Life Sciences Commons^™

Wetland Invasion By Typha×Glauca Increases Soil Methane Emissions, Beth A. Lawrence, Shane Lishawa, Nancy Tuchman, Nia Hurst, Buck T. Castillo

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Wetland invasion by monotypic dominant plants can alter the physicochemical and biological properties of soils that affect methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. We examined the effects of Typha × glauca invasion on soil methane using laboratory incubation and controlled mesocosm experiments. Typha-invaded soils collected from three Midwestern (USA) wetlands had greater methane production potential during laboratory incubation than soils dominated by native wet meadow vegetation. Ten years post-invasion of native plant-dominated mesocosms, Typha increased methane emissions at least three-fold (native: 15.0 ± 10.5 mg CH₄-C m⁻² h⁻¹, median: 6.1 mg CH₄-C …