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Article: CO2 increase boosts methane emissions. (increasing carbon dioxide emissions causes plants to emit more methane) (Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- July 9, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Plants around the world can slow the buildup of carbon dioxide pollution by absorbing tons of this greenhouse gas. But this apparent blessing comes at a price. The fertilizing effects of carbon dioxide on plants can cause some regions to increase emissions of methane, an even more potent heat-trapping gas.
These conclusions emerge from a study of wetland plants performed at the Smithsonian Institution's Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Md. It suggests that wetlands and similar environments could be amplifying the greenhouse power of carbon dioxide gas, says John W.H. Dacey of the Woods Hole (Mass.) Oceanographic Institution. Dacey, Bert G. Drake of the ...