Microbial activity in soils frozen to below -39°c

Recent research on life in extreme environments has shown that some microorganisms metabolize at extremely low temperatures in Arctic and Antarctic ice and permafrost. Here, we present kinetic data on CO 2 and 14 CO 2 release from intact and 14 C-glucose amended tundra soils (Barrow, Alaska) incubat...

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Published in:Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Main Authors: Panikov, N. S., Flanagan, P. W., Oechel, W. C., Mastepanov, M. A., Christensen, T. R.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2006
Subjects:
Online Access:https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/e6ba1b4c-db86-4d76-b203-f13abc52b5a6
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.07.004
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33645229839&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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author Panikov, N. S.
Flanagan, P. W.
Oechel, W. C.
Mastepanov, M. A.
Christensen, T. R.
author_facet Panikov, N. S.
Flanagan, P. W.
Oechel, W. C.
Mastepanov, M. A.
Christensen, T. R.
author_sort Panikov, N. S.
collection Aarhus University: Research
container_issue 4
container_start_page 785
container_title Soil Biology and Biochemistry
container_volume 38
description Recent research on life in extreme environments has shown that some microorganisms metabolize at extremely low temperatures in Arctic and Antarctic ice and permafrost. Here, we present kinetic data on CO 2 and 14 CO 2 release from intact and 14 C-glucose amended tundra soils (Barrow, Alaska) incubated for up to a year at 0 to -39°C. The rate of CO 2 production declined exponentially with temperature but it remained positive and measurable, e.g. 2-7 ng CO 2 -C cm -3 soil d -1 , at -39 °C. The variation of CO 2 release rate (v) was adequately explained by the double exponential dependence on temperature (T) and unfrozen water content (W) (r 2 >0.98): v=A exp(λT+kW) and where A, λ and k are constants. The rate of 14 CO 2 release from added glucose declined more steeply with cooling as compared with the release of total CO 2 , indicating that (a) there could be some abiotic component in the measured flux of CO 2 or (b) endogenous respiration is more cold-resistant than substrate-induced respiration. The respiration activity was completely eliminated by soil sterilization (1 h, 121 °C), stimulated by the addition of oxidizable substrate (glucose, yeast extract), and reduced by the addition of acetate, which inhibits microbial processes in acidic soils (pH 3-5). The tundra soil from Barrow displayed higher below-zero activity than boreal soils from West Siberia and Sweden. The permafrost soils (20-30 cm) were more active than the samples from seasonally frozen topsoil (0-10 cm, Barrow). Finding measurable respiration to -39 °C is significant for determining, understanding, and predicting current and future CO 2 emission to the atmosphere and for understanding the low temperature limits of microbial activity on the Earth and on other planets.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
genre Antarc*
Antarctic
Arctic
Barrow
Ice
permafrost
Tundra
Alaska
Siberia
genre_facet Antarc*
Antarctic
Arctic
Barrow
Ice
permafrost
Tundra
Alaska
Siberia
geographic Antarctic
Arctic
geographic_facet Antarctic
Arctic
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op_doi https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.07.004
op_rights info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
op_source Panikov , N S , Flanagan , P W , Oechel , W C , Mastepanov , M A & Christensen , T R 2006 , ' Microbial activity in soils frozen to below -39°c ' , Soil Biology and Biochemistry , vol. 38 , no. 4 , pp. 785-794 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.07.004
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spelling ftuniaarhuspubl:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/e6ba1b4c-db86-4d76-b203-f13abc52b5a6 2025-04-06T14:36:22+00:00 Microbial activity in soils frozen to below -39°c Panikov, N. S. Flanagan, P. W. Oechel, W. C. Mastepanov, M. A. Christensen, T. R. 2006-04-01 https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/e6ba1b4c-db86-4d76-b203-f13abc52b5a6 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.07.004 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33645229839&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Panikov , N S , Flanagan , P W , Oechel , W C , Mastepanov , M A & Christensen , T R 2006 , ' Microbial activity in soils frozen to below -39°c ' , Soil Biology and Biochemistry , vol. 38 , no. 4 , pp. 785-794 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.07.004 CO entrapment Kinetic analysis Psychrophiles Respiration Unfrozen water Arctic soil respiration Winter emission article 2006 ftuniaarhuspubl https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.07.004 2025-03-10T01:20:26Z Recent research on life in extreme environments has shown that some microorganisms metabolize at extremely low temperatures in Arctic and Antarctic ice and permafrost. Here, we present kinetic data on CO 2 and 14 CO 2 release from intact and 14 C-glucose amended tundra soils (Barrow, Alaska) incubated for up to a year at 0 to -39°C. The rate of CO 2 production declined exponentially with temperature but it remained positive and measurable, e.g. 2-7 ng CO 2 -C cm -3 soil d -1 , at -39 °C. The variation of CO 2 release rate (v) was adequately explained by the double exponential dependence on temperature (T) and unfrozen water content (W) (r 2 >0.98): v=A exp(λT+kW) and where A, λ and k are constants. The rate of 14 CO 2 release from added glucose declined more steeply with cooling as compared with the release of total CO 2 , indicating that (a) there could be some abiotic component in the measured flux of CO 2 or (b) endogenous respiration is more cold-resistant than substrate-induced respiration. The respiration activity was completely eliminated by soil sterilization (1 h, 121 °C), stimulated by the addition of oxidizable substrate (glucose, yeast extract), and reduced by the addition of acetate, which inhibits microbial processes in acidic soils (pH 3-5). The tundra soil from Barrow displayed higher below-zero activity than boreal soils from West Siberia and Sweden. The permafrost soils (20-30 cm) were more active than the samples from seasonally frozen topsoil (0-10 cm, Barrow). Finding measurable respiration to -39 °C is significant for determining, understanding, and predicting current and future CO 2 emission to the atmosphere and for understanding the low temperature limits of microbial activity on the Earth and on other planets. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Barrow Ice permafrost Tundra Alaska Siberia Aarhus University: Research Antarctic Arctic Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38 4 785 794
spellingShingle CO entrapment
Kinetic analysis
Psychrophiles
Respiration
Unfrozen water
Arctic soil respiration
Winter emission
Panikov, N. S.
Flanagan, P. W.
Oechel, W. C.
Mastepanov, M. A.
Christensen, T. R.
Microbial activity in soils frozen to below -39°c
title Microbial activity in soils frozen to below -39°c
title_full Microbial activity in soils frozen to below -39°c
title_fullStr Microbial activity in soils frozen to below -39°c
title_full_unstemmed Microbial activity in soils frozen to below -39°c
title_short Microbial activity in soils frozen to below -39°c
title_sort microbial activity in soils frozen to below -39°c
topic CO entrapment
Kinetic analysis
Psychrophiles
Respiration
Unfrozen water
Arctic soil respiration
Winter emission
topic_facet CO entrapment
Kinetic analysis
Psychrophiles
Respiration
Unfrozen water
Arctic soil respiration
Winter emission
url https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/publications/e6ba1b4c-db86-4d76-b203-f13abc52b5a6
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2005.07.004
http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33645229839&partnerID=8YFLogxK