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Methane Emission from a Tropical Wetland in Ka‘au Crater, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i
- Pacific Science
- University of Hawai'i Press
- Volume 64, Number 1, January 2010
- pp. 57-72
- Article
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Natural tropical wetlands constitute an important but still poorly studied source of atmospheric methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. We measured net methane emission, soil profiles of methane generation and oxidation, and related environmental parameters in a tropical wetland occupying the Ka‘au extinct volcanic crater on the Hawaiian island of O‘ahu. The wetland has a fluctuating water table with dynamics that can be reproduced using precipitation data and a simple model. Median net methane flux was 117 mg m−2 day−1 and is consistent with measurements at other tropical sites. Net methane flux in the