Enhanced methane emissions from tropical wetlands during the 2011 La Niña

Global responses of wetland methane emissions to extreme temperature and precipitation

As global warming continues, events of extreme heat or heavy precipitation will become more frequent, while events of extreme cold will become less so. How wetlands around the globe will react to these extreme events is unclear yet critical, because they are among the greatest natural sources of methane(CH4). Here we use seven indices of extreme climate and the rate of methane emission from global wetlands(WME) during 2000-2019 simulated by 12 published models as input data. Our analyses suggest that extreme cold (particularly extreme low temperatures) inhibits WME, whereas extreme heat (particularly extreme high temperatures) accelerates WME. Our results also suggest that daily precipitation >10 mm accelerates WME, while much higher daily precipitation levels can slow WME. The correlation of extreme high temperature and precipitation with rate of WME became stronger during the study period, while the correlation between extreme low temperature and WME rate became weaker.

Role of space station instruments for improving tropical carbon flux estimates using atmospheric data

The tropics is the nexus for many of the remaining gaps in our knowledge of environmental science, including the carbon cycle and atmospheric chemistry, with dire consequences for our ability to describe the Earth system response to a warming world. Difficulties associated with accessibility, coordinated funding models and economic instabilities preclude the establishment of a dense pan-tropical ground-based atmospheric measurement network that would otherwise help to describe the evolving state of tropical ecosystems and the associated biosphere-atmosphere fluxes on decadal timescales. The growing number of relevant sensors aboard sun-synchronous polar orbiters provide invaluable information over the remote tropics, but a large fraction of the data collected along their orbits is from higher latitudes. The International Space Station (ISS), which is in a low-inclination, precessing orbit, has already demonstrated value as a proving ground for Earth observing atmospheric sensors and as a testbed for new technology. Because low-inclination orbits spend more time collecting data over the tropics, we argue that the ISS and its successors, offer key opportunities to host new Earth-observing atmospheric sensors that can lead to a step change in our understanding of tropical carbon fluxes.

Network organization of the plant immune system: from pathogen perception to robust defense induction

The plant immune system has been explored essentially through the study of qualitative resistance, a simple form of immunity, and from a reductionist point of view. The recent identification of genes conferring quantitative disease resistance revealed a large array of functions, suggesting more complex mechanisms. In addition, thanks to the advent of high-throughput analyses and system approaches, our view of the immune system has become more integrative, revealing that plant immunity should rather be seen as a distributed and highly connected molecular network including diverse functions to optimize expression of plant defenses to pathogens. Here, we review the recent progress made to understand the network complexity of regulatory pathways leading to plant immunity, from pathogen perception, through signaling pathways and finally to immune responses. We also analyze the topological organization of these networks and their emergent properties, crucial to predict novel immune functions and test them experimentally. Finally, we report how these networks might be regulated by environmental clues. Although system approaches remain extremely scarce in this area of research, a growing body of evidence indicates that the plant response to combined biotic and abiotic stresses cannot be inferred from responses to individual stresses. A view of possible research avenues in this nascent biology domain is finally proposed.

Design, synthesis, in silico, and in vitro evaluation of 3-phenylpyrazole acetamide derivatives as antimycobacterial agents

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is one of the most dangerous pathogens affecting immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients worldwide. Novel molecules, which are efficient and can reduce the duration of therapy against drug-resistant strains, are an urgent unmet need of the hour. In our current study, a series of new 2-(3-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)acetamide and N'-benzylidene-2-(3-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)acetohydrazide derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their antimycobacterial potential. The biological evaluation revealed that 6b, 6m, 6l, 7a, and 7k exhibited selective and potent inhibitory activity against Mtb. Furthermore, compounds 6m and 7h were found to be nontoxic to Vero cells with CC₅₀ of greater than 20 and 80 mg/ml, respectively, and exhibited promising selectivity indices (SI) of greater than 666 and 320, respectively. All derivatives exhibited excellent ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) properties in silico. Also, all the derivatives were found compliant with Lipinski's rule of five, showing their druggability profile. Molecular docking insights of these derivatives have shown outstanding binding energies on the mycobacterial membrane protein large transporters. These results indicate that this scaffold may lead to a potential antimycobacterial drug candidate in the discovery of antitubercular agents.

Layered Antiferromagnetism Induces Large Negative Magnetoresistance in the van der Waals Semiconductor CrSBr

The recent discovery of magnetism within the family of exfoliatable van der Waals (vdW) compounds has attracted considerable interest in these materials for both fundamental research and technological applications. However, current vdW magnets are limited by their extreme sensitivity to air, low ordering temperatures, and poor charge transport properties. Here the magnetic and electronic properties of CrSBr are reported, an air-stable vdW antiferromagnetic semiconductor that readily cleaves perpendicular to the stacking axis. Below its Néel temperature, T_N  = 132 ± 1 K, CrSBr adopts an A-type antiferromagnetic structure with each individual layer ferromagnetically ordered internally and the layers coupled antiferromagnetically along the stacking direction. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) reveal that the electronic gap is Δ_E  = 1.5 ± 0.2 eV with a corresponding PL peak centered at 1.25 ± 0.07 eV. Using magnetotransport measurements, strong coupling between magnetic order and transport properties in CrSBr is demonstrated, leading to a large negative magnetoresistance response that is unique among vdW materials. These findings establish CrSBr as a promising material platform for increasing the applicability of vdW magnets to the field of spin-based electronics.

An observation-constrained assessment of the climate sensitivity and future trajectories of wetland methane emissions

Wetlands are a major source of methane (CH₄) and contribute between 30 and 40% to the total CH₄ emissions. Wetland CH₄ emissions depend on temperature, water table depth, and both the quantity and quality of organic matter. Global warming will affect these three drivers of methanogenesis, raising questions about the feedbacks between natural methane production and climate change. Until present the large-scale response of wetland CH₄ emissions to climate has been investigated with land-surface models that have produced contrasting results. Here, we produce a novel global estimate of wetland methane emissions based on atmospheric inverse modeling of CH₄ fluxes and observed temperature and precipitation. Our data-driven model suggests that by 2100, current emissions may increase by 50% to 80%, which is within the range of 50% and 150% reported in previous studies. This finding highlights the importance of limiting global warming below 2°C to avoid substantial climate feedbacks driven by methane emissions from natural wetlands.

Radiative forcing of methane fluxes offsets net carbon dioxide uptake for a tropical flooded forest

Wetlands are important sources of methane (CH₄ ) and sinks of carbon dioxide (CO₂ ). However, little is known about CH₄ and CO₂ fluxes and dynamics of seasonally flooded tropical forests of South America in relation to local carbon (C) balances and atmospheric exchange. We measured net ecosystem fluxes of CH₄ and CO₂ in the Pantanal over 2014-2017 using tower-based eddy covariance along with C measurements in soil, biomass and water. Our data indicate that seasonally flooded tropical forests are potentially large sinks for CO₂ but strong sources of CH₄ , particularly during inundation when reducing conditions in soils increase CH₄ production and limit CO₂ release. During inundation when soils were anaerobic, the flooded forest emitted 0.11 ± 0.002 g CH₄ -C m^-2  d^-1 and absorbed 1.6 ± 0.2 g CO₂ -C m^-2  d^-1 (mean ± 95% confidence interval for the entire study period). Following the recession of floodwaters, soils rapidly became aerobic and CH₄ emissions decreased significantly (0.002 ± 0.001 g CH₄ -C m^-2  d^-1 ) but remained a net source, while the net CO₂ flux flipped from being a net sink during anaerobic periods to acting as a source during aerobic periods. CH₄ fluxes were 50 times higher in the wet season; DOC was a minor component in the net ecosystem carbon balance. Daily fluxes of CO₂ and CH₄ were similar in all years for each season, but annual net fluxes varied primarily in relation to flood duration. While the ecosystem was a net C sink on an annual basis (absorbing 218 g C m^-2 (as CH₄ -C + CO₂ -C) in anaerobic phases and emitting 76 g C m^-2 in aerobic phases), high CH₄ effluxes during the anaerobic flooded phase and modest CH₄ effluxes during the aerobic phase indicate that seasonally flooded tropical forests can be a net source of radiative forcings on an annual basis, thus acting as an amplifying feedback on global warming.

Solar UV radiation in a changing world: roles of cryosphere-land-water-atmosphere interfaces in global biogeochemical cycles

Global change influences biogeochemical cycles within and between environmental compartments (i.e., the cryosphere, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and the atmosphere). A major effect of global change on carbon cycling is altered exposure of natural organic matter (NOM) to solar radiation, particularly solar UV radiation. In terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, NOM is degraded by UV and visible radiation, resulting in the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide, as well as a range of products that can be more easily degraded by microbes (photofacilitation). On land, droughts and land-use change can reduce plant cover causing an increase in exposure of plant litter to solar radiation. The altered transport of soil organic matter from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems also can enhance exposure of NOM to solar radiation. An increase in emission of CO2 from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems due to the effects of global warming, such as droughts and thawing of permafrost soils, fuels a positive feedback on global warming. This is also the case for greenhouse gases other than CO2, including methane and nitrous oxide, that are emitted from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. These trace gases also have indirect or direct impacts on stratospheric ozone concentrations. The interactive effects of UV radiation and climate change greatly alter the fate of synthetic and biological contaminants. Contaminants are degraded or inactivated by direct and indirect photochemical reactions. The balance between direct and indirect photodegradation or photoinactivation of contaminants is likely to change with future changes in stratospheric ozone, and with changes in runoff of coloured dissolved organic matter due to climate and land-use changes.

Satellite and In Situ Observations for Advancing Global Earth Surface Modelling: A Review

In this paper, we review the use of satellite-based remote sensing in combination with in situ data to inform Earth surface modelling. This involves verification and optimization methods that can handle both random and systematic errors and result in effective model improvement for both surface monitoring and prediction applications. The reasons for diverse remote sensing data and products include (i) their complementary areal and temporal coverage, (ii) their diverse and covariant information content, and (iii) their ability to complement in situ observations, which are often sparse and only locally representative. To improve our understanding of the complex behavior of the Earth system at the surface and sub-surface, we need large volumes of data from high-resolution modelling and remote sensing, since the Earth surface exhibits a high degree of heterogeneity and discontinuities in space and time. The spatial and temporal variability of the biosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and anthroposphere calls for an increased use of Earth observation (EO) data attaining volumes previously considered prohibitive. We review data availability and discuss recent examples where satellite remote sensing is used to infer observable surface quantities directly or indirectly, with particular emphasis on key parameters necessary for weather and climate prediction. Coordinated high-resolution remote-sensing and modelling/assimilation capabilities for the Earth surface are required to support an international application-focused effort.

Enhanced response of global wetland methane emissions to the 2015-2016 El Niño-Southern Oscillation event

Wetlands are thought to be the major contributor to interannual variability in the growth rate of atmospheric methane (CH4) with anomalies driven by the influence of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Yet it remains unclear whether (i) the increase in total global CH4 emissions during El Niño versus La Niña events is from wetlands and (ii) how large the contribution of wetland CH4 emissions is to the interannual variability of atmospheric CH4. We used a terrestrial ecosystem model that includes permafrost and wetland dynamics to estimate CH4 emissions, forced by three separate meteorological reanalyses and one gridded observational climate dataset, to simulate the spatio-temporal dynamics of wetland CH4 emissions from 1980-2016. The simulations show that while wetland CH4 responds with negative annual anomalies during the El Niño events, the instantaneous growth rate of wetland CH4 emissions exhibits complex phase dynamics. We find that wetland CH4 instantaneous growth rates were declined at the onset of the 2015-2016 El Niño event but then increased to a record-high at later stages of the El Niño event (January through May 2016). We also find evidence for a step increase of CH4 emissions by 7.8±1.6 Tg CH4 yr-1 during 2007-2014 compared to the average of 2000-2006 from simulations using meteorological reanalyses, which is equivalent to a ~3.5 ppb yr-1 rise in CH4 concentrations. The step increase is mainly caused by the expansion of wetland area in the tropics (30°S-30°N) due to an enhancement of tropical precipitation as indicated by the suite of the meteorological reanalyses. Our study highlights the role of wetlands, and the complex temporal phasing with ENSO, in driving the variability and trends of atmospheric CH4 concentrations. In addition, the need to account for uncertainty in meteorological forcings is highlighted in addressing the interannual variability and decadal-scale trends of wetland CH4 fluxes.

Effect of varying soil water potentials on methanogenesis in aerated marshland soils

Wetlands are characterized by changing water tables, which have an influence on the activity of microorganisms. Particularly, the effect of oxygen on anaerobic methanogenic archaea is of importance for understanding greenhouse gas fluxes in wetlands. In this study the influence of oxygen on CH₄ production in marshland soils was investigated in relation to varying soil water potentials. Water saturated samples as well as samples with drained macropores, and mesopores were used. Under oxic conditions the CH₄ production showed a dependence on the water content. The CH₄ production rates varied between about 213 and 51 nmol g^-1 soil h^-1. In the presence of oxygen a correlation between CH₄ production activity and water potential of the samples could not be demonstrated. Under oxic conditions with defined water potentials the CH₄ production rates varied between about 141 and 58 nmol g^-1 soil h^-1. Cell counts of methanogenic archaea showed similar numbers in oxic and anoxic soil layers, and further illustrated living methanogens in the aerobic horizons of the marshland soil. The presented results are of great importance for modelling of the CH₄ release from wetlands, because up to 25% of the CH₄ is produced in the oxic horizon of the investigated marshland soil.

Emerging role of wetland methane emissions in driving 21st century climate change

Wetland methane (CH₄) emissions are the largest natural source in the global CH₄ budget, contributing to roughly one third of total natural and anthropogenic emissions. As the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas in the atmosphere after CO₂, CH₄ is strongly associated with climate feedbacks. However, due to the paucity of data, wetland CH₄ feedbacks were not fully assessed in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report. The degree to which future expansion of wetlands and CH₄ emissions will evolve and consequently drive climate feedbacks is thus a question of major concern. Here we present an ensemble estimate of wetland CH₄ emissions driven by 38 general circulation models for the 21st century. We find that climate change-induced increases in boreal wetland extent and temperature-driven increases in tropical CH₄ emissions will dominate anthropogenic CH₄ emissions by 38 to 56% toward the end of the 21st century under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP2.6). Depending on scenarios, wetland CH₄ feedbacks translate to an increase in additional global mean radiative forcing of 0.04 W·m^-2 to 0.19 W·m^-2 by the end of the 21st century. Under the "worst-case" RCP8.5 scenario, with no climate mitigation, boreal CH₄ emissions are enhanced by 18.05 Tg to 41.69 Tg, due to thawing of inundated areas during the cold season (December to May) and rising temperature, while tropical CH₄ emissions accelerate with a total increment of 48.36 Tg to 87.37 Tg by 2099. Our results suggest that climate mitigation policies must consider mitigation of wetland CH₄ feedbacks to maintain average global warming below 2 °C.