Microbial carbon and nitrogen cycle in tropical peatland forests and grasslands of Congo Basin
Laen...
Kuupäev
2025
Kättesaadavus
27.05.2028
Autorid
Ajakirja pealkiri
Ajakirja ISSN
Köite pealkiri
Kirjastaja
Eesti Maaülikool
Abstrakt
The Congo Basin holds the world's largest continuous tropical peatlands, which are regions
with high carbon density and rich biodiversity, providing a series of important ecosystem
services. However, compared with the peatlands in Southeast Asia, research on the peatlands
in the Congo Basin remains limited. This study took the tropical peatland forests and
grasslands in the Congo Basin as the research objects, aiming to explore the microbial carbon
(methane) and nitrogen cycling processes in these two ecosystems.
This study was carried out in March 2024 near Epena Village, northeastern Republic of the
Congo. Researchers collected two layers of soil samples (0-10 cm and 10-20 cm) from
peatland forests and peatland grasslands to measure their physical and chemical properties,
microbial gene abundances (using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, qPCR), and
greenhouse gas fluxes.
The main findings of this study are as follows:
1) Forest peatlands had higher contents of total carbon, total nitrogen, and NH4+, supporting
abundant bacterial and archaeal communities, as well as high abundances of mcrA, pmoA,
nirK, and nosZ genes, which drove higher CH4 and N2O fluxes.
2) Peatland grasslands had higher soil pH and dry matter content, with increased relative
abundances of nifH and nrfA genes to adapt to limited nitrate supply.
3) The efficient nitrogen gas production in peaty grasslands indicated more complete
denitrification processes.
4) Fungi may play an important role in the nitrogen cycling of forest peatlands.
The Congo Basin holds the world's largest continuous tropical peatlands, which are regions with high carbon density and rich biodiversity, providing a series of important ecosystem services. However, compared with the peatlands in Southeast Asia, research on the peatlands in the Congo Basin remains limited. This study took the tropical peatland forests and grasslands in the Congo Basin as the research objects, aiming to explore the microbial carbon (methane) and nitrogen cycling processes in these two ecosystems. This study was carried out in March 2024 near Epena Village, northeastern Republic of the Congo. Researchers collected two layers of soil samples (0-10 cm and 10-20 cm) from peatland forests and peatland grasslands to measure their physical and chemical properties, microbial gene abundances (using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, qPCR), and greenhouse gas fluxes. The main findings of this study are as follows: 1) Forest peatlands had higher contents of total carbon, total nitrogen, and NH4+, supporting abundant bacterial and archaeal communities, as well as high abundances of mcrA, pmoA, nirK, and nosZ genes, which drove higher CH4 and N2O fluxes. 2) Peatland grasslands had higher soil pH and dry matter content, with increased relative abundances of nifH and nrfA genes to adapt to limited nitrate supply. 3) The efficient nitrogen gas production in peaty grasslands indicated more complete denitrification processes. 4) Fungi may play an important role in the nitrogen cycling of forest peatlands.
The Congo Basin holds the world's largest continuous tropical peatlands, which are regions with high carbon density and rich biodiversity, providing a series of important ecosystem services. However, compared with the peatlands in Southeast Asia, research on the peatlands in the Congo Basin remains limited. This study took the tropical peatland forests and grasslands in the Congo Basin as the research objects, aiming to explore the microbial carbon (methane) and nitrogen cycling processes in these two ecosystems. This study was carried out in March 2024 near Epena Village, northeastern Republic of the Congo. Researchers collected two layers of soil samples (0-10 cm and 10-20 cm) from peatland forests and peatland grasslands to measure their physical and chemical properties, microbial gene abundances (using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, qPCR), and greenhouse gas fluxes. The main findings of this study are as follows: 1) Forest peatlands had higher contents of total carbon, total nitrogen, and NH4+, supporting abundant bacterial and archaeal communities, as well as high abundances of mcrA, pmoA, nirK, and nosZ genes, which drove higher CH4 and N2O fluxes. 2) Peatland grasslands had higher soil pH and dry matter content, with increased relative abundances of nifH and nrfA genes to adapt to limited nitrate supply. 3) The efficient nitrogen gas production in peaty grasslands indicated more complete denitrification processes. 4) Fungi may play an important role in the nitrogen cycling of forest peatlands.
Kirjeldus
Master`s Thesis
Environmental Governance and Adaptation to Climate Change
Märksõnad
magistritööd, Green University (thesis is related to EMÜ Green University iniciative’s aims), biodiversity, seminatural communities, traditional landscapes, landscape conservation, qPCR, methane, nitrous oxide, greenhouse gas emissions