(Santa Barbara, Calif.) -- Amazon
waterways, including streams and flood plains, are releasing much more
carbon dioxide than originally thought, as a result of decaying plants
that fall into the water, according to the April 11 issue of the journal
Nature.
Previously researchers had no measurements of flooded area along rivers in
tropical rainforests. Now a Brazilian and NASA-sponsored research project
has a new tool to map the wetlands of the Amazon Basin.
Using new satellite data from the Japanese Earth Resources Satellite,
University
of California, Santa Barbara researchers John Melack, professor of
biology, and Laura
Hess, researcher, developed new methods for measuring flooding and wetland
vegetation, a critical step in the calculations reported in the Nature
paper.
"The current study shows the importance of linking the terrestrial and
aquatic systems," said Melack. "For example, leaves fall into the water,
decay, and wind up releasing carbon dioxide from the many rivers and lakes
of the Amazon."
Lead author Jeff Richey of the University of Washington describes the
release of carbon dioxide from the rivers and lakes as degassing, or
"river breath."
Other authors on the paper are Anthony Aufdenkame, who just completed his
doctorate with Richey at UW, and Victoria Ballester of the Centro de
Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Sao Paolo, Brazil.
To reach John Melack call (805) 893-3879 or e-mail (melack@lifesci.ucsb.edu).
He can also provide a copy of the Nature article.
To reach Jeff Richey e-mail (jrichey@u.washington.edu) or call his hotel
in Argentina at (5411)4328-6800. (He will be back on Thursday and
available at (206) 543-7339.) For photos, call Sandra Hines at UW,
telephone (206) 543-2580 or e-mail (shines@u.washington.edu).
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