Temperature impacts differentially on the methanogenic food web of cellulose-supplemented peatland soil

The impact of temperature on the largely unresolved intermediary ecosystem metabolism and associated unknown microbiota that link cellulose degradation and methane production in soils of a moderately acidic (pH 4.5) fen was investigated. Supplemental [(13) C]cellulose stimulated the accumulation of propionate, acetate and carbon dioxide as well as initial methane production in anoxic peat soil slurries at 15°C and 5°C. Accumulation of organic acids at 15°C was twice as fast as that at 5°C. 16S rRNA [(13) C]cellulose stable isotope probing identified novel unclassified Bacteria (79% identity to the next cultured relative Fibrobacter succinogenes), unclassified Bacteroidetes (89% identity to Prolixibacter bellariivorans), Porphyromonadaceae, Acidobacteriaceae and Ruminococcaceae as main anaerobic degraders of cellulose-derived carbon at both 15°C and 5°C. Holophagaceae and Spirochaetaceae were more abundant at 15°C. Clostridiaceae dominated the degradation of cellulose-derived carbon only at 5°C. Methanosarcina was the dominant methanogenic taxa at both 15°C and 5°C. Relative abundance of Methanocella increased at 15°C whereas that of Methanoregula and Methanosaeta increased at 5°C. Thaumarchaeota closely related to Nitrosotalea (presently not known to grow anaerobically) were abundant at 5°C but absent at 15°C indicating that Nitrosotalea sp. might be capable of anaerobic growth at low temperatures in peat.