Determinants of spatial variability of methane emissions from wet grasslands on peat soil

Methane (CH₄) emissions from soils, representing the consequence of CH₄ production, CH₄ consumption and CH₄ transport, are poorly characterised and show a large spatial variability. This study aimed to assess the determinants of field-scale spatial variability of CH₄ emissions from wet grasslands on peat soil. Mean CH₄ emission rates of a three-year experiment at 18 plots distributed over three sites in the nature preserve Nieuwkoopse Plassen on peat soil in the Netherlands were related to CH₄ production and CH₄ consumption capacities of soil layers, and to soil and vegetation characteristics. Spatial variability of CH₄ emissions and possible determining factors was high. Annual CH₄ emissions ranged from 3 to 37 g CH₄ m^–2 yr^–1. Coefficients of variation (CV) of CH₄ emissions were on average 37% among sites and 83% within sites. Most important determinants of spatial variability were CH₄ production capacity (average: 211 ng CH₄ g^–1 dry soil h^–1; CV: 131%) and aboveground biomass of sedges (Carex spp.) (average: 0.45 g dm^–2; CV: 127%) (P<0.01). Sedges may affect CH₄ emissions by stimulating CH₄ transport from anaerobic layers to the surface via their vascular system and/or by serving as substrate for methanogens. For extrapolation of CH₄ emissions to larger areas, best results will be obtained by using factors that are easy to determine, like vegetation.     

An ecological perspective on methane emissions from northern wetlands

Wetlands are significant sources of atmospheric methane, an important radiatively active ‘greenhouse’ gas that accounts for an estimated 12% of total greenhouse warming. Since global climate models predict the greatest temperature and precipitation changes at high latitudes, and as the largest areas of wetland (346 × 10⁶ha) are in the boreal and subarctic regions (40–70°N), recent research has focused on Identifying the factors that control methane emission from northern wetlands. Over the past few years, the database has expanded tremendously, and much progress has been made in understanding the environmental controls on methane emission at small spatial and temporal scales. However, we now need to broaden our understanding of regional differences in methane emission, ecological responses of northern wetlands to climate change, and the effect of other perturbations such as drainage and flooding.     

维管植物对自然湿地甲烷排放的影响

综合评述了维管植物在自然湿地甲烷产生、氧化、传输和排放过程中的作用。维管植物光合作用的产物是甲烷产生的主要碳源,植物根系的周转和碳物质的分泌为产甲烷细菌提供底物;维管植物根际氧化是甲烷氧化最主要的途径,在植物的生长期占到总氧化量的80%左右。植物传输O2的能力和根际O2的需求是影响根际氧化的主要因素;维管植物通气组织的传输促进了甲烷从土壤向大气的输送,但所采用的传输机制影响着气体的输送效率。此外,自然湿地甲烷排放的各个过程均受到维管植物形态和植被类型的影响。维管植物在甲烷排放中的作用可以部分解释自然湿地甲烷在排放的时间(季节性变化、日变化)和空间尺度上的差异。维管植物对于自然湿地甲烷排放具有指示意义,可以用于大尺度自然湿地甲烷排放量的估算。     

Rising plant‐mediated methane emissions from arctic wetlands

Plant‐mediated CH₄ flux is an important pathway for land–atmosphere CH₄ emissions, but the magnitude, timing, and environmental controls, spanning scales of space and time, remain poorly understood in arctic tundra wetlands, particularly under the long‐term effects of climate change. CH₄ fluxes were measured in situ during peak growing season for the dominant aquatic emergent plants in the Alaskan arctic coastal plain, Carex aquatilis and Arctophila fulva, to assess the magnitude and species‐specific controls on CH₄ flux. Plant biomass was a strong predictor of A. fulva CH₄ flux while water depth and thaw depth were copredictors for C. aquatilis CH₄ flux. We used plant and environmental data from 1971 to 1972 from the historic International Biological Program (IBP) research site near Barrow, Alaska, which we resampled in 2010–2013, to quantify changes in plant biomass and thaw depth, and used these to estimate species‐specific decadal‐scale changes in CH₄ fluxes. A ~60% increase in CH₄ flux was estimated from the observed plant biomass and thaw depth increases in tundra ponds over the past 40 years. Despite covering only ~5% of the landscape, we estimate that aquatic C. aquatilis and A. fulva account for two‐thirds of the total regional CH₄ flux of the Barrow Peninsula. The regionally observed increases in plant biomass and active layer thickening over the past 40 years not only have major implications for energy and water balance, but also have significantly altered land–atmosphere CH₄ emissions for this region, potentially acting as a positive feedback to climate warming.     

若尔盖高原湿地甲烷排放的时空异质性

集中于北美落基山高山湿地甲烷排放的零星报道远不能解析全球高山湿地甲烷源强. 因此,世界范围内其他区域高山湿地甲烷排放的研究对于合理估计全球高山湿地甲烷源强,意义重大.采用静态箱-气相色谱法,基于3种典型湿地类型的甲烷排放数据,认为若尔盖高原湿地生长季甲烷的平均排放量为4.69 mg CH4 m-2 h-1.同时根据2a数据,初步分析了甲烷通量及其对环境因素和生物因素的响应特征,结果表明:(1)甲烷排放昼夜变化具有双峰模式 (主峰出现在15:00,次峰出现在06:00),可由土壤温度以及植物气孔开启来解释.(2)若尔盖湿地甲烷排放季节动态较为典型,即在7月份或8月份出现排放高峰,冬季甲烷排放较少.生长季,对3类群落类型,表面温度与甲烷排放显著相关 (r2=0.55,P<0.05,n=30),地表水位和植物群落高度与甲烷排放相关性更为显著 (r2=0.32,0.61,P<0.01,n=30).分析认为该季节节律是由温度以及植物生长状况直接影响的,而水位则是使该节律发生波动的原因(高原气候).(3)群落尺度下,物候学上相当重要的两个时期,甲烷排放通量均有较高的空间变异 (植物生长高峰变异系数为38%,积雪融化高峰为61%).通过逐步回归线性分析,发现植物生长高峰期,地表水位和群落高度是影响甲烷排放空间差异的主要因素 (r2= 0.43,0.59,P<0.01,n=30).(4)景观尺度下,生长季,景观尺度下甲烷排放有较大的空间变异,湖滨湿地甲烷平排放量最高为11.95 mg CH4 m-2h-1,其次为宽谷湿地,其排放量为2 12 mg CH4 m-2h-1,河岸湿地表现为甲烷吸收,其吸收量为0.007 mg CH4 m-2h-1.地表水位、植物地上生物量以及植物高度能够很好地解释甲烷排放的景观差异.     

人工湿地植物种类及多样性对甲烷释放及功能基因丰度的影响

为了研究人工湿地处理中碳/氮水平的废水时植物种类及多样性对系统甲烷释放及功能基因丰度的影响,我们构建了实验尺度的人工湿地微宇宙实验系统。选取千屈菜(Lythrum salicaria L.)和海寿花(Pontederia cordata L.)2种人工湿地常用、景观效果好的植物,在系统中配置了单种处理和两物种混种处理。结果表明:千屈菜与海寿花混种系统的甲烷释放强度(8.78 mg CH_4 m~(-2) d~(-1))高于两物种单种系统的平均值(6.97 mg CH_4 m~(-2) d~(-1))(P0.001),同甲烷释放一样,混种系统的mcrA基因绝对丰度(977541.6 copies/g dw soil)也高于两物种单种系统的平均值(585146.8 copies/g dw soil),但混种系统的pmoA基因绝对丰度(326956.6 copies/g dw soil)低于两物种单种系统的平均值(1043616.0 copies/g dw soil)(P0.001)。此外,混种系统的微生物量、植物生物量高于两物种单种系统的平均值(P0.01),但出水铵态氮浓度低于两物种单种系统的平均值(P0.05),出水总有机碳浓度和硝态氮浓度在单混种系统间无显著差异(P0.05)。千屈菜单种系统和海寿花单种系统间的甲烷释放强度、pmoA基因绝对丰度、微生物量、植物生物量和出水铵态氮浓度存在显著差异(P0.05),但mcrA基因绝对丰度、出水总有机碳和硝态氮浓度无显著差异(P0.05)。为了达到人工湿地的高净化效率,需要将千屈菜与海寿花混合种植,但混合种植强化甲烷释放。通过植物种类和丰富度对各指标变异的解释度(ω~2)分析发现,植物种类对甲烷释放、pmoA基因绝对丰度、出水铵态氮的影响大于植物丰富度,但对mcrA基因绝对丰度的影响小于植物丰富度。     

Beaver population fluctuations and tropospheric methane emissions in boreal wetlands

Measurements of net methane flux were made during the 1988 ice-free season (May–October) at a beaver-meadow complex in northern Minnesota, USA. The site included upland boreal forest, sedge meadow, submerged aquatic plants, and the open water of a beaver pond. Annual fluxes were 8–11 g C/m² in the permanently wetted zones and 0.2–0.4 g C/m² at the occasionally inundated meadow and forest sites. These data, when coupled with long-term (46 yr) data on beaver (Castor canadensis) population size and habitat alteration, suggest that about 1% of the recent rise in atmospheric methane may be attributable to pond creation by beaver in North America.     

Methane emissions from wet grasslands on peat soil in a nature preserve

The area of wet grasslands on peat soil in the Netherlands is slowly increasing at the expense of drained, agriculturally used grasslands. This study aimed (i) to assess the contribution of wet grasslands on peat soil to methane (CH₄) emissions, and (ii) to explain differences among sites and between years in order to improve our understanding of controlling factors. For these purposes, a field study was conducted in the period 1994–1996 in the nature preserve Nieuwkoopse Plassen, which is a former peat mining and agricultural area. Net CH₄ emissions were measured weekly to monthly with vented closed flux chambers at three representative sites, and at ditches near these sites. Three-years average of CH₄ emissions was 7.9 g CH₄ m^–2 yr^–1 for Drie Berken Zudde, 13.3 for Koole, and 20.4 for Brampjesgat. Ditches near the sites emitted 4.2–22.5 g CH₄ m^–2 yr^–1. The time-course of CH₄ emissions for all experimental sites and years was fit with a multiple linear regression model with ground water level and soil temperature as independent variables. Lowering or raising the ground water level by 5 cm could decrease or increase CH₄ emissions by 30–50%. Therefore, ground water level management of these grasslands should be done with care.     

A synthesis of methane emissions from 71 northern,temperate, and subtropical wetlands

Wetlands are the largest natural source of atmospheric methane. Here, we assess controls on methane flux using a database of approximately 19 000 instantaneous measurements from 71 wetland sites located across subtropical, temperate, and northern high latitude regions. Our analyses confirm general controls on wetland methane emissions from soil temperature, water table, and vegetation, but also show that these relationships are modified depending on wetland type (bog, fen, or swamp), region (subarctic to temperate), and disturbance. Fen methane flux was more sensitive to vegetation and less sensitive to temperature than bog or swamp fluxes. The optimal water table for methane flux was consistently below the peat surface in bogs, close to the peat surface in poor fens, and above the peat surface in rich fens. However, the largest flux in bogs occurred when dry 30‐day averaged antecedent conditions were followed by wet conditions, while in fens and swamps, the largest flux occurred when both 30‐day averaged antecedent and current conditions were wet. Drained wetlands exhibited distinct characteristics, e.g. the absence of large flux following wet and warm conditions, suggesting that the same functional relationships between methane flux and environmental conditions cannot be used across pristine and disturbed wetlands. Together, our results suggest that water table and temperature are dominant controls on methane flux in pristine bogs and swamps, while other processes, such as vascular transport in pristine fens, have the potential to partially override the effect of these controls in other wetland types. Because wetland types vary in methane emissions and have distinct controls, these ecosystems need to be considered separately to yield reliable estimates of global wetland methane release.     

Effects of wetting and drying on methane emissions from ephemeral floodplain wetlands in south-eastern Australia

Four approaches were used to assess the effect ofinundation on methane emissions from floodplainwetlands in Victoria, Australia: (i) fieldobservations following natural rainfall events; (ii)experimental manipulation of water levels in smallfloodplain depressions; (iii) experimentalmanipulation of water levels in replicated mesocosms;and (iv) in vitro incubation of floodplainsediment under laboratory conditions. Raftery'sSwamp, a large (150 ha) wetland on the floodplain ofthe Goulburn River, became inundated in June 1993following autumn-winter rainfall. Methane emissionspeaked (1.7 ± 0.05 mmol m^-2 h^-1) somesix months later, and the methane content of sedimentgas bubbles reached 59% v/v, even though the positivesediment redox potentials (176 to 243 mV) indicatedthat sediments were only moderately reducing. Threesmall (< 1 ha) depressions on the floodplains of theRiver Murray and Kiewa River were inundated eithernaturally (by rain and/or overflow from nearby rivers)or artificially by flooding at specific times of year;emissions from these sites were usually negligibleafter flooding in autumn or winter. In contrast, theonset of methane emission was very rapid (within 3 to6 days) after the depressions had been flooded insummer, and the methane content of sediment gasbubbles could then reach 36% v/v. At their peak,emissions from the ephemeral wetlands were similar topeak emissions from permanent wetlands insouth-eastern Australia. Emissions from replicatedwetland mesocosms (4.5 m diameter, 0.9 m deep) werealways very small (<0.2 mmol m^-2 h^-1),regardless of time of flooding, water depths, orseason. In vitro incubation of wetland sedimentunder anaerobic conditions indicated a progressivedecrease in benthic methanogenesis with sedimentdesiccation and exposure to air. Ephemerallyinundated floodplain wetlands may be sites ofsignificant methane emission, especially over thesummer months. Moreover, the survival and rapidreactivation of methanogenic archaea after prolongeddrying of wetland sediments suggests thatmethanogenesis is possible even from re-wettedfloodplain environments that had earlier experiencedan extended dry phase.     

Methane emissions from freshwater riverine wetlands

To better understand methane emissions from freshwater riverine wetlands, seasonal and spatial patterns of methane emissions were measured over a 1-year period from created freshwater marshes and a river division oxbow, and at a river-floodplain edge (riverside) in central Ohio, USA. Plots were distributed from inflow to outflow and from shallow transition edges to deep water zones in the marshes and oxbow. Median values of CH₄ emissions ranged from 0.33 to 85.7 mg-CH₄-C m⁻² h⁻¹, at the riverside sites and 0.02-20.5 mg CH₄-C m⁻² h⁻¹ in the created marshes. The naturally colonizing marsh had more methane emissions (p = 0.047) than did the planted marsh, probably due to a history of higher net primary productivity in the former. A significant dry period and lower productivity in the oxbow may explain its low range of methane emissions of −0.04 to 0.09 mg CH₄-C m⁻² h⁻¹. There were significantly higher rates of methane emissions in deep water zones compared to transition zones in the created marshes. Overall CH₄ emissions had significant relationships with organic carbon and soil temperature and appear to depend on the hydroperiod and vegetation development. Riparian wetlands can be designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions while providing other ecosystem services.     

Carbon dioxide and methane emissions from interfluvial wetlands in the upper Negro River basin, Brazil

Extensive interfluvial wetlands occur in the upper Negro River basin (Brazil) and contain a mosaic of vegetation dominated by emergent grasses and sedges with patches of shrubs and palms. To characterize the release of carbon dioxide and methane from these habitats, diffusive and ebullitive emissions and transport through plant aerenchyma were measured monthly during 2005 in permanently and seasonally flooded areas. CO₂ emissions averaged 2193 mg C m^?2 day^?1. Methane was consumed in unflooded environments and emitted in flooded environments with average values of ?4.8 and 60 mg C m^?2 day^?1, respectively. Bubbles were emitted primarily during falling water periods when hydrostatic pressure at the sediment?Cwater interface declined. CO₂ and CH₄ emissions increased when dissolved O₂ decreased and vegetation was more abundant. Total area and seasonally varying flooded areas for two wetlands, located north and south of the Negro River, were determined through analysis of synthetic aperture radar and optical remotely sensed data. The combined areas of these two wetlands (3000 km²) emitted 1147 Gg C year^?1 as CO₂ and 31 Gg C year^?1 as CH₄. If these rates are extrapolated to the area occupied by hydromorphic soils in the upper Negro basin, 63 Tg C year^?1 of CO₂ and 1.7 Tg C year^?1 as CH₄ are estimated as the regional evasion to the atmosphere.     

湿地甲烷排放研究若干问题的探讨

甲烷是大气中最重要的温室气体之一,天然湿地是全球目前已知的最大排放源,每年向大气中排放的CH4约占全球CH4排放量的21％。本文就天然湿地甲烷排放研究的若干问题,包括研究方法、影响因素以及排放通量的时空变异性进行了探讨,最后对有关湿地甲烷排放模型进行了简单介绍,并对今后的研究方向提出了几点建议。     

Tropical wetlands: seasonal hydrologic pulsing,carbon sequestration,and methane emissions

This paper summarizes the importance of climate on tropical wetlands. Regional hydrology and carbon dynamics in many of these wetlands could shift with dramatic changes in these major carbon storages if the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) were to change in its annual patterns. The importance of seasonal pulsing hydrology on many tropical wetlands, which can be caused by watershed activities, orographic features, or monsoonal pulses from the ITCZ, is illustrated by both annual and 30-year patterns of hydrology in the Okavango Delta in southern Africa. Current studies on carbon biogeochemistry in Central America are attempting to determine the rates of carbon sequestration in tropical wetlands compared to temperate wetlands and the effects of hydrologic conditions on methane generation in these wetlands. Using the same field and lab techniques, we estimated that a humid tropical wetland in Costa Rica accumulated 255 g C m⁻² year⁻¹ in the past 42 years, 80% more than a similar temperate wetland in Ohio that accumulated 142 g C m⁻² year⁻¹ over the same period. Methane emissions averaged 1,080 mg-C m⁻² day⁻¹ in a seasonally pulsed wetland in western Costa Rica, a rate higher than methane emission rates measured over the same period from humid tropic wetlands in eastern Costa Rica (120–278 mg-C m⁻² day⁻¹). Tropical wetlands are often tuned to seasonal pulses of water caused by the seasonal movement of the ITCZ and are the most likely to be have higher fire frequency and changed methane emissions and carbon oxidation if the ITCZ were to change even slightly.     

A mesocosm study of the effect of restoration on methane (CH4) emissions from blanket peat

In a mesocosm study, we investigated the effect of different restoration methods on methane (CH₄) emissions from, and the global warming potential (GWP) of, blanket peat. The controlled laboratory study involved two distinct components: Experiment 1 focused on greenhouse gas exchanges from blocked drains (grips) and evaluated the effects of restoration method, water-level dynamics and climate on CH₄ emissions and GWP. Experiment 2 assessed the role of plant functional type (PFT) on CH₄ emissions from restored peat outside of the grip. A nine month meteorological simulation (April–December) was completed, testing five hypotheses across the two experiments. We found that the method of grip blocking/damming does make a difference with respect to CH₄ emissions and GWP. Of the methods considered, damming with no infill between the dams is preferred to either of the methods involving infilling (heather bale and re-profiling). GWP of all within-grip restoration outcomes was positive (i.e., indicating a net warming effect), and was not influenced by climate or water-level regime. PFT influences CH₄ emissions but not GWP in restored blanket bog. When considering radiative forcing, this finding suggests that it does not matter which PFT dominates a restored area. It is noted that the laboratory findings are, in some senses, preliminary because the experiments consider only a relatively short period immediately after restoration.     

不同土壤水分含量下高寒草地CH4释放的比较研究

2003年6月30日～9月4日,利用密闭箱-气相色谱法,对发育于不同水分状况下的灌丛草甸(GC)、矮嵩草草甸(AC)、藏嵩草草甸(ZC)和季节性湿地(SD)的CH4释放速率进行了比较研究.结果表明,观测期间,季节性湿地处于淹水状态,其它三种土壤平均水分含量分别为39.6%(GC)、38.4%(AC)、65.9%(ZC),而CH4平均释放速率分别为-0.031±0.030(GC)、-0.026±0.018(AC)、1.103±0.240(ZC)和6.922±4.598 mg·m-2·h-1(SD),随着土壤水分含量的增加,高寒草地土壤CH4释放由吸收转为排放,表现出与土壤湿度很好的一致性.矮嵩草草甸不同处理CH4吸收强度AC＜AJ＜AL,它们之间的差异除与土壤水分有关,还可能与处理引起的CH4传输途径不同有关.实验期间,矮嵩草草甸和灌丛草甸土壤-植物系统分别吸收CH438.69和46.13 mg·m-2,是大气温室气体CH4的弱汇,藏嵩草草甸和季节性湿地则是大气温室气体CH4的源,分别排放CH4 1.641和10.30 g·m-2.     

Net methane emissions from grazing sheep

Methane emissions from ruminant livestock are responsible for 45 % of New Zealand’s combined CO₂-equivalent greenhouse gas inventory, and arise principally from sheep. Using a flock of 6-month old sheep (20 ha^–1) grazing abundant pasture, we compare micrometeorological measurements of net methane emission rates with measurements from individual sheep based on a sulphur-hexafluoride tracer technique. Individual sheep emission rates were highly variable and averaged 19.5 ± 4.8 (SD) g CH₄ sheep^–1 d^–1, or 39 ± 9.6 mg CH₄ m^–2 d^–1 on an areal basis. Emission rates were poorly correlated with animal live weight or dry matter intake but represented an average dietary energy loss of 3.6%. Methane fluxes from the surface were determined as half hourly averages by a flux-gradient technique using temperature and methane gradients. Soil methane consumption was measured using chambers and found to be negligible (< 0.09 mg CH₄ m^–2 d^–1) in comparison with the animal contribution. Daily net emission rates averaged 46 mg m^–2 d^–1 and exhibited a broad peak in the early afternoon which corresponded with animal activity patterns. On average, net emisssion rates were 40% higher during the day than at night. Stable nocturnal conditions led to a separation of the micrometeorological measurements from the methane source and hence highly variable results. Based on two corroborating techniques, the average net methane emission rate was c. 43 mg CH₄ m^–2 d^–1 or 155 kg CH₄ ha^–1 y^–1.     

Effects of grassland management on the emission of methane from intensively managed grasslands on peat soil

Methane (CH4) is the most important greenhouse gas next to CO2 and as such it contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect. Peat soils are often considered as sources of CH4. Grasslands on the other hand are generally considered to be a net sink for atmospheric CH4. The aim of this study was twofold: (i) to quantify the net CH4 emission of intensively managed grasslands on peat soil in the Netherlands; and (ii) to assess the effects of grassland management, i.e. drainage, nitrogen (N) fertilization, and grazing versus mowing, on CH4 emission rates. Net CH4 emissions were measured weekly or biweekly for one year with vented closed flux chambers at two sites, one with a mean ground water level of 22 cm below surface and one with a mean ground water level of 42 cm. On each site there were three treatments: mowing without N application, mowing with N application, and grazing with N application. The dominating species was perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Net CH4 emissions were low, in general in the range of -0.2 to 0.2 mg CH4 m-2 d-1. In the relatively warm summer of 1994, consumption of atmospheric CH4 peaked at 0.4 mg m-2 d-1. On an annual basis, the sites were net consumers of atmospheric CH4. However, the consumption was small: 0.31 to 0.08 kg CH4 ha-1 yr-1. Effect of mean ground water level was significant, but small. There were no significant effects of withholding N fertilization for some years and grazing versus mowing on net CH4 emissions. We conclude that grassland management of intensively managed grasslands on peat soil is not a suitable tool for reducing net CH4 emissions.     

Interannual variation in methane emissions from tropical wetlands triggered by repeated El Niño Southern Oscillation

Methane (CH₄) emissions from tropical wetlands contribute 60%–80% of global natural wetland CH₄ emissions. Decreased wetland CH₄ emissions can act as a negative feedback mechanism for future climate warming and vice versa. The impact of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on CH₄ emissions from wetlands remains poorly quantified at both regional and global scales, and El Niño events are expected to become more severe based on climate models’ projections. We use a process‐based model of global wetland CH₄ emissions to investigate the impacts of the ENSO on CH₄ emissions in tropical wetlands for the period from 1950 to 2012. The results show that CH₄ emissions from tropical wetlands respond strongly to repeated ENSO events, with negative anomalies occurring during El Niño periods and with positive anomalies occurring during La Niña periods. An approximately 8‐month time lag was detected between tropical wetland CH₄ emissions and ENSO events, which was caused by the combined time lag effects of ENSO events on precipitation and temperature over tropical wetlands. The ENSO can explain 49% of interannual variations for tropical wetland CH₄ emissions. Furthermore, relative to neutral years, changes in temperature have much stronger effects on tropical wetland CH₄ emissions than the changes in precipitation during ENSO periods. The occurrence of several El Niño events contributed to a lower decadal mean growth rate in atmospheric CH₄ concentrations throughout the 1980s and 1990s and to stable atmospheric CH₄ concentrations from 1999 to 2006, resulting in negative feedback to global warming.