At a long-term research site near Abisko in northern Sweden, Mats Björkman, researcher and BECC coordinator at University of Gothenburg, and colleagues have studied these processes for over 30 years. Their findings suggest that drier soils can increase methane uptake, and in some areas even shift ecosystems from sources to sinks of methane. While these results offer new insights into Arctic ecosystems, they do not change the bigger picture: reducing human greenhouse gas emissions remains essential.
Learn more
In the video above, Mats Björkman is interviewed abut the study and its results.
The study is published in Global Change Biology:
Increased CH4 Oxidation in Arctic Tundra Ecosystems Caused by Vegetation-Mediated Soil Drying