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Updated: Oct 18, 2025
07:26
Visualizing Methane-Cycling Microbial Dynamics in Coastal Wetlands
Published on: January 31, 2025
553
Diverse sediment microbiota shape methane emission temperature sensitivity in Arctic lakes
Joanne B Emerson1,2, Ruth K Varner3,4, Martin Wik5
1Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, 496W 12th Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. jbemerson@ucdavis.edu.
Nature Communications
|October 6, 2021
Summary
Northern lakes release methane (CH4) via bubbling, with emissions increasing with temperature. This study reveals spatial differences in this relationship within Swedish lakes, influenced by microbial communities.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geochemistry
- Microbiology
Background:
- Northern post-glacial lakes are crucial sources of atmospheric carbon, releasing methane (CH4) through sediment ebullition.
- Methane ebullition flux is strongly correlated with temperature, indicating solar radiation drives emissions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate spatial variations in the temperature-CH4 flux relationship in two Swedish post-glacial lakes.
- To correlate CH4 emission patterns with sediment microbial, isotopic, and geochemical data.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of CH4 emission patterns across lake edges and middles.
- Metagenomic and amplicon sequencing of sediment microbial communities.
- Isotopic and geochemical analysis of sediment and porewater.
Main Results:
- The temperature-CH4 flux relationship varied spatially, with a steeper slope observed in lake middles compared to edges.
- Distinct sediment microbial communities were identified between lake edges and middles.
- Abundances of specific microbes, including methanogens and syntrophs, predicted porewater CH4 concentrations.
Conclusions:
- Deeper lake regions, currently emitting less CH4, may significantly contribute to future emissions in a warming Arctic.
- Accounting for spatial heterogeneity in sediment microbiota can improve predictions of CH4 emissions from lakes.
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