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Title: Methanogenesis in oxygenated soils is a substantial fraction of wetland methane emissions

Journal Article · · Nature Communications

The current paradigm, widely incorporated in soil biogeochemical models, is that microbial methanogenesis can only occur in anoxic habitats. In contrast, here we show clear geochemical and biological evidence for methane production in well-oxygenated soils of a freshwater wetland. A comparison of oxic to anoxic soils reveal up to ten times greater methane production and nine times more methanogenesis activity in oxygenated soils. Metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing recover the first near-complete genomes for a novel methanogen species, and show acetoclastic production from this organism was the dominant methanogenesis pathway in oxygenated soils. This organism, Candidatus Methanothrix paradoxum, is prevalent across methane emitting ecosystems, suggesting a global significance. Moreover, in this wetland, we estimate that up to 80% of methane fluxes could be attributed to methanogenesis in oxygenated soils. Together, our findings challenge a widely held assumption about methanogenesis, with significant ramifications for global methane estimates and Earth system modeling.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1419456
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Vol. 8, Issue 1; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 131 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (21)

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Molecular Hydrogen, a Neglected Key Driver of Soil Biogeochemical Processes journal January 2019
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Aquatic and terrestrial cyanobacteria produce methane journal January 2020
Climate change microbiology — problems and perspectives journal May 2019
Response of the Anaerobic Methanotroph “ Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens” to Oxygen Stress journal October 2018
The hunt for the most-wanted chemolithoautotrophic spookmicrobes journal April 2018
Microbial community structure and microbial networks correspond to nutrient gradients within coastal wetlands of the Laurentian Great Lakes journal March 2019
Chemical and microbial diversity covary in fresh water to influence ecosystem functioning journal November 2019
Humid Subtropical Forests Constitute a Net Methane Source: A Catchment‐Scale Study journal September 2019
Methane and Biogenic Volatile Organic Compound Emissions in Eastern Siberia book January 2019
Coupled laboratory and field investigations resolve microbial interactions that underpin persistence in hydraulically fractured shales journal June 2018
Carbon Sequestration by Wetlands: A Critical Review of Enhancement Measures for Climate Change Mitigation journal April 2019
Chemical and microbial diversity covary in fresh water to influence ecosystem functioning text January 2019
Uncovering the Diversity and Activity of Methylotrophic Methanogens in Freshwater Wetland Soils journal December 2019
Wetland methane emissions dominated by plant‐mediated fluxes: Contrasting emissions pathways and seasons within a shallow freshwater subtropical wetland journal March 2019
Comparative genomics and physiology of the genus Methanohalophilus , a prevalent methanogen in hydraulically fractured shale journal December 2018
Soil properties and sediment accretion modulate methane fluxes from restored wetlands journal April 2018
Hopanoid lipids may facilitate aerobic nitrogen fixation in the ocean journal August 2019
Co-cultivation of the strictly anaerobic methanogen Methanosarcina barkeri with aerobic methanotrophs in an oxygen-limited membrane bioreactor journal May 2018
Impact of Warming on Greenhouse Gas Production and Microbial Diversity in Anoxic Peat From a Sphagnum-Dominated Bog (Grand Rapids, Minnesota, United States) journal April 2019