Methane Emissions From A Tidal Brackish Marsh On Maryland's Eastern Shore and the Factors Impacting Them

Abstract

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and may offset a significant portion of the carbon sequestration benefit of many brackish marshes. The objective of this study was to determine whether methane emissions varied across different hydrologic/vegetative communities within a tidal brackish marsh, and if so, what other variables varied with them. We sampled methane emissions from two brackish marshes using static flux chambers, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Additional data was collected from sampled marsh pore water, water level and soil temperature. We found that there was a significant difference in methane emissions between different hydrologic/vegetative communities. The results of this study help explain the factors that influence methane emissions in a tidal brackish marsh, and the vegetative communities therein; these factors could be used to develop models to better estimate methane emissions at the site-landscape level.