Trees as net sinks for methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the lowland tropical rain forest on volcanic Réunion Island

• DOI: 10.1111/nph.17002
• Publication Date: 2020-10-15T15:35:19Z
• Authors: Katerina Machacova; Libor Borak; Thomas Agyei; Thomas Schindler; Kaido Soosaar; Ülo Mander; Claudine Ah‐Peng
• Keywords: Sink (geography); Nitrous oxide

Summary Trees are known to emit methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O), with tropical wetland trees being considerable CH sources. Little is about especially N O exchange of growing in rain forests under nonflooded conditions. We determined stems six dominant tree species, cryptogamic stem covers, soils volcanic surfaces at the start rainy season a 400‐yr‐old lowland forest situated on basaltic lava flow (Réunion Island). aimed understand unknown role greenhouse gas fluxes these atypical flows. The studied were net sinks for atmospheric O, as cryptogams, which seemed be co‐responsible uptake. In contrast more commonly forests, soil previously unexplored consumed . Their negligible. Greenhouse uptake potential by cryptogams constitutes novel unique finding, thus showing that plants can serve not only emitters, but also consumers O. appears an important sink, well possible sink.