ORCID Profile
0000-0002-7347-8668
Current Organisation
University of Southampton
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Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 15-03-2021
DOI: 10.3390/MICROORGANISMS9030606
Abstract: Soil-to-atmosphere methane (CH4) fluxes are dependent on opposing microbial processes of production and consumption. Here we use a soil–vegetation gradient in an Australian sub-alpine ecosystem to examine links between composition of soil microbial communities, and the fluxes of greenhouse gases they regulate. For each soil/vegetation type (forest, grassland, and bog), we measured carbon dioxide (CO2) and CH4 fluxes and their production/consumption at 5 cm intervals to a depth of 30 cm. All soils were sources of CO2, ranging from 49 to 93 mg CO2 m−2 h−1. Forest soils were strong net sinks for CH4, at rates of up to −413 µg CH4 m−2 h−1. Grassland soils varied, with some soils acting as sources and some as sinks, but overall averaged −97 µg CH4 m−2 h−1. Bog soils were net sources of CH4 (+340 µg CH4 m−2 h−1). Methanotrophs were dominated by USCα in forest and grassland soils, and Candidatus Methylomirabilis in the bog soils. Methylocystis were also detected at relatively low abundance in all soils. Our study suggests that there is a disproportionately large contribution of these ecosystems to the global soil CH4 sink, which highlights our dependence on soil ecosystem services in remote locations driven by unique populations of soil microbes. It is paramount to explore and understand these remote, hard-to-reach ecosystems to better understand biogeochemical cycles that underpin global sustainability.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 23-07-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2019.03.299
Abstract: Aerobic methanotrophs in upland soils consume atmospheric methane, serving as a critical counterbalance to global warming however, the biogeographic distribution patterns of their abundance and community composition are poorly understood, especial at a large scale. In this study, soils were s led from 30 grasslands across >2000 km on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau to determine the distribution patterns of methanotrophs and their driving factors at a regional scale. Methanotroph abundance and community composition were analyzed using quantitative PCR and Illumina Miseq sequencing of pmoA genes, respectively. The pmoA gene copies ranged from 8.2 × 10
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2021
DOI: 10.1111/AVSC.12608
Abstract: Northern peatlands are increasingly threatened by wildfire. Severe peatland wildfires can provide opportunities for new non‐peatland species to colonise post fire. Changes in plant colonisation could lead to longer‐term shifts in community composition, compromising recovery of peatland structure and function. Understanding the process of post‐fire recovery can thus inform restoration action and help restore peatland vascular plant communities. In this study, we ask: what drives initial vascular plant recovery following a peatland wildfire? Stalybridge moors, England (commonly referred to as the Saddleworth moors). We used a series of vegetation surveys and seed germination experiments to identify the composition of vascular plant community one‐year post fire, along with potential propagule sources. We combined this with plant trait data and, using a series of null models, compared observed community trait values against random species assemblages. Our data suggests that plant species are able to arrive at the burned site through multiple non‐exclusive recolonisation pathways. This includes colonisation through the soil seed bank, along with dispersal from surrounding unburned peatland and non‐peatland vegetation. The composition and structure of the recolonised communities was largely determined by the ability of species to reach the post‐fire site from these donor communities. This resulted in a post‐fire community composed of species possessing lower seed masses relative to the wider pool of potential colonisers. Our results highlight propagule availability as a driver of post‐wildfire vascular plant recovery. This provides opportunities for new non‐peatland species to colonise, potentially driving changes in the direction of vegetation recovery. Ensuring the availability of peatland species following a wildfire could therefore be key to the immediate recovery of these systems.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-03-2019
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Marc Dumont.