CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Feb. 28 -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill issued the following news release:
Small mountain ponds high in the tropical Andes may be playing an outsized role in global climate change, according to new research led by scientists at the University of North Carolina.
The study, conducted in Ecuador's paramo, a high-altitude grassland ecosystem, found that even tiny ponds can release surprisingly large amounts of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. Until now, these remote mountain wetlands have been largely overlooked in global carbon studies.
"Our study shows that the smallest ponds can make a big difference, emitting more carbon than larger waters just meters away," said ...