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Praeg N, Steinwandter M, Urbach D, Snethlage MA, Alves RP, Apple ME, Bilovitz P, Britton AJ, Bruni EP, Chen TW, Dumack K, Fernandez-Mendoza F, Freppaz M, Frey B, Fromin N, Geisen S, Grube M, Guariento E, Guisan A, Ji QQ, Jiménez JJ, Maier S, Malard LA, Minor MA, Mc Lean CC, Mitchell EAD, Peham T, Pizzolotto R, Taylor AFS, Vernon P, van Tol JJ, Wu D, Wu Y, Xie Z, Weber B, Illmer P, Seeber J. Biodiversity in mountain soils above the treeline. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2025. [PMID: 40369817 DOI: 10.1111/brv.70028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2025] [Accepted: 04/17/2025] [Indexed: 05/16/2025]
Abstract
Biological diversity in mountain ecosystems has been increasingly studied over the last decade. This is also the case for mountain soils, but no study to date has provided an overall synthesis of the current state of knowledge. Here we fill this gap with a first global analysis of published research on cryptogams, microorganisms, and fauna in mountain soils above the treeline, and a structured synthesis of current knowledge. Based on a corpus of almost 1400 publications and the expertise of 37 mountain soil scientists worldwide, we summarise what is known about the diversity and distribution patterns of each of these organismal groups, specifically along elevation, and provide an overview of available knowledge on the drivers explaining these patterns and their changes. In particular, we document an elevation-dependent decrease in faunal diversity above the treeline, while for cryptogams there is an initial increase above the treeline, followed by a decrease towards the nival belt. Thus, our data confirm the key role that elevation plays in shaping the biodiversity and distribution of these organisms in mountain soils. The response of prokaryote diversity to elevation, in turn, was more diverse, whereas fungal diversity appeared to be substantially influenced by plants. As far as available, we describe key characteristics, adaptations, and functions of mountain soil species, and despite a lack of ecological information about the uncultivated majority of prokaryotes, fungi, and protists, we illustrate the remarkable and unique diversity of life forms and life histories encountered in alpine mountain soils. By applying rule- as well as pattern-based literature-mining approaches and semi-quantitative analyses, we identified hotspots of mountain soil research in the European Alps and Central Asia and revealed significant gaps in taxonomic coverage, particularly among biocrusts, soil protists, and soil fauna. We further report thematic priorities for research on mountain soil biodiversity above the treeline and identify unanswered research questions. Building upon the outcomes of this synthesis, we conclude with a set of research opportunities for mountain soil biodiversity research worldwide. Soils in mountain ecosystems above the treeline fulfil critical functions and make essential contributions to life on land. Accordingly, seizing these opportunities and closing knowledge gaps appears crucial to enable science-based decision making in mountain regions and formulating laws and guidelines in support of mountain soil biodiversity conservation targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Praeg
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25d, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Michael Steinwandter
- Institute for Alpine Environment, Eurac Research, Viale Druso 1, Bozen/Bolzano, 39100, Italy
| | - Davnah Urbach
- Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA), University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern, 3013, Switzerland
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern, 3013, Switzerland
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur la Montagne, University of Lausanne, Ch. de l'Institut 18, Bramois/Sion, 1967, Switzerland
| | - Mark A Snethlage
- Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA), University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern, 3013, Switzerland
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern, 3013, Switzerland
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur la Montagne, University of Lausanne, Ch. de l'Institut 18, Bramois/Sion, 1967, Switzerland
| | - Rodrigo P Alves
- Institute of Biology, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, Graz, 8010, Austria
| | - Martha E Apple
- Department of Biological Sciences, Montana Technological University, Butte, 59701, MT, USA
| | - Peter Bilovitz
- Institute of Biology, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, Graz, 8010, Austria
| | - Andrea J Britton
- Ecological Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, Scotland, UK
| | - Estelle P Bruni
- Laboratory of Soil Biodiversity, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchâtel, 2000, Switzerland
| | - Ting-Wen Chen
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Soil Biology and Biogeochemistry, Na Sádkách 702/7, České Budějovice, 37005, Czech Republic
- J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 2, Göttingen, 37073, Germany
| | - Kenneth Dumack
- Terrestrial Ecology, Cologne Biocenter, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Strasse 47b, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Fernando Fernandez-Mendoza
- Institute of Biology, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, Graz, 8010, Austria
| | - Michele Freppaz
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, Grugliasco, 10095, Italy
- Research Center on Natural Risks in Mountain and Hilly Environments, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, Grugliasco, 10095, Italy
| | - Beat Frey
- Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, 8903, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Fromin
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Route de Mende 34199, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Stefan Geisen
- Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, Wageningen 6708PB, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Grube
- Institute of Biology, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, Graz, 8010, Austria
| | - Elia Guariento
- Institute for Alpine Environment, Eurac Research, Viale Druso 1, Bozen/Bolzano, 39100, Italy
| | - Antoine Guisan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution (DEE), University of Lausanne, Biophore, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (IDYST), University of Lausanne, Géopolis, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Qiao-Qiao Ji
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 4888 Shengbei Street, Changchun, 130102, China
| | - Juan J Jiménez
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Avda. Ntra. Sra. de la Victoria 16, Jaca, 22700, Huesca, Spain
| | - Stefanie Maier
- Institute of Biology, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, Graz, 8010, Austria
| | - Lucie A Malard
- Department of Ecology and Evolution (DEE), University of Lausanne, Biophore, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Maria A Minor
- School of Food Technology and Natural Sciences, Massey University, Riddett Road, Palmerston North, 4410, New Zealand
| | - Cowan C Mc Lean
- Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, University of the Free State, 205 Nelson Mandela Drive, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Edward A D Mitchell
- Laboratory of Soil Biodiversity, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchâtel, 2000, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Peham
- Department of Ecology, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Roberto Pizzolotto
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra, University of Calabria, Ponte Pietro Bucci 4b, Rende, 87036, Italy
| | - Andy F S Taylor
- Ecological Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, Scotland, UK
| | - Philippe Vernon
- UMR 6553 EcoBio CNRS, University of Rennes, Biological Station, Paimpont, 35380, France
| | - Johan J van Tol
- Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, University of the Free State, 205 Nelson Mandela Drive, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - Donghui Wu
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 4888 Shengbei Street, Changchun, 130102, China
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Yunga Wu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Zhijing Xie
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, 2555 Jingyue Street, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Bettina Weber
- Institute of Biology, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, Graz, 8010, Austria
| | - Paul Illmer
- Department of Microbiology, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25d, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
| | - Julia Seeber
- Institute for Alpine Environment, Eurac Research, Viale Druso 1, Bozen/Bolzano, 39100, Italy
- Department of Ecology, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, Innsbruck, 6020, Austria
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Yang T, Jiang J, He Q, Shi F, Jiang H, Wu H, He C. Impact of drainage on peatland soil environments and greenhouse gas emissions in Northeast China. Sci Rep 2025; 15:8320. [PMID: 40064960 PMCID: PMC11894093 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-92655-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2025] [Indexed: 03/14/2025] Open
Abstract
Peatlands are vital for global carbon storage, but drainage significantly disrupts their natural carbon cycling. Drainage alters peatland soil environments in complex ways, affecting factors such as water table, soil temperature, organic carbon (SOC), pH, and microbial communities. However, how these factors interact to influence GHG emissions remains unclear. In this study, we compared water table, soil temperature, soil properties, microbial community structure, and GHG emissions across three zones of a peatland in Northeast China undergoing drainage: drained, transition, and natural areas. The average water table in the drained area was significantly lower than in the natural area (from 11.45 cm to -13.47 cm), shifting from waterlogged to unsaturated conditions. Deep soil temperatures in the drained area decreased by 1 ~ 3 °C. The pH of the upper soil layer was higher in the drained area (5.05 ~ 5.29 vs. 4.64 ~ 4.71), while SOC was lower (197.31 ~ 374.75 g/kg vs. 437.05 ~ 512.71 g/kg). Aerobic bacteria (mainly Solibacter) were more abundant in the drained area, while methanogens (mainly hydrogenotrophic) declined significantly. Fungal diversity increased from the natural to drained area with increased negative interactions and enhanced network modularity. Drainage reduced CH4 emissions but increased CO2 and N2O emissions, resulting in a significant rise in net GHG emissions (8.86 ~ 10.65 vs. 22.27 ~ 24.26 t CO2-eq·ha⁻¹·season⁻¹), primarily driven by increased CO2. CO2 emissions were positively correlated with soil temperature, aerobic bacteria, facultatively anaerobic bacteria and pH, but negatively correlated with water table, anaerobic bacteria, soil moisture and C/N ratio. CH4 flux was positively correlated with methanogens and water table, but negatively correlated with pH. The effects of drainage were more pronounced near drainage ditches, particularly for CO2 emissions, highlighting the localized impacts of drainage on peatland GHG fluxes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Jing Jiang
- Jilin Shize Environmental Protection Group Co., Ltd, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Qiang He
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Fengxue Shi
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Haibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Haitao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Institute of Northeast Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Chunguang He
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China.
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Liu H, Xiao S, Liu W, Wang H, Liu Z, Li X, Zhang P, Liu J. Salinity decreases methane concentrations in Chinese lakes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 937:173412. [PMID: 38797405 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Lakes are important sources of methane (CH4), and understanding the influence of environmental factors on CH4 concentration in lake water is crucial for accurately assessing CH4 emission from lakes. In this study, we investigated CH4 concentration in two connected Tibetan Plateau lakes, Lake Keluke (an open freshwater lake) and Lake Tuosu (a closed saline lake), through in-situ continuous measurements taken in different months from 2021 to 2023. The results show substantial spatial and seasonal variations in CH4 concentrations in the two lakes, while the CH4 concentrations in Lake Keluke are consistently higher than those in Lake Tuosu for each month. Despite sharing similar environmental conditions due to connected (e.g. pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen content, and total organic carbon content), the critical difference between the two lakes is their salinity. This implies that salinity is the critical factor contributing to the decrease in CH4 concentrations in Lake Tuosu, possibly due to the changes in microbial species between freshwater and brackish/saline lakes. Additionally, to further validate the effect of salinity on CH4 concentrations in lake water, we compared the CH4 concentrations of 33 lakes (including 5 saline lakes and 28 freshwater lakes) from the Tibetan Plateau, Chinese Loess Plateau, and Yangtze Plain, and found that saline lakes consistently exhibit lower CH4 concentrations (avg. 0.08 μmol/L), while freshwater lakes generally display higher CH4 concentrations (avg. 1.25 μmol/L) with considerable fluctuations. Consequently, freshwater and saline lakes exhibit distinct CH4 emissions, which could be used for more accurate estimation of global CH4 emission from lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China; Xi'an Institute for Innovative Earth Environment Research, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Shangbin Xiao
- Hubei Field Observation and Scientific Research Stations for Water Ecosystem in Three Gorges Reservoir, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Weiguo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Huanye Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Zhonghui Liu
- Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Institute of Climate and Carbon Neutrality, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiangzhong Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Earth System Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Earth System Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Hubei Field Observation and Scientific Research Stations for Water Ecosystem in Three Gorges Reservoir, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China.
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Li Z, Ma Y, Liu Y, Wang Y, Wang X. Geographical patterns and environmental influencing factors of variations in Asterothamnus centraliasiaticus seed traits on Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1366512. [PMID: 38606068 PMCID: PMC11006976 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1366512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Seed traits related to recruitment directly affect plant fitness and persistence. Understanding the key patterns and influencing factors of seed trait variations is conducive to assessing plant colonization and habitat selection. However, the variation patterns of the critical seed traits of shrub species are usually underrepresented and disregarded despite their vital role in alpine desert ecosystems. Methods This study gathered seeds from 21 Asterothamnus centraliasiaticus populations across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, analyzing geographical patterns of seed traits to identify external environmental influences. Additionally, it explored how seed morphology and nutrients affect germination stress tolerance, elucidating direct and indirect factors shaping seed trait variations. Results The results present substantial intraspecific variations in the seed traits of A. centraliasiaticus. Seed traits except seed length-to-width ratio (LWR) all vary significantly with geographic gradients. In addition, the direct and indirect effects of climatic variables and soil nutrients on seed traits were verified in this study. Climate mainly influences seed nutrients, and soil nutrients significantly affect seed morphology and seed nutrients. Furthermore, climate directly impacts seed germination drought tolerance index (GDTI) and germination saline-alkali tolerance index (GSTI). Seed germination cold tolerance index (GCTI) is influenced by climate and soil nutrients (mostly SOC). GDTI and GSTI are prominently influenced by seed morphology (largely the seed thousand-grain weight (TGW)), and GCTI is evidently affected by seed nutrients (mainly the content of soluble protein (CSP)). Discussion The findings of this study amply explain seed trait variation patterns of shrubs in alpine desert ecosystems, possessing significant importance for understanding the mechanism of shrub adaptation to alpine desert ecosystems, predicting the outcomes of environmental change, and informing conservation efforts. This study can be a valuable reference for managing alpine desert ecosystems on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - YuShou Ma
- *Correspondence: YuShou Ma, ; Ying Liu,
| | - Ying Liu
- *Correspondence: YuShou Ma, ; Ying Liu,
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Xu G, Li G, Wu J, Ma W, Wang H, Yuan J, Li X. Effects of rainfall amount and frequencies on soil net nitrogen mineralization in Gahai wet meadow in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14860. [PMID: 37684356 PMCID: PMC10491659 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39267-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Global climate change has led to a significant increase in the frequency of extreme rainfall events in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), thus potentially increasing the annual rainfall amounts and, consequently, affecting the net soil nitrogen (N) mineralization process. However, few studies on the responses of the soil net N mineralization rates to the increases in rainfall amounts and frequencies in alpine wet meadows have been carried out. Therefore, the present study aims to assess the effects of rainfall frequency and amount changes on the N fixation capacity of wet meadow soils by varying the rainfall frequency and amount in the Gahai wet meadow in the northeastern margin of the QTP during the plant-growing season in 2019. The treatment scenarios consisted of ambient rain (CK) and supplementary irrigation at a rate of 25 mm, with different irrigation frequencies, namely weekly (DF1), biweekly (DF2), every three weeks (DF3), and every four weeks (DF4). According to the obtained results, the increased rainfall frequency and amount decreased the soil mineral N stock and increased the aboveground vegetation biomass (AB) amounts and soil water contents in the wet meadows of the QTP. Ammonium (NH4+-N) and nitrate N (NO3--N) contributed similarly to the mineral N contents. However, the ammonification process played a major role in the soil mineralization process. The effects of increasing rainfall amount and frequency on N mineralization showed seasonal variations. The N mineralization rate showed a single-peaked curve with increasing soil temperature during the rapid vegetation growth phase, reaching the highest value in August. In addition, the N mineralization rates showed significant positive correlations with soil temperatures and NH4+-N contents and a significant negative correlation with AB (P < 0.05). The results of this study demonstrated the key role of low extreme rainfall event frequencies in increasing the net soil N mineralization rates in the vegetation growing season, which is detrimental to soil N accumulation, thereby affecting the effectiveness of soil N contents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guorong Xu
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Guang Li
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
| | - Jiangqi Wu
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
| | - Weiwei Ma
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Jianyu Yuan
- College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Xiaodan Li
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
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Acetoclastic archaea adaptation under increasing temperature in lake sediments and wetland soils from Alaska. Polar Biol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-023-03120-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
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Cui H, Wang Y, Su X, Wei S, Pang S, Zhu Y, Zhang S, Ma C, Hou W, Jiang H. Response of methanogenic community and their activity to temperature rise in alpine swamp meadow at different water level of the permafrost wetland on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1181658. [PMID: 37213493 PMCID: PMC10198574 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1181658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Wetlands are an important source of atmospheric methane (CH4) and are sensitive to global climate change. Alpine swamp meadows, accounting for ~50% of the natural wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, were considered one of the most important ecosystems. Methanogens are important functional microbes that perform the methane producing process. However, the response of methanogenic community and the main pathways of CH4 production to temperature rise remains unknown in alpine swamp meadow at different water level in permafrost wetlands. In this study, we investigated the response of soil CH4 production and the shift of methanogenic community to temperature rise in the alpine swamp meadow soil samples with different water levels collected from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau through anaerobic incubation at 5°C, 15°C and 25°C. The results showed that the CH4 contents increased with increasing incubation temperature, and were 5-10 times higher at the high water level sites (GHM1 and GHM2) than that at the low water level site (GHM3). For the high water level sites (GHM1 and GHM2), the change of incubation temperatures had little effect on the methanogenic community structure. Methanotrichaceae (32.44-65.46%), Methanobacteriaceae (19.30-58.86%) and Methanosarcinaceae (3.22-21.24%) were the dominant methanogen groups, with the abundance of Methanotrichaceae and Methanosarcinaceae having a significant positive correlation with CH4 production (p < 0.01). For the low water level site (GHM3), the methanogenic community structure changed greatly at 25°C. The Methanobacteriaceae (59.65-77.33%) was the dominant methanogen group at 5°C and 15°C; In contrast, the Methanosarcinaceae (69.29%) dominated at 25°C, and its abundance showed a significant positive correlation with CH4 production (p < 0.05). Collectively, these findings enhance the understanding of methanogenic community structures and CH4 production in permafrost wetlands with different water levels during the warming process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongpeng Cui
- Key Laboratory of Marine Mineral Resources and Polar Geology, Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
- School of Ocean Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanfa Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Mineral Resources and Polar Geology, Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
- School of Ocean Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Su
- Key Laboratory of Marine Mineral Resources and Polar Geology, Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
- School of Ocean Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
- Xin Su,
| | - Shiping Wei
- Key Laboratory of Marine Mineral Resources and Polar Geology, Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
- School of Ocean Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shouji Pang
- Oil and Gas Survey, China Geological Survey, Beijing, China
| | - Youhai Zhu
- Oil and Gas Survey, China Geological Survey, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Zhang
- Oil and Gas Survey, China Geological Survey, Beijing, China
| | - Chenjie Ma
- Key Laboratory of Marine Mineral Resources and Polar Geology, Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
- School of Ocean Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weiguo Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongchen Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Mineral Resources and Polar Geology, Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
- School of Ocean Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Hongchen Jiang,
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Li W, Shi R, Yuan L, Lan X, Feng D, Chen H. Effect of short-term warming and drought on the methanogenic communities in degraded peatlands in Zoige Plateau. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:880300. [PMID: 36386660 PMCID: PMC9650419 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.880300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Peatlands in Qinghai-Tibetan are degrading with climate change and human activities. Peatland degradation and climate change affect methane emissions. Methanogens are key functional microbes during methane production; however, knowledge of methanogens in degraded peatlands is lacking. Here, we investigated the effects of short-term (1 year) warming (OTC), drought (20%), and their combination on methanogens in the degraded peatlands on the Zoige Plateau of China via qPCR and clone library analysis. The results showed that Methanomicrobiales and Methanobacteriales were predominant in all the treatments. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and PERMANOVA analyses showed that the methanogenic community structure among the climate change treatments was not significantly different. The relative abundance of methanogen communities showed insignificant variation among the climate change treatments. The copy number and Shannon diversity of methanogens were significantly different within the climate change treatments, and drought significantly decreased the copy number of methanogens when compared to the control. The Redundancy analysis (RDA) results and correlation analysis showed that the environmental variables measured had no significant effect on methanogenic community structure and Shannon diversity. These results indicate that methanogens are insensitive to short-term climate change in degraded peatlands. This study provides insight into methane emissions from the Zoige Plateau peatlands by focusing on the possible responses of the methanogens to climate-driven changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological Services, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Rui Shi
- Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Lingchen Yuan
- Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Xianli Lan
- Institute of International Rivers and Eco-Security, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Defeng Feng
- Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Defeng Feng,
| | - Huai Chen
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization and Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- Huai Chen,
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9
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Carbon Isotopic Evidence for Gas Hydrate Release and Its Significance on Seasonal Wetland Methane Emission in the Muli Permafrost of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19042437. [PMID: 35206625 PMCID: PMC8872400 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
In order to determine the significant role of gas hydrate in seasonal wetland methane emission at the drilling-affected permafrost, the carbon isotopic monthly field monitoring of methane (CH4), as well as carbon dioxide (CO2), emitted from near-surface soil and a gas hydrate drilling well (DK-8) was conducted in the Muli permafrost of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The methane source effused from the well DK-8 was calculated as -25.9 ± 1.4‱ and -26.5 ± 0.5‱, respectively, by the Keeling and Miller Tans plots, with the carbon isotope fractionation (εC) between CO2 and CH4 from -25.3‱ to -32.1‱. The carbon isotopic signatures are indicative of thermogenic origin associated with gas hydrate dissociation. The near-surface soil-emitted methane has δ13CCH4 values between -52.0 ± 1.2‱ and -43.2 ± 1.8‱ with the heaviest in December and the lightest in July. Further, the εC values of near-surface soil-emitted gases were between 28.6‱ and 47.9‱, significantly correlated with the δ13CCH4 values. The linear correlation between εC and δ13CCH4 values indicated binary end-member of microbial and thermogenic sources control the seasonal variation of wetland methane emission. The thermogenically derived methane was identified as the dominant methane source in autumn and winter, compared with the increasing contribution of microbially derived methane in spring and summer. The finding provides reliable evidence for gas hydrate release on the seasonal wetland methane emission in the Muli permafrost affected by drilling activities. The combined application of εC and δ13CCH4 to distinguish thermogenic from biogenic methane is well established and powerful in complex environments, which can provide an improved constraint on source apportionment for wetland emitted methane in the permafrost of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
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10
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Variations in Soil Enzyme Activities and Microbial Communities along an Altitudinal Gradient on the Eastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12060681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau is the highest plateau in the world and is sensitive to climate change. The dynamics of soil enzyme activities and microbial communities are good indicators of alpine biochemical processes during warming. We collected topsoil (0–10 cm) and subsoil (10–20 cm) samples at altitudes of 3200–4000 m; determined the activities of β-1,4-glucosidase (BG), cellobiohydrolase (CBH), β-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG) and acid phosphomonoesterase (PME); and performed Illumina 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. We found that the soil carbon (total organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon) and nitrogen (total nitrogen and dissolved organic nitrogen) fluctuated with altitude in both the topsoil and subsoil, whereas the dissolved phosphorus continuously decreased with the increasing altitude. BG and CBH decreased from 3200 to 3600 m and increased from 3800 to 4000 m, with the lowest levels occurring at 3600 m (topsoil) and 3800 m (subsoil). NAG and PME showed similar fluctuations with altitude, with the highest levels occurring at 3400 m and 4000 m in both the topsoil and subsoil. Generally, the altitudes from 3600 to 3800 m were an ecological transition belt where most of the nutrients and enzyme activities reached their lowest levels. All of the alpine soils shared similar dominant phyla, including Proteobacteria (32.7%), Acidobacteria (30.2%), Actinobacteria (7.7%), Bacteroidetes (4.4%), Planctomycetes (2.9%), Firmicutes (2.3%), Gemmatimonadetes (2.0%), Chloroflexi, (1.2%) and Nitrospirae (1.2%); Gemmatimonadetes and Verrucomicrobia were significantly affected by soil depth and Planctomycetes, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, Nitrospirae, Latescibacteria and Armatimonadetes were significantly affected by altitude. In addition, nutrient availability, enzyme activity and microbial diversity were higher in the topsoil than in the subsoil, and they had more significant correlations in the subsoil than in the topsoil. Our results provide useful insights into the close linkages between soil nutrient cycling and microbial activities on the eastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, and are of great significance for further assessing the long-term impact of environmental changes in the alpine ecosystems.
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11
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Xu X, Xia Z, Liu Y, Liu E, Müller K, Wang H, Luo J, Wu X, Beiyuan J, Fang Z, Xu J, Di H, Li Y. Interactions between methanotrophs and ammonia oxidizers modulate the response of in situ methane emissions to simulated climate change and its legacy in an acidic soil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 752:142225. [PMID: 33207503 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Methane (CH4) is one of the most important greenhouse gases which can be formed by methanogens and oxidized by methanotrophs, as well as ammonia oxidizers. Agricultural soils can be both a source and sink for atmospheric CH4. However, it is unclear how climate change, will affect CH4 emissions and the underlying functional guilds. In this field study, we determined the impact of simulated climate change (a warmer and drier condition) and its legacy effect on CH4 emissions and the methanogenic and methanotrophic communities, as well as their relationships with ammonia oxidizers in an acidic soil with urea application. The climate change conditions were simulated in a greenhouse, and the legacy effect was simulated by removing the greenhouse after twelve months. Simulated climate change significantly decreased the in situ CH4 emissions in the urea-treated soils while the legacy effect significantly decreased the in situ CH4 emissions in the control plots, but had very little effect in the urea-treated soils. This indicates that the impact of simulated climate change and its legacy on CH4 emissions was significantly modified by nitrogen fertilization. Methanotrophs were more sensitive than methanogens in response to simulated climate change and its legacy effect, especially in the urea treated soil. Significant negative correlations were observed between the abundances of ammonia oxidizers and methanotrophs. Additionally, results of partial least path modeling (PLS-PM) indicated that the interactions of methanogens and methanotrophs with ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) had significant positive relationships with in situ CH4 emissions under the simulated climate change condition. Our work highlights the important role of AOA for CH4 emissions under climate change conditions. Further research is needed to better understand this effect in other ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoya Xu
- College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China; College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China
| | - Zhidan Xia
- School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Yaowei Liu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Enfeng Liu
- College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Karin Müller
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Ruakura Research Centre, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Hailong Wang
- School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China
| | - Jiafa Luo
- AgResearch Ruakura, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
| | - Xiaolian Wu
- School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China
| | - Jingzi Beiyuan
- School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China
| | - Zheng Fang
- School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, China
| | - Jianming Xu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hongjie Di
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yong Li
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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12
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The thermal response of soil microbial methanogenesis decreases in magnitude with changing temperature. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5733. [PMID: 33184291 PMCID: PMC7665204 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19549-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial methanogenesis in anaerobic soils contributes greatly to global methane (CH4) release, and understanding its response to temperature is fundamental to predicting the feedback between this potent greenhouse gas and climate change. A compensatory thermal response in microbial activity over time can reduce the response of respiratory carbon (C) release to temperature change, as shown for carbon dioxide (CO2) in aerobic soils. However, whether microbial methanogenesis also shows a compensatory response to temperature change remains unknown. Here, we used anaerobic wetland soils from the Greater Khingan Range and the Tibetan Plateau to investigate how 160 days of experimental warming (+4°C) and cooling (−4°C) affect the thermal response of microbial CH4 respiration and whether these responses correspond to changes in microbial community dynamics. The mass-specific CH4 respiration rates of methanogens decreased with warming and increased with cooling, suggesting that microbial methanogenesis exhibited compensatory responses to temperature changes. Furthermore, changes in the species composition of methanogenic community under warming and cooling largely explained the compensatory response in the soils. The stimulatory effect of climate warming on soil microbe-driven CH4 emissions may thus be smaller than that currently predicted, with important consequences for atmospheric CH4 concentrations. Soil microbes produce more methane as temperatures warm, but it is unclear if they acclimate to heat, or keep producing more of the greenhouse gas. Here the authors use artificial wetland warming experiments to show that after initial spikes in methane emissions after warming, emissions level out over time.
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13
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Zamanpour MK, Kaliappan RS, Rockne KJ. Gas ebullition from petroleum hydrocarbons in aquatic sediments: A review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 271:110997. [PMID: 32778285 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Gas ebullition in sediment results from biogenic gas production by mixtures of bacteria and archaea. It often occurs in organic-rich sediments that have been impacted by petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) and other anthropogenic pollution. Ebullition occurs under a relatively narrow set of biological, chemical, and sediment geomechanical conditions. This process occurs in three phases: I) biogenic production of primarily methane and dissolved phase transport of the gases in the pore water to a bubble nucleation site, II) bubble growth and sediment fracture, and III) bubble rise to the surface. The rate of biogenic gas production in phase I and the resistance of the sediment to gas fracture in phase II play the most significant roles in ebullition kinetics. What is less understood is the role that substrate structure plays in the rate of methanogenesis that drives gas ebullition. It is well established that methanogens have a very restricted set of compounds that can serve as substrates, so any complex organic molecule must first be broken down to fermentable compounds. Given that most ebullition-active sediments are completely anaerobic, the well-known difficulty in degrading PHCs under anaerobic conditions suggests potential limitations on PHC-derived gas ebullition. To date, there are no studies that conclusively demonstrate that weathered PHCs can alone drive gas ebullition. This review consists of an overview of the factors affecting gas ebullition and the biochemistry of anaerobic PHC biodegradation and methanogenesis in sediment systems. We next compile results from the scholarly literature on PHCs serving as a source of methanogenesis. We combine these results to assess the potential for PHC-driven gas ebullition using energetics, kinetics, and sediment geomechanics analyses. The results suggest that short chain <C10 alkanes are the only PHC class that alone may have the potential to drive ebullition, and that PHC-derived methanogenesis likely plays a minor part in driving gas ebullition in contaminated sediments compared to natural organic matter.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raja Shankar Kaliappan
- Department of Civil and Materials Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Karl John Rockne
- Department of Civil and Materials Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
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14
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Zhang S, Zhang F, Shi Z, Qin A, Wang H, Sun Z, Yang Z, Zhu Y, Pang S, Wang P. Sources of seasonal wetland methane emissions in permafrost regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7520. [PMID: 32371933 PMCID: PMC7200791 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63054-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, systematic soil methane cycle geochemical monitoring was carried out in a typical gas hydrate region in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Soil gas samples were collected for hydrocarbon components and carbon isotope analysis. Meanwhile, soil-methane fluxes from the upper active layer (20-30 cm) were monitored during six months of one year. The results of this research provide evidence of a new source of methane emission from wetland soils in permafrost regions: gas hydrate release. Sites with large methane emissions were found using flux monitoring, the characteristics of thermogenic methane were identified using carbon isotope tracing, and the relationship between emission by soils and effusion from gas hydrates was determined through correlation analyses of soil-adsorbed hydrocarbons. Seasonal variation of methane emissions are also discussed by considering the emission of bacterial methane, thermogenic methane, and the absorption of methane from the soil active layer. These comprehensive findings provide valuable information for carbon cycle research of wetlands in permafrost regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunyao Zhang
- College of Earth Sciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China. .,Institute of Geophysical & Geochemical Exploration, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Langfang, 065000, China. .,Key Laboratory of Geochemical Cycling of Carbon and Mercury in the Earth's Critical Zone, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Langfang, 065000, China.
| | - Fugui Zhang
- Institute of Geophysical & Geochemical Exploration, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Langfang, 065000, China. .,Key Laboratory of Geochemical Cycling of Carbon and Mercury in the Earth's Critical Zone, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Langfang, 065000, China.
| | - Zeming Shi
- College of Earth Sciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China
| | - Aihua Qin
- Institute of Geophysical & Geochemical Exploration, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Langfang, 065000, China
| | - Huiyan Wang
- Institute of Geophysical & Geochemical Exploration, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Langfang, 065000, China.,Key Laboratory of Geochemical Cycling of Carbon and Mercury in the Earth's Critical Zone, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Langfang, 065000, China
| | - Zhongjun Sun
- Institute of Geophysical & Geochemical Exploration, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Langfang, 065000, China.,Key Laboratory of Geochemical Cycling of Carbon and Mercury in the Earth's Critical Zone, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Langfang, 065000, China
| | - Zhibin Yang
- Institute of Geophysical & Geochemical Exploration, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Langfang, 065000, China.,Key Laboratory of Geochemical Cycling of Carbon and Mercury in the Earth's Critical Zone, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Langfang, 065000, China
| | - Youhai Zhu
- Oil and Gas Survey, China Geological Survey, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Shouji Pang
- Oil and Gas Survey, China Geological Survey, Beijing, 100029, China.,Muli Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Gas Hydrate, China Geological Survey, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Pingkang Wang
- Oil and Gas Survey, China Geological Survey, Beijing, 100029, China
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15
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Multifractal Detrended Cross-Correlation Analysis of Global Methane and Temperature. REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12030557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Multifractal Detrended Cross-Correlation Analysis (MF-DCCA) was applied to time series of global methane concentrations and remotely-sensed temperature anomalies of the global lower and mid-troposphere, with the purpose of investigating the multifractal characteristics of their cross-correlated time series and examining their interaction in terms of nonlinear analysis. The findings revealed the multifractal nature of the cross-correlated time series and the existence of positive persistence. It was also found that the cross-correlation in the lower troposphere displayed more abundant multifractal characteristics when compared to the mid-troposphere. The source of multifractality in both cases was found to be mainly the dependence of long-range correlations on different fluctuation magnitudes. Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MF-DFA) was also applied to the time series of global methane and global lower and mid-tropospheric temperature anomalies to separately study their multifractal properties. From the results, it was found that the cross-correlated time series exhibit similar multifractal characteristics to the component time series. This could be another sign of the dynamic interaction between the two climate variables.
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16
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Liu F, Zhang Y, Liang H, Gao D. Long-term harvesting of reeds affects greenhouse gas emissions and microbial functional genes in alkaline wetlands. WATER RESEARCH 2019; 164:114936. [PMID: 31382148 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.114936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Reed (Phragmites australis) is dominant vegetation in alkaline wetlands that is harvested annually due to its economic value. To reveal the effects of harvesting reeds on the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), the annual soil physicochemical characteristics and flux of GHGs in a reed wetland without harvesting (NHRW) and with harvesting (HRW) were measured. The results showed that after the harvesting of reeds, the total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) significantly decreased, and soil temperature significantly increased. The annual cumulative N2O emissions decreased from 0.73 ± 0.20 kg ha-1 to -0.57 ± 0.49 kg ha-1 with the harvesting of reeds. The annual cumulative CH4 emissions also decreased from 561.88 ± 18.61 kg ha-1 to 183.13 ± 18.77 kg ha-1 with the harvesting of reeds. However, harvesting of reeds had only a limited influence on the annual cumulative CO2 emissions. A Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the CO2 and N2O emissions were more sensitive to temperature than the CH4 emissions. Both structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis and slurry incubation confirmed that higher temperatures offset the reduction of CO2 emissions after reed harvesting. Metagenomics showed that the abundance of functional genes involved in both GHG sink and source decreased with reed harvesting. This study presents a comprehensive view of reed harvesting on GHG emissions in alkaline wetlands, yielding new insight into the microbial response and offering a novel perspective on the potential impacts of wetland management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengqin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Yupeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Hong Liang
- School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China.
| | - Dawen Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China; School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China.
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17
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The acetotrophic pathway dominates methane production in Zoige alpine wetland coexisting with hydrogenotrophic pathway. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9141. [PMID: 31235734 PMCID: PMC6591398 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45590-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
As a typical alpine wetland on the Tibetan Plateau, the Zoige wetland processes a large carbon stock and is a hotspot of methane emission. To date, many studies have investigated the methane flux in this wetland; however, the research on the source of methane in the soils of Zoige wetland is not clear enough. In this study, we determined the dynamic characteristics of the stable carbon isotopes during the methanogenesis of Zoige wetland soil and the corresponding microbial changes. The results showed that the δ13CH4 varied between −19.86‰ and −28.32‰ and the αC ranged from 1.0029 to 1.0104 in the methanogenesis process, which suggests the dominance of acetotrophic methanogenesis. And among the increased methanogens, acetotrophic methanogens multiplied more obviously than hydrogenotrophic menthanogens. In addition, the results of structural equation models showed that the variations in stable carbon isotopes during the process were mainly affected by acetotrophic methanogens. Although the acetotrophic pathway was dominate, the varied isotope characteristics, increased methanogens and ratio of carbon dioxide to methane all showed that hydrogenotrophic and acetotrophic methanogenesis coexisted in the Zoige wetland. Overall, our study provided a detailed and definitive information to the source of methane in the soil of the Zoige wetland and laid a foundation of mechanism to the research of greenhouse gas in this alpine wetland.
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18
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Liu P, Klose M, Conrad R. Temperature-Dependent Network Modules of Soil Methanogenic Bacterial and Archaeal Communities. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:496. [PMID: 30915063 PMCID: PMC6422946 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Temperature is an important factor regulating the production of the greenhouse gas CH4. Structure and function of the methanogenic microbial communities are often drastically different upon incubation at 45°C versus 25°C or 35°C, but are also different in different soils. However, the extent of taxonomic redundancy within each functional group and the existence of different temperature-dependent microbial community network modules are unknown. Therefore, we investigated paddy soils from Italy and the Philippines and a desert soil from Utah (United States), which all expressed CH4 production upon flooding and exhibited structural and functional differences upon incubation at three different temperatures. We continued incubation of the pre-incubated soils (Liu et al., 2018) by changing the temperature in a factorial manner. We determined composition, abundance and function of the methanogenic archaeal and bacterial communities using HiSeq Illumina sequencing, qPCR and analysis of activity and stable isotope fractionation, respectively. Heatmap analysis of operational taxonomic units (OTU) from the different incubations gave detailed insights into the community structures and their putative functions. Network analysis showed that the microbial communities in the different soils were all organized within modules distinct for the three incubation temperatures. The diversity of Bacteria and Archaea was always lower at 45°C than at 25 or 35°C. A shift from 45°C to lower temperatures did not recover archaeal diversity, but nevertheless resulted in the establishment of structures and functions that were largely typical for soil at moderate temperatures. At 25 and 35°C and after shifting to one of these temperatures, CH4 was always produced by a combination of acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis being consistent with the presence of acetoclastic (Methanosarcinaceae, Methanotrichaceae) and hydrogenotrophic (Methanobacteriales, Methanocellales, Methanosarcinaceae) methanogens. At 45°C, however, or after shifting from moderate temperatures to 45°C, only the Philippines soil maintained such combination, while the other soils were devoid of acetoclastic methanogens and consumed acetate instead by syntrophic acetate oxidation coupled to hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Syntrophic acetate oxidation was apparently achieved by Thermoanaerobacteraceae, which were especially abundant in Italian paddy soil and Utah desert soil when incubated at 45°C. Other bacterial taxa were also differently abundant at 45°C versus moderate temperatures, as seen by the formation of specific network modules. However, the archaeal OTUs with putative function in acetoclastic or hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis as well as the bacterial OTUs were usually not identical across the different soils and incubation conditions, and if they were, they suggested the existence of mesophilic and thermophilic ecotypes within the same OTUs. Overall, methanogenic function was determined by the bacterial and/or archaeal community structures, which in turn were to quite some extent determined by the incubation temperature, albeit largely individually in each soil. There was quite some functional redundancy as seen by different taxonomic community structures in the different soils and at the different temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Liu
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Klose
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ralf Conrad
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
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19
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Li T, Li H, Zhang Q, Ma Z, Yu L, Lu Y, Niu Z, Sun W, Liu J. Prediction of CH 4 emissions from potential natural wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau during the 21st century. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 657:498-508. [PMID: 30550913 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The alpine wetlands on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are ecosystems vulnerable to global climate change. It has been recognized that future climate change may have a significant impact on methane (CH4) emissions from the plateau, while less attention has been paid to predicting temporal and spatial variations in CH4 emissions from TP natural wetlands. In this study, we used an integrated model framework based on the CH4MODwetland, TOPMODEL and TEM models to predict CH4 emissions from potential natural wetlands on the TP under IPCC AR5 scenarios from 2006 to 2100. The model estimates suggest that the mean area-weighted CH4 fluxes will increase from 4.45 ± 0.42 g m-2 yr-1 in 2006 to 4.79 ± 0.72, 5.99 ± 0.85 and 11.53 ± 1.33 g m-2 yr-1 under 3 Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios (RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios), respectively, by 2100. The dominant drivers stimulating CH4 emissions are air temperature, precipitation and net primary productivity (NPP). Spatially, CH4 fluxes and emissions showed a decreasing trend from south to north and from east to west. In response to climate change, a total of 0.42 ± 0.06, 0.54 ± 0.09 and 1.01 ± 0.12 Tg yr-1 of CH4 emissions will be emitted from the TP's potential natural wetlands by the end of this century under the RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Li
- LAPC, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hailing Li
- LAPC, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- LAPC, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Zhenfeng Ma
- Sichuan Climate Centre, Chengdu 610071, China
| | - Lingfei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Yanyu Lu
- Anhui Climate Center, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Zhenguo Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Jointly Sponsored by Institute of Remote Sensing Applications, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wenjuan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Sichuan Climate Centre, Chengdu 610071, China
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20
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Characterizing Hydrological Connectivity of Artificial Ditches in Zoige Peatlands of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. WATER 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/w10101364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Peats have the unique ability of effectively storing water and carbon. Unfortunately, this ability has been undermined by worldwide peatland degradation. In the Zoige Basin, located in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, peatland degradation is particularly severe. Although climate change and (natural and artificial) drainage systems have been well-recognized as the main factors catalyzing this problem, little is known about the impact of the latter on peatland hydrology at larger spatial scales. To fill this gap, we examined the hydrological connectivity of artificial ditch networks using Google Earth imagery and recorded hydrological data in the Zoige Basin. After delineating from the images of 1392 ditches and 160 peatland patches in which these ditches were clustered, we calculated their lengths, widths, areas, and slopes, as well as two morphological parameters, ditch density (Dd) and drainage ability (Pa). The subsequent statistical analysis and examination of an index defined as the product Dd and Pa showed that structural hydrological connectivity, which was quantitatively represented by the value of this index, decreased when peatland patch areas increased, suggesting that ditches in small patches have higher degrees of hydrological connectivity. Using daily discharge data from three local gauging stations and Manning’s equation, we back-calculated the mean ditch water depths (Dm) during raining days of a year and estimated based on Dm the total water volume drained from ditches in each patch (V) during annual raining days. We then demonstrated that functional hydrological connectivity, which may be represented by V, generally decreased when patch areas increased, more sensitive to changes of ditch number and length in larger peatland patches. Furthermore, we found that the total water volume drained from all ditches during annual raining days only took a very small proportion of the total volume of stream flow out of the entire watershed (0.0012%) and this nature remained similar for the past 30 years, suggesting that during annual rainfall events, water drained from connected ditches is negligible. This revealed that the role of connected artificial ditches in draining peatland water mainly takes effect during the prolonged dry season of a year in the Zoige Basin.
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21
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Sepulveda-Jauregui A, Hoyos-Santillan J, Martinez-Cruz K, Walter Anthony KM, Casper P, Belmonte-Izquierdo Y, Thalasso F. Eutrophication exacerbates the impact of climate warming on lake methane emission. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 636:411-419. [PMID: 29709858 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Net methane (CH4) emission from lakes depends on two antagonistic processes: CH4 production (methanogenesis) and CH4 oxidation (methanotrophy). It is unclear how climate warming will affect the balance between these processes, particularly among lakes of different trophic status. Here we show that methanogenesis is more sensitive to temperature than methanotrophy, and that eutrophication magnifies this temperature sensitivity. Using laboratory incubations of water and sediment from ten tropical, temperate and subarctic lakes with contrasting trophic states, ranging from oligotrophic to hypereutrophic, we explored the temperature sensitivity of methanogenesis and methanotrophy. We found that both processes presented a higher temperature sensitivity in tropical lakes, followed by temperate, and subarctic lakes; but more importantly, we found that eutrophication triggered a higher temperature sensitivity. A model fed by our empirical data revealed that increasing lake water temperature by 2 °C leads to a net increase in CH4 emissions by 101-183% in hypereutrophic lakes and 47-56% in oligotrophic lakes. We conclude that climate warming will tilt the CH4 balance towards higher lake emission and that this impact will be exacerbated by the eutrophication of the lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Sepulveda-Jauregui
- Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, United States; Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 16775 Stechlin, Germany.
| | - Jorge Hoyos-Santillan
- Division of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, East Midlands LE12 5RD, United Kingdom.
| | - Karla Martinez-Cruz
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 16775 Stechlin, Germany; Biotechnology and Bioengineering Department, Cinvestav, Mexico City 07360, Mexico.
| | - Katey M Walter Anthony
- Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, United States.
| | - Peter Casper
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 16775 Stechlin, Germany.
| | | | - Frédéric Thalasso
- Biotechnology and Bioengineering Department, Cinvestav, Mexico City 07360, Mexico.
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22
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Zhang Y, Cui M, Duan J, Zhuang X, Zhuang G, Ma A. Abundance, rather than composition, of methane-cycling microbes mainly affects methane emissions from different vegetation soils in the Zoige alpine wetland. Microbiologyopen 2018; 8:e00699. [PMID: 30047238 PMCID: PMC6460274 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Methane fluxes, which are controlled by methanogens and methanotrophs, vary among wetland vegetation species. In this study, we investigated belowground methanogens and methanotrophs in two soils under two different dominant vegetation species with different methane fluxes in the Zoige wetland, which was slightly but significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in soils covered by Carex muliensis than that in soils covered by Eleocharis valleculosa. Real‐time quantitative PCR and Illumina MiSeq sequencing methods were used to elucidate the microbial communities based on the key genes involved in methane production and oxidation. The absolute abundances of methanogens and methanotrophs of samples from C. muliensis were 1.80 ± 0.07 × 106 and 4.03 ± 0.28 × 106 copies g‐soil−1, respectively, and which from E. valleculosa were 3.99 ± 0.19 × 105 and 2.53 ± 0.22 × 106 copies g‐soil−1 , respectively. The t‐test result showed that both the abundance of methanogens and methanotrophs from C. muliensis were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) than that of samples from E. valleculosa. However, the diversities and compositions of both methanogens and methanotrophs showed no significant differences (p ≥ 0.05) between vegetation species. The path analysis showed that the microbial abundance had a greater effect than the microbial diversity on methane production potentials and the regression analysis also showed that the methane emissions significantly (p ≤ 0.05) varied with the abundance of methane‐cycling microbes. These findings imply that abundance rather than diversity and composition of a methane‐cycling microbial community is the major contributor to the variations in methane emissions between vegetation types in the Zoige wetland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mengmeng Cui
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingbo Duan
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics & Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
| | - Xuliang Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guoqiang Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Anzhou Ma
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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23
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Ren G, Ma A, Zhang Y, Deng Y, Zheng G, Zhuang X, Zhuang G, Fortin D. Electron acceptors for anaerobic oxidation of methane drive microbial community structure and diversity in mud volcanoes. Environ Microbiol 2018; 20:2370-2385. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ge Ren
- Research Center for Eco‐Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing 100085 China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing 100049 China
| | - Anzhou Ma
- Research Center for Eco‐Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing 100085 China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing 100049 China
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)Los Angeles CA 90095 USA
| | - Yanfen Zhang
- Research Center for Eco‐Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing 100085 China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing 100049 China
| | - Ye Deng
- Research Center for Eco‐Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing 100085 China
| | - Guodong Zheng
- Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing 100029 China
| | - Xuliang Zhuang
- Research Center for Eco‐Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing 100085 China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing 100049 China
| | - Guoqiang Zhuang
- Research Center for Eco‐Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing 100085 China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing 100049 China
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24
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Laskar F, Das Purkayastha S, Sen A, Bhattacharya MK, Misra BB. Diversity of methanogenic archaea in freshwater sediments of lacustrine ecosystems. J Basic Microbiol 2017; 58:101-119. [PMID: 29083035 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.201700341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
About half of the global methane (CH4 ) emission is contributed by the methanogenic archaeal communities leading to a significant increase in global warming. This unprecedented situation has increased the ever growing necessity of evaluating the control measures for limiting CH4 emission to the atmosphere. Unfortunately, research endeavors on the diversity and functional interactions of methanogens are not extensive till date. We anticipate that the study of the diversity of methanogenic community is paramount for understanding the metabolic processes in freshwater lake ecosystems. Although there are several disadvantages of conventional culture-based methods for determining the diversity of methanogenic archaeal communities, in order to understand their ecological roles in natural environments it is required to culture the microbes. Recently different molecular techniques have been developed for determining the structure of methanogenic archaeal communities thriving in freshwater lake ecosystem. The two gene based cloning techniques required for this purpose are 16S rRNA and methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcrA) in addition to the recently developed metagenomics approaches and high throughput next generation sequencing efforts. This review discusses the various methods of culture-dependent and -independent measures of determining the diversity of methanogen communities in lake sediments in lieu of the different molecular approaches and inter-relationships of diversity of methanogenic archaea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Folguni Laskar
- Advance Institutional Biotech Hub, Karimganj College, Karimganj, Assam, India
| | | | - Aniruddha Sen
- Advance Institutional Biotech Hub, Karimganj College, Karimganj, Assam, India
| | | | - Biswapriya B Misra
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio 78227, Texas, USA
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25
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Wen X, Yang S, Horn F, Winkel M, Wagner D, Liebner S. Global Biogeographic Analysis of Methanogenic Archaea Identifies Community-Shaping Environmental Factors of Natural Environments. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1339. [PMID: 28769904 PMCID: PMC5513909 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Methanogenic archaea are important for the global greenhouse gas budget since they produce methane under anoxic conditions in numerous natural environments such as oceans, estuaries, soils, and lakes. Whether and how environmental change will propagate into methanogenic assemblages of natural environments remains largely unknown owing to a poor understanding of global distribution patterns and environmental drivers of this specific group of microorganisms. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis targeting the biogeographic patterns and environmental controls of methanogenic communities using 94 public mcrA gene datasets. We show a global pattern of methanogenic archaea that is more associated with habitat filtering than with geographical dispersal. We identify salinity as the control on methanogenic community composition at global scale whereas pH and temperature are the major controls in non-saline soils and lakes. The importance of salinity for structuring methanogenic community composition is also reflected in the biogeography of methanogenic lineages and the physiological properties of methanogenic isolates. Linking methanogenic alpha-diversity with reported values of methane emission identifies estuaries as the most diverse methanogenic habitats with, however, minor contribution to the global methane budget. With salinity, temperature and pH our study identifies environmental drivers of methanogenic community composition facing drastic changes in many natural environments at the moment. However, consequences of this for the production of methane remain elusive owing to a lack of studies that combine methane production rate with community analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Wen
- Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, GFZ German Research Centre for GeosciencesPotsdam, Germany.,College of Electrical Engineering, Northwest University for NationalitiesLanzhou, China
| | - Sizhong Yang
- Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, GFZ German Research Centre for GeosciencesPotsdam, Germany.,State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of SciencesLanzhou, China
| | - Fabian Horn
- Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, GFZ German Research Centre for GeosciencesPotsdam, Germany
| | - Matthias Winkel
- Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, GFZ German Research Centre for GeosciencesPotsdam, Germany
| | - Dirk Wagner
- Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, GFZ German Research Centre for GeosciencesPotsdam, Germany
| | - Susanne Liebner
- Section 5.3 Geomicrobiology, GFZ German Research Centre for GeosciencesPotsdam, Germany
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26
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Rewetting Decreases Carbon Emissions from the Zoige Alpine Peatland on the Tibetan Plateau. SUSTAINABILITY 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/su9060948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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27
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Wu X, Cao R, Wei X, Xi X, Shi P, Eisenhauer N, Sun S. Soil drainage facilitates earthworm invasion and subsequent carbon loss from peatland soil. J Appl Ecol 2017; 54:1291-1300. [PMID: 30319142 PMCID: PMC6181200 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
1. Human activities have been a significant driver of environmental changes with tremendous consequences for carbon dynamics. Peatlands are critical ecosystems because they store ~30% of the global soil organic carbon pool and are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic changes. The Zoige peatland on the eastern Tibet Plateau, as the largest alpine peatland in the world, accounts for 1‰ of global peat soil organic carbon storage. However, this peatland has experienced dramatic climate change including increased temperature and reduced precipitation in the past decades, which likely is responsible for a decline of the water table and facilitated earthworm invasion, two major factors reducing soil organic carbon (SOC) storage of peatlands. 2. Because earthworms are often more active in low- than in high- moisture peatlands, we hypothesized that the simultaneous occurrence of water table decline and earthworm invasion would synergistically accelerate the release of SOC from peatland soil. We conducted a field experiment with a paired split-plot design, i.e. presence vs. absence of the invasive earthworms (Pheretima aspergillum) nested in drained vs. undrained plots, respectively, for three years within the homogenous Zoige peatland. 3. Water table decline significantly decreased soil water content and bulk density, resulting in a marked reduction of SOC storage. Moreover, consistent with our hypothesis, earthworm presence dramatically reduced SOC in the drained but not in the undrained peatland through the formation of deep burrows and decreasing bulk density of the lower soil layer over three years. The variation in SOC likely was due to changes in aboveground plant biomass, root growth, and earthworm behavior induced by the experimental treatments. 4. Synthesis and applications. We suggest that incentive measures should be taken to prevent further water table decline and earthworm invasion for maintaining the soil C pool in Zoige peatland. Artificial filling of drainage canals should be implemented to increase the water table level, facilitating the recovery of drained peatlands. Moreover, the dispersal of earthworms and their cocoons attached to the roots of crop plants and tree saplings from low-lying areas to the Zoige region should be controlled and restricted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinwei Wu
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Rui Cao
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xue Wei
- Center for Ecological Studies, Chengdu Institute of Biology, 9 Section 4 Renminnan Rd, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xinqiang Xi
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Peili Shi
- Lhasa National Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Shucun Sun
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- Center for Ecological Studies, Chengdu Institute of Biology, 9 Section 4 Renminnan Rd, Chengdu 610041, China
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28
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A lake data set for the Tibetan Plateau from the 1960s, 2005, and 2014. Sci Data 2016; 3:160039. [PMID: 27328160 PMCID: PMC4915272 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2016.39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term datasets of number and size of lakes over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are among the most critical components for better understanding the interactions among the cryosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere at regional and global scales. Due to the harsh environment and the scarcity of data over the TP, data accumulation and sharing become more valuable for scientists worldwide to make new discoveries in this region. This paper, for the first time, presents a comprehensive and freely available data set of lakes’ status (name, location, shape, area, perimeter, etc.) over the TP region dating back to the 1960s, including three time series, i.e., the 1960s, 2005, and 2014, derived from ground survey (the 1960s) or high-spatial-resolution satellite images from the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) (2005) and China’s newly launched GaoFen-1 (GF-1, which means high-resolution images in Chinese) satellite (2014). The data set could provide scientists with useful information for revealing environmental changes and mechanisms over the TP region.
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29
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Xie S, Qu J, Lai Y, Xu X, Pang Y. Key evidence of the role of desertification in protecting the underlying permafrost in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15152. [PMID: 26468777 PMCID: PMC4606803 DOI: 10.1038/srep15152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has shown that the temperature of underlying permafrost decreases after the ground surface is covered with sand. No significant conclusions have yet been drawn that explain why this happens, because the heat transfer mechanism effects of the sand layer on the underlying permafrost remain unclear. These mechanisms were studied in the present work. We found that the upward shortwave radiation flux of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau ground surface with a sand layer covering was higher than that of the surface without sand; thus, the atmospheric heat reflected by the sand layer is greater than that reflected by the surface without sand. Therefore, the net radiation of the surface with the sand layer is lower than that of the surface without sand, which reduces the heat available to warm the sand layer. Because sand is both a porous medium and a weak pervious conductor with poor heat conductivity, less heat is conducted through the sand layer to the underground permafrost than in soil without the sand deposition layer. This phenomenon results in a decrease in the ground temperature of the permafrost under the sand layer, which plays a key role in protecting the permafrost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbo Xie
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification/State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering/Dunhuang Gobi and Desert Research Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jianjun Qu
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification/State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering/Dunhuang Gobi and Desert Research Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yuanming Lai
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification/State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering/Dunhuang Gobi and Desert Research Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiangtian Xu
- Institute of Transportation, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, China
| | - Yingjun Pang
- Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
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