Wetlands play an important role in global warming by providing ideal conditions for the production and release of methane, a dominant heat-trapping gas. The investigators will study how global change impacts the roles of plants and microorganisms in determining the rise of methane emissions from wetlands. The project focuses on the concept that rising concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide are linked to increases in methane emissions. For the project, they propose that elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide increases plant productivity and the release of labile compounds from plant roots, thereby stimulating the growth and activity of methane-producing microbes. Furthermore, as increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide alter plant physical traits, such as increasing root and shoot size or volume, net methane emissions are likely to increase.
