Freshwater ecosystems produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and ponds on agricultural land are particularly strong emitters. Dr Malerba and colleagues used maps of agricultural ponds and compiled data on their emissions to produce assessments of methane emissions from agricultural ponds for both the USA and Australia. They found emissions twice as high as were initially being accounted for under national inventories, highlighting the need to account for this source in national inventories.
Dr. Malerba says: “This is a rapidly moving field. Since this study was published, Australia has already made important progress by revising its national greenhouse gas inventory to better reflect methane emissions from agricultural ponds1. In some landscapes, these small waterbodies can emit more methane than any other aquatic system, underscoring why they can no longer be overlooked.”
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References
Malerba, M. E. et al. Including methane emissions from agricultural ponds in national greenhouse gas inventories. Environ. Sci. Technol. 58, 19 (2024).
Malerba, M. E. et al. Methane emissions from agricultural ponds are underestimated in national greenhouse gas inventories. Commun. Earth Environ. 3, 306 (2022).
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Drinkwater, A. Field in the frame: measuring agricultural ponds. Commun Earth Environ 7, 56 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03199-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03199-3
