In order to evaluate the potential of CH4 consumption in saline soils, CH4 fluxes were measured in intact cores of the slightly (ECe ¼ 3.2 mS cm1), moderately (ECe ¼ 7.1 mS cm1) and extremely (ECe ¼ 50.7 mS cm1 and 112.6 mS cm1) saline soils from the Yellow River Delta, China. CH4 uptake of cores from the slightly saline soil ranged from 14 to 24 mg CH4eC m2 h1, comparable to those in the non-saline forest soils with similar texture.