uid=HFR,o=lter,dc=ecoinformatics,dc=org all public read doi:10.6073/pasta/69ae41b988b0dc87bfd6f77e800b6c22 Gabriele Berberich https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2656-7622 Aaron Ellison https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4151-6081 Christian Wöhler Martin Berberich Researcher Arne Grumpe Researcher Adrian Becker Researcher 2023 English

We measured methane (CH4) and stable carbon isotope of methane (ẟ13C-CH4) concentrations in ambient air and within a red wood-ant (RWA; Formica polyctena) nest in the Neuwied Basin (Germany) using high-resolution in-situ sampling to detect microbial, thermogenic, and abiotic fault-related micro-seepage of CH4. Methane degassing from RWA nests was not synchronized with earth tides, nor was it influenced by micro-earthquake degassing or concomitantly measured RWA activity. Two ẟ13C-CH4 signatures were identified in nest gas: −69‰ and −37‰. The lower peak was attributed to microbial decomposition of organic matter within the RWA nest, in line with previous observations that RWA nests are hot-spots of microbial CH4. The higher peak has not been reported in previous studies. We attribute this peak to fault-related CH4 emissions moving via fault networks into the RWA nest, which could originate either from thermogenic or abiotic CH4 formation. Sources of these micro-seepages could be Devonian schists, iron-bearing “Klerf Schichten,” or overlapping micro-seepage of magmatic CH4 from the Eifel plume. Given the abundance of RWA nests on the landscape, their role as sources of microbial CH4 and biological indicators for abiotically-derived CH4 should be included in estimation of methane emissions that are contributing to climatic change.

ants biogeochemistry gas flux isotopes methane LTER controlled vocabulary primary production populations LTER core area Harvard Forest HFR LTER USA HFR default

This dataset is released to the public under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (No Rights Reserved). Please keep the dataset creators informed of any plans to use the dataset. Consultation with the original investigators is strongly encouraged. Publications and data products that make use of the dataset should include proper acknowledgement.

Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal https://spdx.org/licenses/CC0-1.0.html CC0-1.0 https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/exist/apps/datasets/showData.html?id=hf305 Western Germany. Coordinates based on WGS84 datum. +7.43955 +7.43955 +50.33976 +50.33976 318 318 meter 2016 2016 genus Formica species rufa red wood ant species polyctena red wood ant complete Information Manager Harvard Forest

324 North Main Street Petersham MA 01366 USA

(978) 724-3302 hf-im@lists.fas.harvard.edu Harvard Forest

324 North Main Street Petersham MA 01366 USA

(978) 724-3302 (978) 724-3595 https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu

For details of methods, please see: Berberich, G.M., Ellison, A.M., Berberich, M.B., Grumpe, A., Becker, A., Wöhler, C. 2018. Can a Red Wood-Ant Nest Be Associated with Fault-Related CH4 Micro-Seepage? A Case Study from Continuous Short-Term In-Situ Sampling. Animals 2018, 8, 46; doi:10.3390/ani8040046.

Harvard Forest

324 North Main Street Petersham MA 01366 USA

(978) 724-3302 (978) 724-3595 https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu https://ror.org/059cpzx98 pointOfContact The Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program examines ecological dynamics in the New England region resulting from natural disturbances, environmental change, and human impacts. National Science Foundation LTER grants: DEB-8811764, DEB-9411975, DEB-0080592, DEB-0620443, DEB-1237491, DEB-1832210. hf305-01-ant-med-filt.csv RWA activity hf305-01-ant-med-filt.csv 99054 2a614ba8908ab151899478fab46fee8f 1 \r\n column , https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p30/hf305/hf305-01-ant-med-filt.csv datetime date and time YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss 1 second NA missing value datetime.matlab date and time in Matlab format number 0.0001 real NA missing value med.filt median filtered RWA activity data, relative values calculated from results of image processing, data frame every 5 mins; there is some data loss for 4.8. (NA) number 0.000000001 real NA missing value 2304 hf305-02-ch4-atm15.csv CH4 in atmosphere, 15 minute measurement hf305-02-ch4-atm15.csv 1291 705714b1d49fa074908e704045f257b8 1 \r\n column , https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p30/hf305/hf305-02-ch4-atm15.csv datetime date and time YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss 1 second NA missing value ch4 CH4 concentration in atmosphere dimensionless 0.001 real NA missing value ich4.raw delta 13C of CH4 in atmosphere near of nest original raw data during measurement period of 15 min generated by Picarro dimensionless 0.001 real NA missing value std.ch4 standard deviation for CH4 dimensionless 0.001 real NA missing value std.ich4 standard deviation for delta 13C of CH4 dimensionless 0.001 real NA missing value 27 hf305-03-ch4-atm4.csv CH4 in atmosphere, 4 hour measurement hf305-03-ch4-atm4.csv 518223 afe183d584f0bd5a0fea282230efca34 1 \r\n column , https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p30/hf305/hf305-03-ch4-atm4.csv datetime date and time YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss 1 second NA missing value ch4 CH4 concentration in atmosphere dimensionless 0.001 real NA missing value hp.delta.ich4.raw delta 13C of CH4 in ant nest original raw data generated by Picarro system dimensionless 0.001 real NA missing value hp.delta.ich4.5min delta 13C of CH4 in ant nest automatically averaged to 5 min data by Picarro system dimensionless 0.001 real NA missing value 12157 hf305-04-ch4-nest.csv CH4 concentration in nest hf305-04-ch4-nest.csv 20433899 adbd7349fd422ed218f41e02cef93628 1 \r\n column , https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p30/hf305/hf305-04-ch4-nest.csv datetime date and time YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss 1 second NA missing value ch4 CH4 concentration in ant nest dimensionless 0.001 real NA missing value hp.delta.ich4.5min delta 13C of CH4 in ant nest automatically averaged to 5 min data by Picarro system dimensionless 0.001 real NA missing value hp.delta.ich4.raw delta 13C of CH4 in ant nest original raw data generated by Picarro system dimensionless 0.001 real NA missing value 478984 hf305-05-earthquakes.csv earthquakes hf305-05-earthquakes.csv 501 ff6c9fbd53e99fcfcfc0ac8fcbd799e8 1 \r\n column , https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p30/hf305/hf305-05-earthquakes.csv datetime date and time YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss 1 second NA missing value datetime.matlab date and time in Matlab format (UTC) number 0.0001 real NA missing value location earthquake location earthquake location NA missing value ml magnitude number 0.1 real NA missing value depth depth kilometer 0.1 real NA missing value x x-coordinate in GK dimensionless 1 natural NA missing value y y coordinate in GK dimensionless 1 natural NA missing value 6 hf305-06-earthtides.csv earthtides hf305-06-earthtides.csv 780689 15259a2412f55d6ce9e5f57255ea33d9 1 \r\n column , https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p30/hf305/hf305-06-earthtides.csv datetime date and time YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss 1 second NA missing value second interval data second 1 whole NA missing value datetime.matlab date and time in Matlab format number 0.0001 real NA missing value north north component meter 0.000001 real NA missing value east east component meter 0.000001 real NA missing value up up component meter 0.000001 real NA missing value 11519 hf305-07-local-weather.csv local weather hf305-07-local-weather.csv 158634 2a31a4c6401fb3931d38e455d450b714 1 \r\n column , https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/data/p30/hf305/hf305-07-local-weather.csv datetime date and time YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss 1 second NA missing value datetime.matlab date and time in Matlab format number 0.0001 real NA missing value abspress.hpa absolute pressure hectopascal 0.1 real NA missing value outtemp.c outdoor temperature celsius 0.1 real NA missing value dewpoint.c dew point celsius 0.1 real NA missing value outdoorhumidity outdoor humidity (%) dimensionless 1 natural NA missing value hourrainfall.mm hourly rainfall millimeter 0.1 real NA missing value gust.kmh wind gust kilometersPerHour 0.1 real NA missing value windchill.c wind chill celsius 0.1 real NA missing value winddirection wind direction wind direction NA missing value windspeed.kmh wind speed kilometersPerHour 0.1 real NA missing value interval.min measurement interval (minute) number 1 natural NA missing value 2304 international short-term measurement