To assess the spatial and temporal variation in net CH
4 fluxes in a forest watershed in Japan, we used the closed-chamber method to measure CH
4 fluxes from soils and investigated how they are affected by environmental factors. It was found that the water table and soil water content dictated redox conditions and affected CH
4 production and oxidation in several different parts of the watershed. In forest floor sites, CH
4 was consumed in dry parts throughout the year and was emitted in wet parts in summer. In wetlands, CH
4 emission was observed almost throughout the year, and increased markedly in summer, although emissions were constrained by the fall in water table in summer. While the CH
4 emission rate increased with increased soil temperature, CH
4 uptake rate was less affected by fluctuations in soil temperature. A net budget estimation suggested that CH
4 emissions exceeded uptake in this watershed during the high-temperature season, since the emission rate from wetlands was 3 orders of magnitude higher than the uptake rate at the forest floor. These results suggest the importance of measurements of CH
4 emissions from wetlands even if their geographical area is relatively small compared to the entire watershed area.
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