Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Processes involved in formation and emission of methane in rice paddies

  • Published:
Biogeochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The seasonal change of the rates of production and emission of methane were determined under in-situ conditions in an Italian rice paddy in 1985 and 1986. The contribution to total emission of CH4 of plant-mediated transport, ebullition, and diffusion through the flooding water was quantified by cutting the plants and by trapping emerging gas bubbles with funnels. Both production and emission of CH4 increased during the season and reached a maximum in August. However, the numbers of methanogenic bacteria did not change. As the rice plants grew and the contribution of plant-mediated CH4 emission increased, the percentage of the produced CH4 which was reoxidized and thus, was not emitted, also increased. At its maximum, about 300 ml CH4 were produced per m2 per hour. However, only about 6% were emitted and this was by about 96% via plant-mediated transport. Radiotracer experiments showed that CH, was produced from H2/CO2. (30–50%) and from acetate. The pool concentration of acetate was in the range of 6–10 mM. The turnover time of acetate was 12–16 h. Part of the acetate pool appeared to be not available for production of CH4 or CO2

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alperin MJ & Reeburgh WS (1984) Geochemical observations supporting anaerobic methane oxidation. In: Crawford RL & Hanson RS (Eds) Microbial Growth on Cl Compounds (pp 282–289) American Society for Microbiology, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong W (1979) Aeration in higher plants. Advances in Botanical Research 7: 226–332

    Google Scholar 

  • Balch WE, Fox GE, Magrum LJ, Woese CR & Wolfe RS (1979) Methanogens: reevaluation of a unique biological group. Microbiological Reviews 43: 260–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Blake DR (1984) Increasing concentrations of atmospheric methane, 1979–1980. PhD thesis, University of California, Irvine

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolle HJ, Seiler W & Bolin B (1987) Other greenhouse gases and aerosols. Assesing their role for atmospheric radiative transfer. In: Bolin B (Eds) An Assessment of the Role of Carbon Dioxide and of Other Radiatively Active Constituents in Climatic Variations and Associated Impacts. Wiley, Chichester (in press)

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Christensen D & Blackburn TH (1982) Turnover of14C-labelled acetate in marine sediments. Marine Biology 71: 113–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Cicerone RJ & Shetter JD (1981) Sources of atmospheric methane: measurements in rice paddies and a discussion. Journal of Geophysical Research 86: 7203–7209

    Google Scholar 

  • Cicerone RJ, Shetter JD & Delwiche CC (1983) Seasonal variation of methane flux from a Californian rice paddy. Journal of Geophysical Research 88: 11022–11024

    Google Scholar 

  • Conrad R (1984) Capacity of aerobic microorganisms to utilize and grow on atmospheric trace gases (H2, CO, CH4). In: Klug MJ & Reddy CA (Eds) Current Perspectives in Microbial Ecology (pp 461–467) American Society for Microbiology, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Conrad R & Babbel M (1988) Effect of dilution on methanogenesis, hydrogen turnover and interspecies hydrogen transfer in anoxic paddy soil. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. (submitted)

  • Conrad R, Schütz H &Babbel M (1987) Temperature limitation of hydrogen turnover and methanogenesis in anoxic paddy soil. FEMS Microbiology Ecology (in press)

  • Crutzen PJ (1987) Role of the tropics in atmospheric chemistry. In: Dickinson RE (130) Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Dacey JWH (1980) Internal winds in water lilies: an adaptation for life in anaerobic sediments. Science 210: 1017–1019

    Google Scholar 

  • DeBont JAM, Lee KK & Bouldin DF (1978) Bacterial oxidation of methane in a rice paddy. Ecological Bulletin (Stockholm) 26: 91–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehhalt DH & Schmidt U (1978) Sources and sinks of atmospheric methane. Pure and Applied Geophysics 116: 452–464

    Google Scholar 

  • Freney JR, Jacq VA & Baldensperger JF (1982) The significance of the biological sulfur cycle in rice production. Developments in Plant and Soil Science 5: 271–317

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia JL, Raimbault M, Jacq V, Rinaudo G & Roger P (1974) Activites microbiennes dans les sols rizieres du Senegal: relations avec les characteristiques physico chimiques et influence de la rhizosphere. Revue d'Ecologie et de Biologie du Sol 11: 169–185

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia JL & Tiedje JM (1982) Denitrification in rice soils. Developments in Plant and Soil Science. 5: 187–208

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson RS (1980) Ecology and diversity of methylotrophic organisms. Advances in applied Microbiology 26: 3–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollis JP & Rodriguez-Kabana R (1967) Fatty acids in Louisiana rice fields. Phytopathology 57: 841–847

    Google Scholar 

  • Holzapfel-Pschorn A, Conrad R. & Seiler W (1985) Production, oxidation and emission of methane in rice paddies. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 31: 343–351

    Google Scholar 

  • Holzapfel-Pschorn A, Conrad R & Seiler W (1986) Effects of vegetation on the emission of methane by submerged paddy soil. Plant and Soil 92: 223–233

    Google Scholar 

  • Holzapfel-Pschorn A & Seiler W (1986) Methane emission during a cultivation period from an Italian rice paddy. Journal of Geophysical Research 91: 11803–11814

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones JG & Simon BM (1985) Interaction of acetogens and methanogens in anerobic freshwater sediments. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 49: 944–948

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones WJ, Nagle Jr DP & Whitman WB (1987) Methanogenesis and the diversity of archaebacteria. Microbiological Reviews 51: 135–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Joshi MM & Hollis JP (1977) Interaction of Beggiatoa and rice plant; detoxification of hydrogen sulfide in the rice rhizosphere. Science 195: 179–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Khalil MAK & Rasmussen RA (1983) Sources, sinks, and seasonal cycles of atmospheric methane. Journal of Geophysical Research 88: 5131–5144

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiene RP & Capone DG (1985) Degassing of pore water methane during sediment incubations. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 49: 143–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovley DR & Klug MJ (1982) Intermediary metabolism of organic matter in the sediments of a eutrophic lake. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 43: 552–560

    Google Scholar 

  • Mah RA & Smith MR (1981) The methanogenic bacteria In: Starr MP, Stolp HG, Trüper A, Balows A, Schlegel HG (eds) The prokaryotes. Vol 1. (pp 948–977)

  • Parkes RJ, Taylor J & Joerck-Ramberg D. (1984) Demonstration, using Desulfobacter sp., of two pools of acetate with different biological availabilities in marine pore water. Marine Biology 83: 271–276

    Google Scholar 

  • Phelps TJ & Zeikus JG (1984) Influence of pH on terminal carbon metabolism in anoxic sediments from a mildly acidic lake. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 48: 1088–1095

    Google Scholar 

  • Phelps TJ & Zeikus JG (1985) Effect of fall turnover on terminal carbon metabolism in Lake mendota sediments. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 50: 1285–1291

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy KR & Patrick Jr WH (1984) Nitrogen transformations and loss in flooded soils and sediments. CRC Critical Reviews of Environment Control 13: 273–310

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudd JWM & Taylor CD (1980) Methane cycling in aquatic environments. Advances in Aquatic Microbiology 2: 77–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Schink B (1985) Mechanisms and kinetics of succinate and propionate degradation in anoxic freshwater sediments and sewage sludge. Journal of General Microbiology 131: 643–650

    Google Scholar 

  • Schink B (1988) Principles and limits of anaerobic degradation: environmental and technological aspects. In: Zehnder AJB (Eds) Environmental Microbiology of Anaerobes Wiley, New York (in press)

    Google Scholar 

  • Schönheit P, Kristjansson JK & Thauer RK (1982) Kinetic mechanism for the ability of sulfate reducers to out-compete methanogens for acetate. Archives of Microbiology 132: 285–288

    Google Scholar 

  • Schütz H, Conrad R, Goodwin S & Seiler W (1987) Emission of hydrogen from deep and shallow freshwater environments. Biogeochemistry (in press)

  • Sebacher DI, Harriss RC & Bartlett KB (1985) Methane emissions to the atmosphere through aquatic plants. Journal of Environmental Quality 14: 40–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Seiler W (1984) Contribution of biological processes to the global budget of CH4 in the atmosphere. In: Klug MJ & Reddy CA (Eds) Current Perspectives in Microbial Ecology. American Society for Microbiology, Washington (pp 468–477)

    Google Scholar 

  • Seiler W, Holzapfel-Pschorn A, Conrad R & Scharffe D (1984) Methane emission from rice paddies. Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 1: 241–268

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaw DG, Alperin MJ, Reeburgh WS & McIntosh (1984) Biogeochemistry of acetate in anoxic sediments of Skan Bay, Alaska. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 48: 1819–1825

    Google Scholar 

  • Takai Y (1970) The mechanism of methane fermentation in flooded paddy soil. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 16: 238–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson LA & Nedwell DB (1985) Existence of different pools of fatty acids in anaerobic model ecosystems and their availability to microbial metabolism. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 31: 141–146

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward DM & Winfrey MR (1985) Interactions between methanogenic and sulphate-reducing bacteria in sediments. Advances in Aquatic Microbiology 3: 141–179

    Google Scholar 

  • Widdel F (1986) Growth of methanogenic bacteria in pure culture with 2-propanol and other alcohols as hydrogen donor. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 51: 1056–1062

    Google Scholar 

  • Zehnder AJB (1978) Ecology of methane formation. In: Mitchell R (Ed) Water Pollution Microbiology. Vol 2. (pp 349–376) Wiley, New York

  • Zehnder AJB, Huser BA & Brock TD (1979) Measuring radioactive methane with the liquid scintillation counter. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 37: 897–899

    Google Scholar 

  • Zehnder AJB, Huser BA, Brock TD & Wuhrmann K (1980) Characterization of an acetatedecarboxylating non-hydrogen-oxidizing methane bacterium. Archives of Microbiology 124: 1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeikus JG (1977) The biology of methanogenic bacteria. Bacteriological Reviews 41: 514–541

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeikus JG (1983) Metabolic communication between biodegradative populations in nature. In: Slater JH, Whittenbury R, Wimpenny JWT (Eds) Microbes in Their Natural Environments (pp 423–462) Cambridge University Press, London

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fraunhofer Institut für Atmosphärische Umweltforschung, Kreuzeckbahnstr. 19, D-8100, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

    Helmut Schütz & Wolfgang Seiler

  2. Universität Konstanz, Fakultät für Biologie, P.O.Box 5560, Germany

    Ralf Conrad

Authors
  1. Helmut Schütz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wolfgang Seiler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ralf Conrad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Schütz, H., Seiler, W. & Conrad, R. Processes involved in formation and emission of methane in rice paddies. Biogeochemistry 7, 33–53 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00000896

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00000896

Key words

Search

Navigation