Abstract
Methane production by methanogens in wetland is recognized
as a significant contributor to global warming. Spartina alterniflora
(S. alterniflora), which is an invasion plant in China’s
wetland, was reported to have enormous effects on methane
production. But studies on shifts in the methanogen community
in response to S. alterniflora invasion at temporal and
spatial scales in the initial invasion years are rare. Sediments
derived from the invasive species S. alterniflora and the native
species Phragmites australis (P. australis) in pairwise sites
and an invasion chronosequence patch (4 years) were analyzed
to investigate the abundance and community structure
of methanogens using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR)
and Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) cloning
of the methyl-coenzyme M reductase A (mcrA) gene. For the
pairwise sites, the abundance of methanogens in S. alterniflora
soils was lower than that of P. australis soils. For the
chronosequence patch, the abundance and diversity of methanogens
was highest in the soil subjected to two years invasion,
in which we detected some rare groups including Methanocellales
and Methanococcales. These results indicated a priming
effect at the initial invasion stages of S. alterniflora for
microorganisms in the soil, which was also supported by the
diverse root exudates. The shifts of methanogen communities
after S. alterniflora invasion were due to changes in pH, salinity
and sulfate. The results indicate that root exudates from
S. alterniflora have a priming effect on methanogens in the
initial years after invasion, and the predominate methylotrophic
groups (Methanosarcinales) may adapt to the availability
of diverse substrates and reflects the potential for high
methane production after invasion by S. alterniflora.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by

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