Methane emissions from tank bromeliads in neotropical forests

Martinson, Guntars O.; Werner, Florian; Scherber, Christoph; Conrad, Ralf; Corre, Marife D.; Flessa, Heiner; Wolf, Katrin; Klose, Melanie; Gradstein, S. Robbert; Veldkamp, Edzo

doi:10.1038/ngeo980

Cited by 78 publications

(121 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Montane forests cover about 9% of the tropics (FRA 2000) and the few studies that have been conducted on CH 4 fluxes show that their soils are generally CH 4 sinks (Delmas et al 1992;Ishizuka et al 2005;Kiese et al 2008;Purbopuspito et al 2006). However, a recent study conducted by our group in the same region as the present study showed that CH 4 produced in the canopy by Bromeliads may change the source-sink balance of these ecosystems (Martinson et al 2010). The extreme variation in elevation gradients and topography are likely to affect methane fluxes at the soil surface (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 53%

Atmospheric methane uptake by tropical montane forest soils and the contribution of organic layers

2011

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Microbial oxidation in aerobic soils is the primary biotic sink for atmospheric methane (CH 4 ), a powerful greenhouse gas. Although tropical forest soils are estimated to globally account for about 28% of annual soil CH 4 consumption (6.2 Tg CH 4 year -1 ), limited data are available on CH 4 exchange from tropical montane forests. We present the results of an extensive study on CH 4 exchange from tropical montane forest soils along an elevation gradient (1,000, 2,000, 3,000 m) at different topographic positions (lower slope, mid-slope, ridge position) in southern Ecuador. All soils were net atmospheric CH 4 sinks, with decreasing annual uptake rates from 5.9 kg CH 4 -C ha -1 year -1 at 1,000 m to 0.6 kg CH 4 -C ha -1 year -1 at 3,000 m. Topography had no effect on soil atmospheric CH 4 uptake. We detected some unexpected factors controlling net methane fluxes: positive correlations between CH 4 uptake rates, mineral nitrogen content of the mineral soil and with CO 2 emissions indicated that the largest CH 4 uptake corresponded with favorable conditions for microbial activity. Furthermore, we found indications that CH 4 uptake was N limited instead of inhibited by NH 4 ?. Finally, we showed that in contrast to temperate regions, substantial high affinity methane oxidation occurred in the thick organic layers which can influence the CH 4 budget of these tropical montane forest soils. Inclusion of elevation as a co-variable will improve regional estimates of methane exchange in these tropical montane forests.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 53%

Atmospheric methane uptake by tropical montane forest soils and the contribution of organic layers

2011

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“…We further investigated the variability of microbial community composition and abundance within single bromeliads. Since tank bromeliads contribute to the methane cycle in neotropical forests (Martinson et al 2010) we further hypothesized (2) that methanotrophic bacteria inhabit bromeliad tank slurries, potentially able to oxidize the produced CH 4 .…”

Section: U D E D S T O C H a S T I C C O L O N I Z A T I O N P R O mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tank bromeliads were used as natural model systems to study food web structures (Kitching 2001;Srivastava 2006;Srivastava et al 2008;Brouard et al 2011), animal richness (Richardson 1999), activity and distribution of (aquatic) invertebrates (Carrias et al 2001;Marino et al 2013) and microorganisms (Carmo et al 2014). Many different bacteria and archaea, which are commonly found in soils, were also detected in Ecuadorian and Costa Rican tank bromeliad slurries (Goffredi et al 2011a(Goffredi et al , 2011bMartinson et al 2010). Due to their high abundance tank bromeliads may therefore represent important habitats for microorganisms involved in the cycling of carbon and nitrogen (Goffredi et al 2011b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their densely arranged leaves form tanks that efficiently collect wind-borne particles, leaf litter and rainwater (= tank slurry) for their nutrient demand, and highly increase the amount of stored carbon and water in the canopies of neotropical forests (Nadkarni 1994). Diverse communities of macro-and microorganisms inhabit these tanks and are responsible for the breakdown of tank organic matter, the release of plantavailable nutrients (Ngai and Srivastava 2006) and the emission of substantial amounts of CH 4 (Martinson et al 2010) and CO 2 (Atwood et al 2013). Tank bromeliads were used as natural model systems to study food web structures (Kitching 2001;Srivastava 2006;Srivastava et al 2008;Brouard et al 2011), animal richness (Richardson 1999), activity and distribution of (aquatic) invertebrates (Carrias et al 2001;Marino et al 2013) and microorganisms (Carmo et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bromeliad tanks are unique habitats for microbial communities involved in methane turnover

2016

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Background and aims Tank bromeliads collect organic matter and rainwater (= tank slurry) between their densely arranged leaf axils for their nutrient demand. Diverse communities of microorganisms inhabit these tanks and are responsible for the breakdown of organic matter. Anaerobic degradation results in the release of substantial amounts of methane. We hypothesized that each individual bromeliad harbors its own microbial community, which is affected by chemical tank-slurry properties. We further hypothesized that methanotrophic bacteria inhabit bromeliad tank slurries, potentially able to oxidize the produced CH 4 . Methods We investigated communities of Bacteria, Archaea, methanogenic and methanotrophic microorganisms measuring their abundance (qPCR) and composition (TRFLP) within eight bromeliad tanks of the species Werauhia gladioliflora sampled in a Costa Rican lowland forest. Tank slurries were analyzed for pH, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and fatty acid concentrations. Methane oxidation rates were determined in five bromeliad tank slurries.Results Our results showed that microbial communities differed between plants and were affected by chemical tank slurry properties. Further, not only methanogenic archaea but also methanotrophic bacteria were detected in the tanks of all bromeliad plants, the latter being potentially able to aerobically oxidize between 25 and 62 μg CH 4 gdw. Conclusion Our results indicate that every bromeliad tank is a unique island with respect to its resident microbial community. The presence of methanogens and active methanotrophs in all tank slurries further indicates the potential for both methane formation and methane oxidation.

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“…High CH 4 level has been previously observed over neotropic forests throughout the world, and is now explained by the presence of a diverse community of CH 4 -producing archaea. These archaea have been found to multiply in the canopy of belled mouth bromeliads, which enable rainfall to accumulate and form an environment analogous to wetlands [33]. Other potential wet parts in trees (e.g.…”

Section: Gfgs In Methane Cyclingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geomicrobial functional groups: A window on the interaction between life and environments

et al. 2012

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Methane emissions from tank bromeliads in neotropical forests

Cited by 78 publications

References 20 publications

Atmospheric methane uptake by tropical montane forest soils and the contribution of organic layers

Atmospheric methane uptake by tropical montane forest soils and the contribution of organic layers

Bromeliad tanks are unique habitats for microbial communities involved in methane turnover

Geomicrobial functional groups: A window on the interaction between life and environments

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