The first research paper describing aerobic methane release from living plants and dead organic matter was published in early 2006. These original findings have yet to be independently repeated and confirmed. Instead, the only other detailed study that has been published did not find any significant aerobic emissions of methane. Concerns remain about possible artefacts, especially with respect to methane adsorption and desorption. Several questions are yet to be answered, such as identification of a plausible biochemical mechanism for the process, how CH4 emissions might change with light, temperature or the physiological state of leaves, whether emissions change over time under constant conditions, whether they are related to photosynthesis and how they relate to the chemical composition of biomass. Various studies have assessed the likely magnitude of aerobic methane release within a global context. Different estimates based on mor
