Methane Consumption in Temperate and Subarctic Forest Soils: Rates, Vertical Zonation, and Responses to Water and Nitrogen †

• Main Authors: Adamsen, A. P. S., King, G. M.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1993
• Subjects: General Microbial Ecology; Subarctic
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC202131; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16348872

Rates of methane consumption were measured in subarctic coniferous and temperate mixed-hardwood forest soils, using static chambers and intact soil cores. Rates at both sites were generally between 1 and 3 mg of CH4 m-2 day-1 and decreased with increasing soil water contents above 20%. Addition of ammonium (1 μmol g of soil-1) strongly inhibited methane oxidation in the subarctic soils; a lesser inhibition was observed for temperate forest samples. The response to nitrogen additions occurred within a few hours and was probably due to physiological changes in the active methane-consuming populations. Methane consumption in soils from both sites was stratified vertically, with a pronounced subsurface maximum. This maximum was coincident with low levels of both nitrate and ammonium in the mixed-hardwood forest soil.