CO2 and CH4 fluxes from living and standing dead trees in Howland Research Forest, Maine USA, 2024

Methane (CH4) is the second-largest contributor to human-induced climate change, with significant uncertainties in its terrestrial sources and sinks. Tree stems, both living and dead, play crucial roles in forest ecosystem CH4 and carbon dioxide (CO2) flux dynamics, yet much remains unknown regarding the environmental drivers of fluxes.

We measured CH4 and CO2 fluxes from 51 living trees (Picea rubens, Tsuga canadensis, Acer rubrum) along an upland-to-wetland gradient at Howland Research Forest, a net annual sink of CH4, in Maine USA. We also measured CH4 and CO2 fluxes from six standing dead red spruce stems (snags). We measured fluxes every two weeks throughout the growing season (April to November 2024) and at three heights (for a subset of red spruce stems) to capture a range of environmental conditions.