Effects of Using High Resolution Satellite‐Based Inundation Time Series to Estimate Methane Fluxes From Forested Wetlands

Abstract A major source of uncertainty in the global methane budget arises from quantifying the area of wetlands and other inland waters. This study addresses how the dynamics of surface water extent in forested wetlands affect the calculation of methane emissions. We used fine resolution satellite...

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Main Authors: Kelly L. Hondula, Ben DeVries, C. Nathan Jones, Margaret A. Palmer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-03-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL092556
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author Kelly L. Hondula
Ben DeVries
C. Nathan Jones
Margaret A. Palmer
author_facet Kelly L. Hondula
Ben DeVries
C. Nathan Jones
Margaret A. Palmer
author_sort Kelly L. Hondula
collection DOAJ
description Abstract A major source of uncertainty in the global methane budget arises from quantifying the area of wetlands and other inland waters. This study addresses how the dynamics of surface water extent in forested wetlands affect the calculation of methane emissions. We used fine resolution satellite imagery acquired at sub‐weekly intervals together with a semiempirical methane emissions model to estimate daily surface water extent and diffusive methane fluxes for a low‐relief wetland‐rich watershed. Comparisons of surface water model predictions to field measurements showed agreement with the magnitude of changes in water extent, including for wetlands with surface area less than 1,000 m2. Results of methane emission models showed that wetlands smaller than 1 hectare (10,000 m2) were responsible for a majority of emissions, and that considering dynamic inundation of forested wetlands resulted in 49%–62% lower emission totals compared to models using a single estimate for each wetland’s size.
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-79236e0752c0448f88b45f74bbd2ff1d2025-08-20T01:48:15ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072021-03-01486n/an/a10.1029/2021GL092556Effects of Using High Resolution Satellite‐Based Inundation Time Series to Estimate Methane Fluxes From Forested WetlandsKelly L. Hondula0Ben DeVries1C. Nathan Jones2Margaret A. Palmer3National Socio‐Environmental Synthesis Center University of Maryland College Park MD USADepartment of Geography, Environment and Geomatics University of Guelph Guelph ON CanadaDepartment of Biological Sciences University of Alabama Tuscaloosa AL USANational Socio‐Environmental Synthesis Center University of Maryland College Park MD USAAbstract A major source of uncertainty in the global methane budget arises from quantifying the area of wetlands and other inland waters. This study addresses how the dynamics of surface water extent in forested wetlands affect the calculation of methane emissions. We used fine resolution satellite imagery acquired at sub‐weekly intervals together with a semiempirical methane emissions model to estimate daily surface water extent and diffusive methane fluxes for a low‐relief wetland‐rich watershed. Comparisons of surface water model predictions to field measurements showed agreement with the magnitude of changes in water extent, including for wetlands with surface area less than 1,000 m2. Results of methane emission models showed that wetlands smaller than 1 hectare (10,000 m2) were responsible for a majority of emissions, and that considering dynamic inundation of forested wetlands resulted in 49%–62% lower emission totals compared to models using a single estimate for each wetland’s size.https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL092556forested wetlandsmethane emissionsremote sensingsurface water extent
spellingShingle Kelly L. Hondula
Ben DeVries
C. Nathan Jones
Margaret A. Palmer
Effects of Using High Resolution Satellite‐Based Inundation Time Series to Estimate Methane Fluxes From Forested Wetlands
Geophysical Research Letters
forested wetlands
methane emissions
remote sensing
surface water extent
title Effects of Using High Resolution Satellite‐Based Inundation Time Series to Estimate Methane Fluxes From Forested Wetlands
title_full Effects of Using High Resolution Satellite‐Based Inundation Time Series to Estimate Methane Fluxes From Forested Wetlands
title_fullStr Effects of Using High Resolution Satellite‐Based Inundation Time Series to Estimate Methane Fluxes From Forested Wetlands
title_full_unstemmed Effects of Using High Resolution Satellite‐Based Inundation Time Series to Estimate Methane Fluxes From Forested Wetlands
title_short Effects of Using High Resolution Satellite‐Based Inundation Time Series to Estimate Methane Fluxes From Forested Wetlands
title_sort effects of using high resolution satellite based inundation time series to estimate methane fluxes from forested wetlands
topic forested wetlands
methane emissions
remote sensing
surface water extent
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL092556
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