91 Methanogen Ecology in the Ruminant Hindgut

Abstract

Abstract Environmental methane production continues to be an ongoing global concern and interest is growing to reduce total methane production. As a part of this collective effort mitigation of methane production in ruminants has become one of the targets for ongoing research. Several strategies have emerged including dietary manipulation, administration of unique feed additives that specifically target methanogens, and host animal modulation approaches. Most of these efforts have focused on the rumen methanogen population and understanding their ecology in relationship to the non-methanogen microbial population. However, there is potential for methane production in the hindgut of the ruminant animal, and this should be considered in any overall strategy for mitigation of methane production in ruminants. The emphasis of this presentation is to discuss the current knowledge and future prospects for understanding the contribution of hindgut methanogens to overall ruminant methane production and their potential for contribution to mitigation of ruminant methane production.