Methane Oxidation by Endophytic Bacteria Inhabiting Sphagnum sp. and Some Vascular Plants

Abstract

Methane emission from wetlands is responsible for about 24% of the total CH 4 emissions. The value of emission is a result of the balance between the processes of methane formation (methanogenesis) and sinks (methanotrophy). The methanotrophic activity from well-aerated soil surface layers has been relatively well recognized. On the contrary, the active role of plants in reduction of methane emission is rather not fully known. The association of methanotrophic bacteria with plants of Sphagnum spp., has already been recognized. In our investigations, particular attention was paid to vascular plants from a peatland overgrown by Sphagnum spp. but also Eriophorum vaginatum , Carex nigra , and Vaccinium oxycoccos . The gases emitted from the surface of Moszne peatland were collected using the chamber method from selected sites during growing seasons (spring, summer, autumn). To estimate the contribution of plants in methane emissions from the peatland, in each investigated site gas was sampled from the surface with the native flora cover and after removal thereof. Our results show that the reduction in the CH 4 emission was related to the plant composition, vegetation period, and conditions of the plants. It was confirmed that the endophytes under investigation belonged to type I methanotrophs.