Variations in microbial populations in soils with different methane uptake rates

Abstract

The rate of methane oxidation has been measured from under a variety of land uses and management practices on Rothamsted Experimental Station. All these sites have their management histories well documented, in many cases over centuries, and experience the same atmospheric inputs. We have found consistent patterns in methane oxidation rates associated with land use, where the rate of methane oxidation in unfertilized arable soil (c. 30 µg CH4 m-2 d-1) is only 15 % that in undisturbed grassland and woodland soils (c. 200 µg CH4 m-2 d-1). Investigation of the mechanisms regulating these differences have shown that they are microbially mediated.