The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, UK.
ISME J. 2011 Nov;5(11):1832-6. doi: 10.1038/ismej.2011.62. Epub 2011 May 19.
Methanotrophs use methane (CH(4)) as a carbon source. They are particularly active in temperate forest soils. However, the rate of change of CH(4) oxidation in soil with afforestation or reforestation is poorly understood. Here, soil CH(4) oxidation was examined in New Zealand volcanic soils under regenerating native forests following burning, and in a mature native forest. Results were compared with data for pasture to pine land-use change at nearby sites. We show that following soil disturbance, as little as 47 years may be needed for development of a stable methanotrophic community similar to that in the undisturbed native forest soil. Corresponding soil CH(4)-oxidation rates in the regenerating forest soil have the potential to reach those of the mature forest, but climo-edaphic fators appear limiting. The observed changes in CH(4)-oxidation rate were directly linked to a prior shift in methanotrophic communities, which suggests microbial control of the terrestrial CH(4) flux and identifies the need to account for this response to afforestation and reforestation in global prediction of CH(4) emission.
产甲烷菌利用甲烷（CH(4)）作为碳源。它们在温带森林土壤中特别活跃。然而，对于造林或再造林后土壤中 CH(4)氧化速率的变化，人们知之甚少。本研究在新西兰火山土壤中进行，研究了火烧后再生的原生林和成熟的原生林土壤中的 CH(4)氧化情况，并与附近牧草地向松林土地利用变化的数据进行了比较。研究结果表明，在土壤受到干扰后，仅需 47 年即可形成类似于未受干扰的原生林土壤中的稳定产甲烷菌群落。再生林土壤中的相应 CH(4)氧化速率有可能达到成熟林的水平，但气候土壤因素似乎是限制因素。观察到的 CH(4)氧化速率的变化与产甲烷菌群落的先前转变直接相关，这表明微生物控制了陆地 CH(4)通量，并确定需要在全球 CH(4)排放预测中考虑到造林和再造林的这种响应。
