Mathematical Modeling and Analysis of Methane Production and Oxidation

This book presents a systematic study of methane production and oxidation processes in anoxic soils, using mathematical modelling tools and dynamical systems theory. Methane is a greenhouse gas and the second largest contributor to global warming among anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Methane emission from soil ecosystems is basically regulated by two opposing microbial processes: methane production and methane oxidation. Main topic of the book includes quantification and quantitative analyses of the soil microbial communities and associated biogeochemical processes that release soil carbon as methane gas to the atmosphere. It demonstrates and quantifies different dynamic regimes for a variety of long-term behaviors of methane emissions. It also discusses the roles of potential process-controlling factors and its spatiotemporal variability. Consequently, this study illustrates a “zero-emission” technique to force the emission towards ‘zero’ at long-term.