The objective of our study was to identify environmental conditions that structure lake sediment microbial communities and determine whether community composition explained inter‐lake variation in potential methanogenesis rates. We performed a comparative analysis of microbial communities and methanogenesis rates in 14 lake sediments along gradients of pH and primary productivity. Variation in methanogen community composition and non‐methanogen microbial community composition was best explained by pH and sediment organic matter content. However, these regulators of methanogen community structure were not associated with differences in methanogenesis rates. Instead, variation in lake methanogenesis rates was best explained by proxies for organic matter supplied to sediments (lake chlorophyll a concentration and sediment pore‐water total phosphorus) and the composition of the non‐methanogen microbial community. Our results suggest a role for sediment bacterial community in influencing methanogenesis via the supply of growth substrates.

中文翻译：

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有机物供应和细菌群落组成预测温带湖泊沉积物的甲烷生成速率

我们研究的目的是确定构成湖泊沉积物微生物群落的环境条件，并确定群落组成是否解释了潜在甲烷生成速率的湖间变化。我们对沿pH值和初级生产力梯度变化的14个湖泊沉积物中的微生物群落和甲烷生成率进行了比较分析。pH和沉积物有机质含量可以最好地解释产甲烷菌群落组成和非产甲烷菌微生物群落组成的变化。但是，这些产甲烷菌群落结构的调节剂与产甲烷率的差异无关。取而代之的是，湖中甲烷生成速率的变化最好通过提供给沉积物的有机物（叶绿素a浓度和沉积物的孔隙水总磷）和非甲烷源微生物群落的组成。我们的结果表明，沉积物细菌群落可通过提供生长底物来影响甲烷生成。