The ecology of methane in streams and rivers: patterns, controls, and global significance

Stanley, Emily H.; Casson, Nora J.; Christel, Samuel T.; Crawford, Charles G.; Loken, Luke C.; Oliver, Samantha

doi:10.1890/15-1027.1

Cited by 165 publications

(358 citation statements)

References 178 publications

(272 reference statements)

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“…According to a recent metaanalysis, the dissolved methane concentration in headwater streams varies mainly between 0.1 and 1 µmol L −1 , with streams in temperate forests being at the lower end (Stanley et al, 2016). As the methane makes up only a small fraction of total C in comparison to the mean DIC concentration in the present study (500 µmol L −1 ), it can be assumed that methane makes a rather small contribution to the catchmentscale C balance.…”

Section: Uncertainty Analysismentioning

confidence: 48%

Regional-scale lateral carbon transport and CO<sub>2</sub> evasion in temperate stream catchments

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Inland waters play an important role in regional to global-scale carbon cycling by transporting, processing and emitting substantial amounts of carbon, which originate mainly from their catchments. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between terrestrial net primary production (NPP) and the rate at which carbon is exported from the catchments in a temperate stream network. The analysis included more than 200 catchment areas in southwest Germany, ranging in size from 0.8 to 889 km 2 for which CO 2 evasion from stream surfaces and downstream transport with stream discharge were estimated from water quality monitoring data, while NPP in the catchments was obtained from a global data set based on remote sensing. We found that on average 13.9 g C m −2 yr −1 (corresponding to 2.7 % of terrestrial NPP) are exported from the catchments by streams and rivers, in which both CO 2 evasion and downstream transport contributed about equally to this flux. The average carbon fluxes in the catchments of the study area resembled global and large-scale zonal mean values in many respects, including NPP, stream evasion and the carbon export per catchment area in the fluvial network. A review of existing studies on aquatic-terrestrial coupling in the carbon cycle suggests that the carbon export per catchment area varies in a relatively narrow range, despite a broad range of different spatial scales and hydrological characteristics of the study regions.

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Section: Uncertainty Analysismentioning

confidence: 48%

Regional-scale lateral carbon transport and CO<sub>2</sub> evasion in temperate stream catchments

et al. 2017

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“…In the global meta-analysis of riverine CH 4 by Stanley et al (2016) (not shown), as N 2 O and CH 4 (Fig. 6).…”

Section: Tablementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Inland waters are important players in the global budgets of longlived green-house gases (GHGs), acting as vigorous sources to the atmosphere of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) (Raymond et al, 2013;Lauerwald et al, 2015;Borges et al, 2015a), methane (CH 4 ) (Bastviken et al, 2011;Borges et al, 2015a;Stanley et al, 2016), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) (Seitzinger and Kroeze, 1998;Hu et al, 2016). The largest fraction of global CO 2 and CH 4 emissions from riverine networks occurs at tropical and sub-tropical latitudes (Bloom et al, 2010;Raymond et al, 2013;Lauerwald et al, 2015;Borges et al, 2015b) that are in general more pristine than their temperate counter-parts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of agricultural land use on fluvial carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide concentrations in a large European river, the Meuse (Belgium)

Borges

Darchambeau

Lambert

et al. 2018

Science of The Total Environment

146

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• Large data-set of CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O in the surface waters of the Meuse River We report a data-set of CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O concentrations in the surface waters of the Meuse river network in Belgium, obtained during four surveys covering 50 stations (summer 2013 and late winter 2013, 2014 and 2015), from yearly cycles in four rivers of variable size and catchment land cover, and from 111 groundwater samples. Surface waters of the Meuse river network were over-saturated in CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O with respect to atmospheric equilibrium, acting as sources of these greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, although the dissolved gases also showed marked seasonal and spatial variations. Seasonal variations were related to changes in freshwater discharge following the hydrological cycle, with highest concentrations of CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O during low water owing to a longer water residence time and lower currents (i.e. lower gas transfer velocities), both contributing to the accumulation of gases in the water column, combined with higher temperatures favourable to microbial processes. Inter-annual differences of discharge also led to differences in CH 4 and N 2 O that were higher in years with prolonged low water periods. Spatial variations were mostly due to differences in land cover over the catchments, with systems dominated by agriculture (croplands and pastures) having higher CO 2 , CH 4 , N 2 O levels than forested systems. This seemed to be related to higher levels of dissolved and particulate organic matter, as well as dissolved inorganic nitrogen in agriculture dominated systems compared to forested ones. Groundwater had very low CH 4 concentrations in the shallow and unconfined aquifers (mostly fractured limestones) of the Contents lists available at ScienceDirectScience of the Total Environment j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / s c i t o t e n vMeuse basin, hence, should not contribute significantly to the high CH 4 levels in surface riverine waters. Owing to high dissolved concentrations, groundwater could potentially transfer important quantities of CO 2 and N 2 O to surface waters of the Meuse basin, although this hypothesis remains to be tested.

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“…Thus, our methane concentrations fell well within the range reported for other Arctic river and coastal systems. A more detailed comparison with temperate and tropical environments is discussed below, in the context of the diffusive methane flux, as most reviews rely on methane emissions rather than on concentrations (Stanley et al, 2016; Ortiz-Llorente and AlvarezCobelas, 2012). Our classified water masses were separated by a strong pycnocline, so different parameters influenced the corresponding methane distributions.…”

Section: Methane Concentrationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methane distribution and oxidation around the Lena Delta in summer 2013

et al. 2017

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Abstract. The Lena River is one of the largest Russian rivers draining into the Laptev Sea. The predicted increases in global temperatures are expected to cause the permafrost areas surrounding the Lena Delta to melt at increasing rates. This melting will result in high amounts of methane reaching the waters of the Lena and the adjacent Laptev Sea. The only biological sink that can lower methane concentrations within this system is methane oxidation by methanotrophic bacteria. However, the polar estuary of the Lena River, due to its strong fluctuations in salinity and temperature, is a challenging environment for bacteria. We determined the activity and abundance of aerobic methanotrophic bacteria by a tracer method and by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction. We described the methanotrophic population with a molecular fingerprinting method (monooxygenase intergenic spacer analysis), as well as the methane distribution (via a headspace method) and other abiotic parameters, in the Lena Delta in September 2013.The median methane concentrations were 22 nmol L −1 for riverine water (salinity (S) < 5), 19 nmol L −1 for mixed water (5 < S < 20) and 28 nmol L −1 for polar water (S > 20). The Lena River was not the source of methane in surface water, and the methane concentrations of the bottom water were mainly influenced by the methane concentration in surface sediments. However, the bacterial populations of the riverine and polar waters showed similar methane oxidation rates (0.419 and 0.400 nmol L −1 d −1 ), despite a higher relative abundance of methanotrophs and a higher estimated diversity in the riverine water than in the polar water. The methane turnover times ranged from 167 days in mixed water and 91 days in riverine water to only 36 days in polar water. The environmental parameters influencing the methane oxidation rate and the methanotrophic population also differed between the water masses. We postulate the presence of a riverine methanotrophic population that is limited by sub-optimal temperatures and substrate concentrations and a polar methanotrophic population that is well adapted to the cold and methane-poor polar environment but limited by a lack of nitrogen. The diffusive methane flux into the atmosphere ranged from 4 to 163 µmol m 2 d −1 (median 24). The diffusive methane flux accounted for a loss of 8 % of the total methane inventory of the investigated area, whereas the methanotrophic bacteria consumed only 1 % of this methane inventory. Our results underscore the importance of measuring the methane oxidation activities in polar estuaries, and they indicate a population-level differentiation between riverine and polar water methanotrophs.

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The ecology of methane in streams and rivers: patterns, controls, and global significance

Cited by 165 publications

References 178 publications

Regional-scale lateral carbon transport and CO<sub>2</sub> evasion in temperate stream catchments

Regional-scale lateral carbon transport and CO<sub>2</sub> evasion in temperate stream catchments

Effects of agricultural land use on fluvial carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide concentrations in a large European river, the Meuse (Belgium)

Methane distribution and oxidation around the Lena Delta in summer 2013

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The ecology of methane in streams and rivers: patterns, controls, and global significance

Cited by 165 publications

References 178 publications

Regional-scale lateral carbon transport and CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; evasion in temperate stream catchments

Regional-scale lateral carbon transport and CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; evasion in temperate stream catchments

Effects of agricultural land use on fluvial carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide concentrations in a large European river, the Meuse (Belgium)

Methane distribution and oxidation around the Lena Delta in summer 2013

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Regional-scale lateral carbon transport and CO<sub>2</sub> evasion in temperate stream catchments

Regional-scale lateral carbon transport and CO<sub>2</sub> evasion in temperate stream catchments