Sources and sinks of methane and carbon dioxide exchanges in mountain forest in equatorial Africa

Abstract

Sources and sinks of methane were studied in the Mayombe forest, a tropical evergreen forest located in a mountainous region in central Africa. Important methane emissions, reaching 6×10 13 molecules/cm 2 /s, were measured in flooded lowlands where soil characteristics: pH and redox potential, favor the growth of methanogenic bacteria. However, basically, soils of this region constitute a sink of atmospheric methane with uptake rates ranging from 10 10 to 10 11 molecules/cm 2 /s. Methane emission from termite nests was also studied; it appeared to be a minor component of the methane budget. CH 4 concentrations were measured inside the forest and in the surrounding atmosphere, CO 2 being used as a qualitative tracer of air exchanges. In spite of intense but scattered and size‐limited sources this environment seems to be a net sink of atmospheric methane.