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The Effects of pH, Temperature, and Humic-Like Substances on Anaerobic Carbon Degradation and Methanogenesis in Ombrotrophic and Minerotrophic Alaskan Peatlands

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Abstract

Methane production usually increases from the acidic sphagnum-dominated ombrotrophic peatlands to minerotrophic ones with more neutral pH and higher coverage of vascular plants. Along this ombrotrophic–minerotrophic gradient, pH, microbial communities, and properties of dissolved organic matter in porewater all vary greatly. The hydrographic change resulted from permafrost thaw and projected global warming can potentially connect the minerotrophic and ombrotrophic sites via porewater and turn acidic bogs to minerotrophic fens. It is thus very important to investigate how the anaerobic carbon degradation processes respond to changes in fundamental factors like pH, temperature, properties of dissolved organic matter, and microbial communities resulted from such hydrographic change. In this study, one ombrotrophic (pH = 3.9) and one minerotrophic peatland site were sampled in Fairbanks, Alaska in Sep 2017 and a 42-day-period anaerobic laboratory incubation was conducted to study the changes in anaerobic carbon degradation processes including primary and secondary fermentation, methanogenesis, and acetogenesis when pH, temperature, and porewater were manipulated individually and a combination of two or three of these factors. The results suggested lowering pH would inhibit many anaerobic carbon degradation processes in the minerotrophic peatland except primary fermentation. Elevating pH in the ombrotrophic site did not stimulate its methanogen community, but primary fermentation responded better with increasing pH than with increasing temperature alone. Replacing the porewater in the minerotrophic site with that from the ombrotrophic site with high aromaticity did not inhibit methanogenesis but potentially brought in highly efficient primary fermenters. Acetoclastic methanogenesis, acetogenesis, and syntrophy only exist in the minerotrophic site but not at the ombrotrophic one. Porewater from the minerotrophic site could potentially introduce acetoclastic methanogens and syntrophs to the ombrotrophic site but would not make them active unless both pH and temperature were increased. When ground water connects ombrotrophic and minerotrophic peatlands due to thawing of permafrost, secondary fermenters and acetoclastic methanogens could be introduced to acidic bogs and cooperate efficiently to degrade the stored carbon in ombrotrophic peatlands especially under elevated temperature conditions.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by NSF ARC # 1304804 and Macrosystem Biology 1241937. This publication is dedicated to honor the late Mark E Hines, who influenced others with his unconditional love, unbelievable kindness and consideration. He will be forever missed as a friend, mentor, and incredible role model. We thank two anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful comments that greatly improved this manuscript.

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  1. Mark E. Hines is deceased. This paper is dedicated to his memory.

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  1. Physical and Environmental Science Department, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, 78412, USA

    Lin Zhang & Xiao Liu

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA

    Xiao Liu & Mark E. Hines

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA

    Khrys Duddleston

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Zhang, L., Liu, X., Duddleston, K. et al. The Effects of pH, Temperature, and Humic-Like Substances on Anaerobic Carbon Degradation and Methanogenesis in Ombrotrophic and Minerotrophic Alaskan Peatlands. Aquat Geochem 26, 221–244 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-020-09372-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-020-09372-0

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