Methane Fluxes Dynamics

The main scientific goal of this DOE-funded project is to investigate the spatial and temporal carbon dynamics of a temperate bald cypress, mineral soil wetland, and an adjacent bottomland hardwood stand using a suite of measurements including new soil and tree (i.e., stem and “knee”) methane (CH₄) flux observations. This project is based on the premise that understanding methane fluxes in a temperate, forested wetland will advance mechanistic and model-ready science across a wide range of terrestrial-aquatic interface processes. The project design and activities will help to stimulate the adaptation of wetland ecosystems to a changing climate through better representations of the soil-vegetation interactions. By improving the understanding and modeling of CH₄ processes at bald cypress swamps, we will be able to improve our understanding of environmental controls and ecological processes in a hydrologically oscillating zone on CH₄ fluxes through our collection of new CH₄ measurements.