IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-56133-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Metabolic interactions underpinning high methane fluxes across terrestrial freshwater wetlands

Author

Listed:
  • Emily K. Bechtold

    (Colorado State University)

  • Jared B. Ellenbogen

    (Colorado State University)

  • Jorge A. Villa

    (University of Louisiana at Lafayette)

  • Djennyfer K. Melo Ferreira

    (Colorado State University)

  • Angela M. Oliverio

    (Colorado State University
    Syracuse University)

  • Joel E. Kostka

    (Georgia Institute of Technology)

  • Virginia I. Rich

    (The Ohio State University)

  • Ruth K. Varner

    (University of New Hampshire)

  • Sheel Bansal

    (United States Geological Survey)

  • Eric J. Ward

    (University of Maryland)

  • Gil Bohrer

    (The Ohio State University)

  • Mikayla A. Borton

    (Colorado State University)

  • Kelly C. Wrighton

    (Colorado State University)

  • Michael J. Wilkins

    (Colorado State University)

Abstract

Current estimates of wetland contributions to the global methane budget carry high uncertainty, particularly in accurately predicting emissions from high methane-emitting wetlands. Microorganisms drive methane cycling, but little is known about their conservation across wetlands. To address this, we integrate 16S rRNA amplicon datasets, metagenomes, metatranscriptomes, and annual methane flux data across 9 wetlands, creating the Multi-Omics for Understanding Climate Change (MUCC) v2.0.0 database. This resource is used to link microbiome composition to function and methane emissions, focusing on methane-cycling microbes and the networks driving carbon decomposition. We identify eight methane-cycling genera shared across wetlands and show wetland-specific metabolic interactions in marshes, revealing low connections between methanogens and methanotrophs in high-emitting wetlands. Methanoregula emerged as a hub methanogen across networks and is a strong predictor of methane flux. In these wetlands it also displays the functional potential for methylotrophic methanogenesis, highlighting the importance of this pathway in these ecosystems. Collectively, our findings illuminate trends between microbial decomposition networks and methane flux while providing an extensive publicly available database to advance future wetland research.

Suggested Citation

  • Emily K. Bechtold & Jared B. Ellenbogen & Jorge A. Villa & Djennyfer K. Melo Ferreira & Angela M. Oliverio & Joel E. Kostka & Virginia I. Rich & Ruth K. Varner & Sheel Bansal & Eric J. Ward & Gil Bohr, 2025. "Metabolic interactions underpinning high methane fluxes across terrestrial freshwater wetlands," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-15, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56133-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56133-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56133-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-56133-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kuang-Yu Chang & William J. Riley & Sara H. Knox & Robert B. Jackson & Gavin McNicol & Benjamin Poulter & Mika Aurela & Dennis Baldocchi & Sheel Bansal & Gil Bohrer & David I. Campbell & Alessandro Ce, 2021. "Substantial hysteresis in emergent temperature sensitivity of global wetland CH4 emissions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Carmody K. McCalley & Ben J. Woodcroft & Suzanne B. Hodgkins & Richard A. Wehr & Eun-Hae Kim & Rhiannon Mondav & Patrick M. Crill & Jeffrey P. Chanton & Virginia I. Rich & Gene W. Tyson & Scott R. Sal, 2014. "Methane dynamics regulated by microbial community response to permafrost thaw," Nature, Nature, vol. 514(7523), pages 478-481, October.
    3. Ben J. Woodcroft & Caitlin M. Singleton & Joel A. Boyd & Paul N. Evans & Joanne B. Emerson & Ahmed A. F. Zayed & Robert D. Hoelzle & Timothy O. Lamberton & Carmody K. McCalley & Suzanne B. Hodgkins & , 2018. "Genome-centric view of carbon processing in thawing permafrost," Nature, Nature, vol. 560(7716), pages 49-54, August.
    4. Jordan C. Angle & Timothy H. Morin & Lindsey M. Solden & Adrienne B. Narrowe & Garrett J. Smith & Mikayla A. Borton & Camilo Rey-Sanchez & Rebecca A. Daly & Golnazalsdat Mirfenderesgi & David W. Hoyt , 2017. "Methanogenesis in oxygenated soils is a substantial fraction of wetland methane emissions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-9, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Juan Pedro Rodríguez-López & Chihua Wu & Tatiana A. Vishnivetskaya & Julian B. Murton & Wenqiang Tang & Chao Ma, 2022. "Permafrost in the Cretaceous supergreenhouse," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Wang, Xuezhi & Lei, Zhongfang & Shimizu, Kazuya & Zhang, Zhenya & Lee, Duu-Jong, 2021. "Recent advancements in nanobubble water technology and its application in energy recovery from organic solid wastes towards a greater environmental friendliness of anaerobic digestion system," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    3. Stefan Dyksma & Michael Pester, 2023. "Oxygen respiration and polysaccharide degradation by a sulfate-reducing acidobacterium," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Lauren F. Messer & David G. Bourne & Steven J. Robbins & Megan Clay & Sara C. Bell & Simon J. McIlroy & Gene W. Tyson, 2024. "A genome-centric view of the role of the Acropora kenti microbiome in coral health and resilience," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    5. Futing Liu & Shuqi Qin & Kai Fang & Leiyi Chen & Yunfeng Peng & Pete Smith & Yuanhe Yang, 2022. "Divergent changes in particulate and mineral-associated organic carbon upon permafrost thaw," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Xiaoqian Li & Jianwei Xing & Shouji Pang & Youhai Zhu & Shuai Zhang & Rui Xiao & Cheng Lu, 2022. "Carbon Isotopic Evidence for Gas Hydrate Release and Its Significance on Seasonal Wetland Methane Emission in the Muli Permafrost of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-14, February.
    7. Elisabet Perez-Coronel & J. Michael Beman, 2022. "Multiple sources of aerobic methane production in aquatic ecosystems include bacterial photosynthesis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    8. Alexandra B Cory & Jeffrey P Chanton & Robert G M Spencer & Olivia C Ogles & Virginia I Rich & Carmody K McCalley & IsoGenie Project Coordinators & EMERGE 2021 Field Team & Rachel M Wilson, 2022. "Quantifying the inhibitory impact of soluble phenolics on anaerobic carbon mineralization in a thawing permafrost peatland," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(2), pages 1-19, February.
    9. Samuel Imisi Awala & Joo-Han Gwak & Yongman Kim & Man-Young Jung & Peter F. Dunfield & Michael Wagner & Sung-Keun Rhee, 2024. "Nitrous oxide respiration in acidophilic methanotrophs," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.
    10. Bong Gu Kang & Kyung-Min Seo & Tag Gon Kim, 2018. "Communication Analysis of Network-Centric Warfare via Transformation of System of Systems Model into Integrated System Model Using Neural Network," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2018, pages 1-16, June.
    11. Roopnarain, Ashira & Rama, Haripriya & Ndaba, Busiswa & Bello-Akinosho, Maryam & Bamuza-Pemu, Emomotimi & Adeleke, Rasheed, 2021. "Unravelling the anaerobic digestion ‘black box’: Biotechnological approaches for process optimization," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    12. Sudakow, Ivan & Savenkova, Elena & Kondrashov, Dmitri & Vakulenko, Sergey A. & Sashina, Elena, 2023. "Diverse soil microbial communities may mitigate climate system bifurcation," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    13. Shaoming Gao & David Paez-Espino & Jintian Li & Hongxia Ai & Jieliang Liang & Zhenhao Luo & Jin Zheng & Hao Chen & Wensheng Shu & Linan Huang, 2022. "Patterns and ecological drivers of viral communities in acid mine drainage sediments across Southern China," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    14. Luyao Kang & Yutong Song & Rachel Mackelprang & Dianye Zhang & Shuqi Qin & Leiyi Chen & Linwei Wu & Yunfeng Peng & Yuanhe Yang, 2024. "Metagenomic insights into microbial community structure and metabolism in alpine permafrost on the Tibetan Plateau," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    15. Zhen Zhang & Benjamin Poulter & Andrew F. Feldman & Qing Ying & Philippe Ciais & Shushi Peng & Xin Li, 2023. "Recent intensification of wetland methane feedback," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 13(5), pages 430-433, May.
    16. Ping Han & Xiufeng Tang & Hanna Koch & Xiyang Dong & Lijun Hou & Danhe Wang & Qian Zhao & Zhe Li & Min Liu & Sebastian Lücker & Guitao Shi, 2024. "Unveiling unique microbial nitrogen cycling and nitrification driver in coastal Antarctica," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56133-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.