Research report 2006 - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics

Methane, Plants, and Climate

Authors
Keppler, Frank; Röckmann, Thomas
Departments
Atmosphärische Isotopenphysik (BMBF - AFO 2000)
MPI für Kernphysik, Heidelberg
Summary
Methane is the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. Biogenic methane was previously thought to solely occur in nature when organic material is decomposed by microorganisms and in the absence of oxygen. Recent work of the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics has shown that vegetation produces methane under aerobic conditions and releases it to the atmosphere.

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