Managed Forests and Methane: Recent Research and Prospects for Best Management Practices

Methane (CH4) accounts for 25–30% of anthropogenic climate forcing and is an attractive focus for climate mitigation due to its short half-life in the atmosphere, and the fact that CH4 emissions are unintended and often represent economic inefficiencies. Although forests are globally important both as sources and sinks for CH4, recommendations for “climate-smart” forest management have not considered forest CH4 dynamics. We review research on forests and CH4 flux, highlighting recent work that considers non-soil fluxes from tree stems, foliage, and coarse woody debris, and the various effects of forest management on CH4 emissions and uptake. Specific management practices that could reduce emissions and/or enhance net CH4 uptake in forests are suggested. These include enhanced conservation of forests that constitute strong CH4 sinks, soil protection and enhanced skid trail planning to avoid soil inundation and minimize tree damage, maintenance of high forest cover, particularly of broadleaved trees associated with high soil CH4 uptake, and targeted restoration of CH4 emission “hotspots” in managed forests. Although there are important research gaps in understanding forest CH4 dynamics generally, these actionable recommendations are consistent with current science and mostly align with practices that enhance overall sustainability and provision of other environmental services in managed forests.