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Title: A microbial functional group-based module for simulating methane production and consumption: Application to an incubated permafrost soil

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JG002935· OSTI ID:1201281
 [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

In this study, accurately estimating methane (CH4) flux is critically important for investigating and predicting the biogeochemistry-climate feedback. Better simulating CH4 flux requires explicit representations of microbial processes on CH4 dynamics because all processes for CH4 production and consumption are actually carried out by microbes. A microbial functional group based module was developed and tested against an incubation experiment. The module considers four key mechanisms for CH4 production and consumption: methanogenesis from acetate or single-carbon compounds and CH4 oxidation using molecular oxygen or other inorganic electron acceptors. These four processes were carried out by four microbial functional groups: acetoclastic methanogens, hydrogenotrophic methanogens, aerobic methanotrophs, and anaerobic methanotrophs. This module was then linked with the decomposition subroutine of the Community Land Model, and was further used to simulate dynamics of carbon dioxide (CO2) and CH4 concentrations from an incubation experiment with permafrost soils. The results show that the model could capture the dynamics of CO2 and CH4 concentrations in microcosms with top soils, mineral layer soils and permafrost soils under natural and saturated moisture conditions and a temperature gradient of -2°C, 3°C, and 5°C. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the importance of acetic acid's direct contribution as substrate and indirect effects through pH feedback on CO2 and CH4 production and consumption. This study suggests that representing the microbial mechanisms is critical for modeling CH4 production and consumption; it is urgent to incorporate microbial mechanisms into Earth system models for better predicting the behavior of the climate system.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1201281
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences, Vol. 120, Issue 7; ISSN 2169-8953
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 45 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (7)

A semiempirical model for horizontal distribution of surface wind speed leeward windbreaks journal July 2019
Recent climatic changes and wetland expansion turned Tibet into a net CH4 source journal September 2017
The global soil community and its influence on biogeochemistry journal August 2019
Reviews and syntheses: Four decades of modeling methane cycling in terrestrial ecosystems journal January 2016
Year-round simulated methane emissions from a permafrost ecosystem in Northeast Siberia journal January 2018
Impacts of temperature and soil characteristics on methane production and oxidation in Arctic tundra journal January 2018
Modeling anaerobic soil organic carbon decomposition in Arctic polygon tundra: insights into soil geochemical influences on carbon mineralization journal January 2019

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