The study indicates additionally that increasing amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere cause a greater amount of methane to be released by rice paddies, an important finding since rice paddies are one of the largest human sources of the greenhouse gas methane (CH4), and rice is one of the primary staple crops in the world. As the global population continues increasing, so will the demand for rice, which without suitable adaptation measures will drastically increase the amount of CH4 in our atmosphere.
The team experimented on 63 rice paddies, mostly from Asia and North America in order to measure how rising temperatures and excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere affect rice yields and the amount of methane that is released by rice paddies.
The research team used a technique called meta-analysis, a statistical tool for finding general patterns in a large body of experimental data. "Two strong patterns emerged when we analysed all the data: first, more CO2 boosted emissions of methane from rice paddies, and second, higher temperatures caused a decline in rice yields," explained Professor Bruce Hungate of Northern Arizona University and co-author of the study.
Source: Sanctuary Asia
