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Composition of Methane-Oxidizing Bacterial Communities as a Function of Nutrient Loading in the Florida Everglades

  • Soil Microbiology
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Abstract

Agricultural runoff of phosphorus (P) in the northern Florida Everglades has resulted in several ecosystem level changes, including shifts in the microbial ecology of carbon cycling, with significantly higher methane being produced in the nutrient-enriched soils. Little is, however, known of the structure and activities of methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) in these environments. To address this, 0 to 10 cm plant-associated soil cores were collected from nutrient-impacted (F1), transition (F4), and unimpacted (U3) areas, sectioned in 2-cm increments, and methane oxidation rates were measured. F1 soils consumed approximately two-fold higher methane than U3 soils; additionally, most probable numbers of methanotrophs were 4-log higher in F1 than U3 soils. Metabolically active MOB containing pmoA sequences were characterized by stable-isotope probing using 10 % (v/v) 13CH4. pmoA sequences, encoding the alpha subunit of methane monooxygenase and related to type I methanotrophs, were identified from both impacted and unimpacted soils. Additionally, impacted soils also harbored type II methanotrophs, which have been shown to exhibit preferences for high methane concentrations. Additionally, across all soils, novel pmoA-type sequences were also detected, indicating presence of MOB specific to the Everglades. Multivariate statistical analyses confirmed that eutrophic soils consisted of metabolically distinct MOB community that is likely driven by nutrient enrichment. This study enhances our understanding on the biological fate of methane being produced in productive wetland soils of the Florida Everglades and how nutrient-enrichment affects the composition of methanotroph bacterial communities.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants DEB-0078368 and DEB-1027053 from the National Science Foundation and partly by the Department of Defense grants W911NF-10-1-0146 and W911NF-10-R-0006. We acknowledge Dr. Sue Newman for assistance in soil sampling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of the Environment, Florida A&M University, 1515 S. MLK Blvd., Suite 305B, Building FSHSRC, Tallahassee, FL, 32307, USA

    Ashvini Chauhan & Ashish Pathak

  2. Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida, PO Box 110290, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0290, USA

    Andrew Ogram

Authors
  1. Ashvini Chauhan
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  2. Ashish Pathak
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  3. Andrew Ogram
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Correspondence to Ashvini Chauhan.

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Chauhan, A., Pathak, A. & Ogram, A. Composition of Methane-Oxidizing Bacterial Communities as a Function of Nutrient Loading in the Florida Everglades. Microb Ecol 64, 750–759 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-012-0058-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-012-0058-2

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