Activity and metabolic regulation of methane production in deep peat profiles of boreal bogs

Abstract

The potential activity of methane production was determined in the vertical profiles of the peat deposits of three bogs in Tver oblast, which were representative of the boreal zone. In the minerotrophic fen, the rates of methane production measured throughout the profile did not change significantly with depth and comprised 3–6 ng CH₄-C g⁻¹ h⁻¹. In ombrotrophic peat bogs, the rate did not exceed 5 ng CH₄-C g⁻¹ h⁻¹ in the upper layer of the profile (up to 1.5 m) and increased to 15–30 ng CH₄-C g⁻¹ h⁻¹ in the deep layers of the peat deposits. The distribution of fermentative microorganisms and methanogens in the profiles of peat deposits was uniform in all the studied bogs. In bog water samples, the presence of butyrate (up to 14.1 mg 1⁻¹) and acetate (up to 2.4 mg 1⁻¹) was revealed throughout the whole profile; in the upper 0.5-m layer of the ombrotrophic bogs, formate (up to 8.9 mg 1⁻¹) and propionate (up to 0.3 mg 1⁻¹) were detected as well. The arrangement of local maxima of the fatty acid content and methanogenic activity in the peat deposits, as well as the decrease in the acetate concentrations during summer, support the hypothesis that the initial substrates for methanogenesis come from the upper peat layers. It was established that the addition of sulfate and nitrate inhibits methane production in peat samples; the changes in the concentrations, recorded in situ, may also influence the methane content in peat layers.