Wooden plants, methane producers

2008/01/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biokimika
• Ekologia
• Ingurumena

Two years ago they discovered that the plants produced methane. The scientists were surprised by this discovery, since methane production is associated with non-oxygen means, and the discovery indicates that plants create in aerobic media. However, the measurements that were carried out were difficult to verify, and the scientists working on this subject sought new avenues of research.

Now, a Chinese American group has confirmed its discovery, but has determined that only wood plants produce methane. To demonstrate this, a very concrete experiment was carried out: 44 plants of different species were chosen at random, their leaves and stems were introduced in gas waterproof bottles, the bottles of gases without methane were filled and left in a dark room at room temperature. At 10-20 hours the methane concentration was measured in the bottles and it was verified that seven of the nine wooden plants produced methane. The herbaceous plants, on the other hand, did not produce.

However, neither then nor now know what mechanisms plants use to produce methane, nor when, where and why they produce it. They will still have to carry out many studies to clarify the nature and environmental impact of this process.