TY - JOUR
T1 - Soil-methanogen interactions in two peatlands (Bog, Fen) in central New York State
AU - Dettling, Mark D.
AU - Yavitt, Joseph B.
AU - Cadillo-Quiroz, Hinsby
AU - Sun, Christine
AU - Zinder, Stephen H.
N1 - Funding Information:
Research support provided by NSF-Microbial Observatories program grant 0132049. The publication does not necessarily reflect views of NSF, which did not review the material before publication. We thank the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Lime Hollow Nature Center for access to their properties.
PY - 2007/4
Y1 - 2007/4
N2 - Rates of methanogenesis vary widely in peat soils, yet the reasons are poorly known. We examined rates of methanogenesis and methanogen diversity in relation to soil chemical and biological characteristics in 2 peatlands in New York State. One was an acidic (pH < 4.5) bog dominated by Sphagnum mosses and ericaceous shrubs, although deeper peat was derived from sedges. The other was a fen dominated by Carex lacustris sedges with near-neutral pH soil. At both sites, the most active rates of methanogenesis occurred in the top 20 cm of the peat profile, even when using a substrate-induced methanogenesis technique with added glucose that stimulated rates up to 2 μmol g-1 day-1 in the bog and 6 μmol g-1 day-1 in the fen. Rates of anaerobic CO2 production were greater in the bog (0-36 μmol g-1 day-1) than in the fen (0-5 μmol g-1 day-1), and added glucose induced greater rates in the sedge-derived peat from the bog than the fen. The peat soil was much more decomposed throughout the profile in the fen. Analysis of chemical elements in the peat profile revealed a striking anomaly: a very high concentration of Pb in surface peat of the bog, which might have constrained methanogenesis. Application of T-RFLP analysis to methanogens revealed dominance by a Methanomicrobiales E2 clade of H2/CO2 users in the acidic peat soil of the bog, whereas deeper peat had a different Methanomicrobiales E1 clade, uncultured euryarchaeal rice cluster (RC)-I and RC-II groups, marine benthic group D (MBD) and a new cluster called subaqueous cluster (SC). In contrast, T-RFLP analysis of peat from the fen revealed co-dominance by Methanosaetaceae and Methanomicrobiales E1. The results showed complex relationships between rates of methanogenesis, methanogen populations and metabolic substrate availability with idiosyncratic interactions of trace chemical elements.
AB - Rates of methanogenesis vary widely in peat soils, yet the reasons are poorly known. We examined rates of methanogenesis and methanogen diversity in relation to soil chemical and biological characteristics in 2 peatlands in New York State. One was an acidic (pH < 4.5) bog dominated by Sphagnum mosses and ericaceous shrubs, although deeper peat was derived from sedges. The other was a fen dominated by Carex lacustris sedges with near-neutral pH soil. At both sites, the most active rates of methanogenesis occurred in the top 20 cm of the peat profile, even when using a substrate-induced methanogenesis technique with added glucose that stimulated rates up to 2 μmol g-1 day-1 in the bog and 6 μmol g-1 day-1 in the fen. Rates of anaerobic CO2 production were greater in the bog (0-36 μmol g-1 day-1) than in the fen (0-5 μmol g-1 day-1), and added glucose induced greater rates in the sedge-derived peat from the bog than the fen. The peat soil was much more decomposed throughout the profile in the fen. Analysis of chemical elements in the peat profile revealed a striking anomaly: a very high concentration of Pb in surface peat of the bog, which might have constrained methanogenesis. Application of T-RFLP analysis to methanogens revealed dominance by a Methanomicrobiales E2 clade of H2/CO2 users in the acidic peat soil of the bog, whereas deeper peat had a different Methanomicrobiales E1 clade, uncultured euryarchaeal rice cluster (RC)-I and RC-II groups, marine benthic group D (MBD) and a new cluster called subaqueous cluster (SC). In contrast, T-RFLP analysis of peat from the fen revealed co-dominance by Methanosaetaceae and Methanomicrobiales E1. The results showed complex relationships between rates of methanogenesis, methanogen populations and metabolic substrate availability with idiosyncratic interactions of trace chemical elements.
KW - Biogeochemistry
KW - Bogs
KW - Chemical elements
KW - Degree of decomposition
KW - Fens
KW - Methanogen populations
KW - Methanogenesis
KW - Peat soils
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U2 - 10.1080/01490450701456651
DO - 10.1080/01490450701456651
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:34547493886
SN - 0149-0451
VL - 24
SP - 247
EP - 259
JO - Geomicrobiology Journal
JF - Geomicrobiology Journal
IS - 3-4
ER -