For the first time, a study has proven that tree bark in forests around the world is absorbing methane, a significant discovery in addressing climate change issues.
The research was conducted by a team of ecologists and climate scientists from the University of Birmingham (UK). They investigated the process of methane exchange in trees growing in well-drained land, which includes most forests worldwide.
It is estimated that trees can absorb about 25 – 50 million tons of methane in the atmosphere each year – (Photo: Getty Images).
The team measured the methane exchange process on hundreds of tree trunks in forests stretching from the Amazon to Panama, through Sweden and near Oxford, England. They were surprised to discover that trees absorb methane from the atmosphere and this process of methane removal intensifies as they rise higher up the trunk, according to ScienceAlert on July 25.
Subsequently, the team used ground-based laser scanning technology to calculate the total area of tree bark globally, considering even the smallest branches. They found that if flattened, the area of tree bark would cover the entire surface of the Earth, indicating it is a vast surface for absorbing greenhouse gases.
The team estimates that each year, trees can absorb approximately 25 – 50 million tons of methane in the atmosphere, most of which comes from tropical forests. However, forest areas are shrinking due to deforestation— a change that could affect the amount of methane in the atmosphere.
Decarbonizing the global energy system and economy is a crucial pathway to address climate change, but the methane absorption by tree bark also opens up another nature-based approach to climate solutions.
Methane contributes about one-third of the observed global warming since pre-industrial times. Over the past 20 years, methane concentrations in the atmosphere have rapidly increased. This is problematic for Earth’s climate because methane retains heat much more effectively in the atmosphere than the equivalent amount of CO2, although CO2 can persist for hundreds of years in the atmosphere, while methane lasts only about 10 years.
This “short lifespan” means that any changes to the methane source or its removal from the atmosphere can have rapid impacts. If the removal process is enhanced, this could be a climate victory that helps mitigate the increasingly severe climate change.
