Abstract:
Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas, accounting for about 20%
of global heating. Microbial production and consumption, mostly taking place in the soil, govern
all CH4 flux into and out of the atmosphere at the Earth’s surface. Recently, the atmospheric CH4
concentration has become erratic and unpredictable, requiring more mechanistic understanding
in order for models to predict future methane trends. Though not quantitatively understood, soil
nitrogen, oxygen and moisture levels impact microbial methane uptake and release on a local
scale. My research addresses a key air pollution issue: the effect of varied nitrogen
deposition and precipitation on the methane production and consumption in natural soils.
Previous studies of microbial methane dynamics have only characterized crop systems or
provided limited snapshots of natural system methane-cycling microbial diversity or function,
not both. This study incorporates a wide array of methods to give a clear picture of forest
methane dynamics in terms of microbial diversity, abundance and function, across micro to
regional scales, seasons, nitrogen deposition levels and precipitation events. This will lead to
better modeling capabilities as well as strategies for greenhouse gas remediation via
manipulation of methane-cycling microbes themselves.
Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas, accounting for about 20%
of global heating. Microbial production and consumption, mostly taking place in the soil, govern
all CH4 flux into and out of the atmosphere at the Earth’s surface. Recently, the atmospheric CH4
concentration has become erratic and unpredictable, requiring more mechanistic understanding
in order for models to predict future methane trends. Though not quantitatively understood, soil
nitrogen, oxygen and moisture levels impact microbial methane uptake and release on a local
scale. My research addresses a key air pollution issue: the effect of varied nitrogen
deposition and precipitation on the methane production and consumption in natural soils.
Previous studies of microbial methane dynamics have only characterized crop systems or
provided limited snapshots of natural system methane-cycling microbial diversity or function,
not both. This study incorporates a wide array of methods to give a clear picture of forest
methane dynamics in terms of microbial diversity, abundance and function, across micro to
regional scales, seasons, nitrogen deposition levels and precipitation events. This will lead to
better modeling capabilities as well as strategies for greenhouse gas remediation via
manipulation of methane-cycling microbes themselves.