Logo image
Back
Fiddler crab bioturbation stimulates methane emissions in mangroves: Insights into microbial mechanisms
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Fiddler crab bioturbation stimulates methane emissions in mangroves: Insights into microbial mechanisms

Guoming Qin, Zhe Lu, Shuchai Gan, Lulu Zhang, Jingtao Wu, Christian J. Sanders, Zhili He, Xiaoli Yu, Jingfan Zhang, Jinge Zhou, …
Soil biology & biochemistry, Vol.194, 109445
07/2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109445
Appears in  Recent Faculty of Science and Engineering Publications

Metrics

58 Record Views
23 Times Cited - Web of Science

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#13 Climate Action
#14 Life Below Water

Source: InCites

Abstract

Bioturbation Mangrove Methane Methanogen Methanotroph
Mangrove ecosystems are pivotal in blue carbon capture, yet they can also release varying levels of methane (CH4). Fiddler crabs are known players in carbon (C) cycling within mangrove ecosystems, but their precise contributions to CH4 emissions and microbially-driven processes are not yet well understood. We compared CH4 emissions, soil physicochemical properties, and methanogenic and methanotrophic communities in non-bioturbated and bioturbated soils within two mangrove communities: Sonneratia apetala (SA) and Pongamia pinnata (PP). The presence of fiddler crabs led to an increase in CH4 emission rates in the bioturbated soil, ranging from 86% to 430% compared to un-bioturbated soil. The bioturbated soil also exhibited higher levels of ammonium, pH, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) but with lower concentrations of nitrate, sulfate, salinity, and total nitrogen. Moreover, an increase was observed in the abundance methanogenic communities, but the abundance and diversity of methanotrophic communities was reduced in the bioturbated soil. The increased abundance of Methanosarcina and reduced abundance of type II methanotrophs in the bioturbated soil could result in an overall increase in CH4 emissions. This study result highlights that bioturbation can greatly influence CH4 emissions in mangroves and emphasizes the importance of considering the ecological role of fiddler crabs in the evaluation of coastal blue carbon sequestration.

Details

Logo image