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

Jordan C. Angle, Timothy H. Morin, Lindsey M. Solden, Adrienne B. Narrowe, Garrett J. Smith, Mikayla A. Borton, Camilo Rey-Sanchez, Rebecca A. Daly, Golnazalsdat Mirfenderesgi, David W. Hoyt, William J. Riley, Christopher S. Miller, Gil Bohrer and Kelly C. Wrighton ()
Additional contact information
Jordan C. Angle: The Ohio State University
Timothy H. Morin: The Ohio State University
Lindsey M. Solden: The Ohio State University
Adrienne B. Narrowe: University of Colorado Denver
Garrett J. Smith: The Ohio State University
Mikayla A. Borton: The Ohio State University
Camilo Rey-Sanchez: The Ohio State University
Rebecca A. Daly: The Ohio State University
Golnazalsdat Mirfenderesgi: The Ohio State University
David W. Hoyt: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
William J. Riley: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Christopher S. Miller: University of Colorado Denver
Gil Bohrer: The Ohio State University
Kelly C. Wrighton: The Ohio State University

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract 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.

Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-01753-4

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01753-4

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