News > ‘Tree farts’ contribute about a fifth of greenhouse gases from ghost forests

‘Tree farts’ contribute about a fifth of greenhouse gases from ghost forests

If a tree farts in the forest, does it make a sound? No, but it does add a smidge of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere. Gases released by dead trees — dubbed “tree farts” — account for roughly one-fifth of the greenhouse gases emitted by skeletal, marshy forests along the coast of North Carolina.

While these emissions pale in comparison with other sources, accurate accounting is necessary to get a full picture of where climate-warming gases come from.