouse Gas Analyzer (UGGA). For the statistical analysis non-parametric test were used, due to the non-parametric data. In this study, the result shows that the short temporal variability is not statistically significant in any of the three plots, but the short temporal variability is statistically significant between the two seasons. This tells us that it is of importance to collect samples during different seasons of the year when measuring CH4 emissions from trees. The spatial variability is statistically significant on all the three plots in both seasons. This tell us that it is important to collect samples from different heights of the tree stems when collecting CH4 samples regardless of the season. Nyckelord Keywords Methane, tree stems, greenhouse gas, gas exchange, carbon cycle, seasonally flooded forests, short temporal variability, spatial variability, Amazon basin. Abstract It is well known that methane (CH4) is emitted from soil, water and wetlands under anaerobic conditions through methanogenesis. CH4 is the final product of the anaerobic respiration of the microorganism methanogen. More recently, it has been shown that CH4 is also emitted by trees and if only the emissions from soil and water are measured the fluxes of CH4 in the ecosystem will be underestimated. Considering the emission from trees, the Amazon region greatly contributes to global emissions. To investigate if there is need for method development for measuring CH4 fluxes, the aim in this study was to statistically test the spatial and the short temporal variability of CH4 emissions from trees. This was done within and between two different seasons in three different plots in the Amazon basin during the year 2017. Samples of CH4 were collected using semi rigid chambers placed on tree stems. The samples were later analyzed in a laboratory environment using the Los Gatos Ultraportable Greenhouse Gas Analyzer (UGGA). For the statistical analysis non-parametric test were used, due to the non-parametric data. In this study, the result shows that the short temporal variability is not statistically significant in any of the three plots, but the short temporal variability is statistically significant between the two seasons. This tells us that it is of importance to collect samples during different seasons of the year when measuring CH4 emissions from trees. The spatial variability is statistically significant on all the three plots in both seasons. This tell us that it is important to collect samples from different heights of the tree stems when collecting CH4 samples regardless of the season. Sammanfattning Det är välkänt att metan (CH4) släpps ut från jord, vatten och våtmarker i syrefattiga förhållanden från bakterien metanogenes. CH4 är en restprodukt av den anaerobiska respirationen som sker från bakterien metanogenes. Nyligen har studier visat att CH4 även släpps ut via träd och om bara utsläpp från jord och vatten mäts kommer mängden CH4 i ekosystemet bli underskattad. Gällande utsläppen från träd så har Amazonasregionen en stor inverkan på dessa utsläpp. För att undersöka om det behövs utveckling av metoderna då CH4 mäts från träd, är vårt syfte med denna studie att testa om mätningarna påverkades av rumsliga och tidsmässiga faktorer. Detta undersöktes under två säsonger, vid tre olika platser, i Amazonas avrinningsområde under 2017. Säsongerna undersöktes både var för sig och i en jämförelse mot varandra. Prover hämtades med hjälp av semi-hårda kammare som placerades på trädstammarna. Proverna blev sedan analyserade i laboratoriemiljö med hjälp av maskinen Los Gatos Ultraportable Greenhouse Gas Analyzer (UGGA). För att kunna genomföra statistisk analys av provresultaten användes icke-parametriska tester i och med att datan inte var normalfördelad. Resultatet för denna studie visar att det inte finns en signifikant statistisk tidsmässig skillnad inom någon av platser under de enskilda säsongerna men det finns en statistisk signifikant tidsmässig skillnad när de två olika säsongerna jämförs med varandra. Detta visar på att det är av vikt att ta prover under flera olika säsonger. Den rumsliga skillnaden för olika höjder på trädstammen är statistiskt signifikant under båda säsongerna. Det är av vikt att ta prover från flera höjder av trädstammarna oavsett när på året provtagningen genomförs. Keywords Methane, tree stems, greenhouse gas, gas exchange, carbon cycle, seasonally flooded forests, short temporal variability, spatial variability, Amazon basin. Acknowledgements Laboratory of Biogeochemistry at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Dr. Alex Enrich-Prast Dr. Viviane Figueiredo Souza Tainá Stauffer Dr. Sunitha Pangala Per Sandén ÅForsk The project The Global Methane Budget is a project that has been measuring CH4 emissions from tree stems, soil and water in the Amazon basin during 2017 and 2018. Four different campaigns have been taken place during March/April 2017, June/July 2017, September/October 2017 and January 2018. We were in the field during the last campaign in January, but the data used for out study is from campaigns in March/April and September/October. The project is still ongoing, and the finale results are not completed. The project has the aim to up-scale the results to represent the CH4 fluxes from the whole Amazonas basin. Funding This project is funded by the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT). This international collaboration is also financed
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