Research led by the University of Edinburgh suggests that plant leaves account for under one per cent of the Earth’s emissions of methane –which is considered to be about 25 times more effective than carbon dioxide at global warming. The results contrast with a previous scientific study which had suggested that plants were responsible for producing large amounts of the greenhouse gas.
To reach their conclusions, scientists created artificial leaves made from plant pectin and measured the methane produced when the leaves were exposed to sunlight.Their results refine previous studies that had indicated that the quantity of methane produced by plants might have been much higher.
Dr Andy McLeod, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, said: “Our results show that plant leaves do produce some methane, but only a very small amount – this can be a welcome result as it allays fears that forestry and agriculture were contributing unduly to global warming.”
