Characterizing Spatiotemporal Variability of Methane Uptake across a Climate Transect in Inner Mongolia Steppe

Here, we report the temporal and spatial patterns of CH₄ uptake across a 1200 km transect in Inner Mongolia steppe ecosystems, ranging from meadow steppe in the east plain to typical and desert steppe on the west plateau.

In general, the temporal pattern of CH₄ uptake followed a unimodal curve during the growing season, with peak values observed in August. Soil moisture was the dominant factor explaining the temporal pattern of CH₄ uptake. Across the transect, CH₄ uptake showed a skewed unimodal spatial pattern, with the peak rate observed in the typical steppe site and the west plateau generally showing higher uptake rates than the east plain.