Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability
Year : 2013, Volume : 1, Issue : 1
First page : ( 20) Last page : ( 24)
Print ISSN : 2320-6411. Online ISSN : 2320-642X.
Article DOI : 10.5958/j.2320-6411.1.1.003

Anticipated effects of climate change on methanotrophic methane oxidation

Singh Jay Shankar

Department of Environmental Microbiology, School for Environmental Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar (Central) University, Raibarelly Road, Lucknow-226025, Uttar Pradesh, India. E-mail: jayshankar_1@yahoo.co.in

Abstract

The influence of different environmental factors on methane oxidation by methanotrophic bacteria in soil is discussed in this study. Microbial processes have a central role in the global fluxes of the key biogenic greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) and are likely to respond rapidly to climate change. Global climate change will not only impact global biodiversity but also affect methane sink the activity of methanotrophic bacteria that has a very crucial role in global carbon cycle. It is reported that nitrogen levels in the soil increased as temperatures rose, and nitrogen tends to suppress methane oxidation rates by methanotrophs. In reality, as temperatures increase, we tend to see greater nitrogen and low soil moisture availability in the soil. In the long term, soil inorganic nitrogen can suppress the activity and diversity of soil methanotrophs. It is suggested that climate change may affect the environmental factors such as temperature, soil moisture, soil nitrogen status that can greatly influence the methane oxidation by methanotrophs.

Top

Keywords

Climate change, Methane, Methanotrophs, Soil moisture.

Top