Termites: A Potentially Large Source of Atmospheric Methane, Carbon Dioxide, and Molecular Hydrogen
- 5 November 1982
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 218 (4572) , 563-565
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.218.4572.563
Abstract
Termites may emit large quantities of methane, carbon dioxide, and molecular hydrogen into the atmosphere. Global annual emissions calculated from laboratory measurements could reach 1.5 × 10 14 grams of methane and 5 × 10 16 grams of carbon dioxide. As much as 2 × 10 14 grams of molecular hydrogen may also be produced. Field measurements of methane emissions from two termite nests in Guatemala corroborated the laboratory results. The largest emissions should occur in tropical areas disturbed by human activities.This publication has 22 references indexed in Scilit:
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