Microbial life under extreme CO2 exhalations
Final Report Abstract
This study is the first to examine potential effects of extreme CO2 degassing on active soil microbial communities and their potential role in the transfer of volcanic CO2 into the soil carbon pool. Extreme CO2 degassing significantly affected mofette soil chemistry (lowered pH and redox potential, as well as increased carbon content) and resulted in lowered microbial diversity by favoring acidotolerant microorganisms, such as subdivision 1 Acidobacteria, and anaerobic methanogens and acetogens. The promotion of these organisms might be linked to the substantial changes in carbon cycling that led to the accumulation of carbon in mofette soils. We observed high CO2 fixation rates, relative to previous studies, but these rates were negligible relative to the strong CO2 emanations. Our data suggests that the diversity of microbial communities at other sites with high CO2 seepages may be affected, thereby altering carbon cycling through inhibition of organic carbon decomposition and promotion of CO2- fixation. Furthermore, the CO2-induced mobilisation of toxic elements (As, Pb) and netimmobilisation of essential micro-nutrients (Mn, Ni, Cu) constitutes serious risks for affected freshwater environments. Ongoing comparative analysis of the soil metatranscriptome and -genome will resolve the functional diversity of autochtonousmicrobiomesand identify the role ofdominant subdivision 1 Acidobacteriain soil organic matter degradation.
Publications
- (2013). Carbon flow from volcanic CO2 into soil microbial communities of a wetland mofette. Goldschmidt Conference 2013, Florence, Italy
Beulig F, Viehweger B, Akob D, Elvert M, Hinrichs KU, Küsel K
(See online at https://dx.doi.org/10.1180/minmag.2013.077.5.2) - (2013). Cold volcanic CO2 emanations in a wetland area promote Acidobacteria, acetogens and methanogens. VAAM International Conference on Microbiology 2013, Bremen, Germany
Beulig F, Viehweger B, Akob D, Elvert M, Hinrichs KU, Küsel K
- (2014). Impeded organic matter degradation in soils under longterm exposure to extremely high carbon dioxide concentrations. ISME Meeting, Seoul, South Korea
Beulig F, Gleixner G, Urich T
- (2014). The impact of elevated CO2 concentrations on soil microbial community, soil organic matter storage and nutrient cycling at a natural CO2 vent in NW Bohemia. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2014
Nowak M, Beulig F, Fischer J, Muhr J, Küsel K, Trumbore S
