For governments and jurisdictions
Measure Methane Uptake in National Forests
Upland tree bark removes methane from the atmosphere. National greenhouse-gas inventories do not currently include this sink. SelvaFlux proposes measurement programs with governments and climate funders in national and subnational forests.
Bark methane uptake
A Methane Sink Missing From National Accounts
Our 2024 Nature study measured uptake at four upland forest sites and found evidence consistent with microbial methane oxidation. Scaling those observations gave an estimated global sink of 24.6 to 49.9 million tonnes (Tg) of methane per year. The strongest measured uptake was in tropical forests. At the warm-tropical reference rate, uptake is about 16.8 kg CH₄ per hectare per year. This is about 1.36 tCO₂e GWP20 per hectare per year using a factor of 81.2. This excludes project deductions and the climate effect of carbon from the removed methane, which we have not estimated. The GWP100 factor of 27 gives about 0.45 tCO₂e. National inventory reporting must follow the applicable reporting rules. GWP20 is a supplementary comparison, and GWP* depends on the previous 20 years of uptake. The accounting primer explains these uses.
Standard forest-carbon accounts do not include this uptake. With a future method, a national inventory could report changes in the sink caused by forest clearing or restoration.
National and Subnational Measurement Programs
SelvaFlux proposes measurement campaigns with national and subnational governments and their forest research institutions. Initial campaigns would produce site measurements with quantified uncertainty and test the method. The program would train local teams and publish its methods.
Climate funders could support this work with a host government and its forest research institutions. A national or subnational annual estimate would require suitable geographic and seasonal coverage, plus a tested method for scaling the site measurements.
How a Forest Measurement Program Would Work
Agree on Partners and Funding
The proposed program would bring together a host government, its national forest institutions, and a climate funder.
Measure Methane Uptake
The first field visits would measure methane uptake on existing national forest-inventory plots. They would also estimate uncertainty and test the method.
Train Local Teams and Develop National Estimates
The program would train local teams and document the method. National annual estimates would need suitable geographic and seasonal coverage and a tested scaling method.
National inventory reporting
Bark methane uptake is a natural process the forest already carries out. The IPCC Guidelines contain no method for this sink, and the Common Reporting Tables have no line for it. No country reports it today. A country can describe measurements of the flux in its national inventory document. It can state that the inventory does not yet estimate the flux and set out a method it plans to develop. A future national total could include changes in the sink caused by forest clearing or restoration. This accounting creates no carbon credit, offset, or NDC target credit. It does not license continued emissions. SelvaFlux is also developing crediting methods for forest projects. Gold Standard is considering the concept under NMC 187. Verra’s M0423 is on hold pending a first-quarter 2027 decision on whether to restart development. That decision would not approve the module. This crediting work is separate from national inventory reporting.
Get in touch
Discuss a Measurement Program
Contact us to discuss a national or subnational measurement program. We are developing these partnerships and have no existing government agreements for this work.