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- B22D-05: Methane Emissions Associated with Bald Cypress Knees Across the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley
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NOLA CC
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Melinda Martinez, U.S. Geological Survey (First Author)
Robert Bordelon, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Beth Middleton, U.S. Geological Survey (Presenting Author)
Jorge Villa, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Hojeong Kang, Yonsei University, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Inyoung Jang, National Institute of Ecology
Cypress knees are woody structures that grow from the roots of trees in wetland forests and release methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, but their role has not been well studied. This research measured methane emissions from individual knees across different climate and flooding conditions in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley. Using a portable gas analyzer and a custom-built chamber, we recorded methane fluxes and used a smartphone lidar scanner to create 3D models of the knees for size estimates. We found that knees released more methane when water levels and temperatures were higher, but less when knees were taller or when sites were drier. To estimate knee volume, a frustrum-shaped model closely matched lidar scans, while a cone shape often underestimated size. This study shows that smartphone-based lidar is a fast and affordable way to measure irregular structures. It also highlights that cypress knees could be important sources of methane in forested wetlands and that expanding sampling could help scientists better understand wetland greenhouse gas emissions and the broader carbon cycle. Overall, this work offers new tools and insights for studying hidden parts of wetland ecosystems that may have a bigger role in climate change than previously thought.
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