University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) - Research portal
Gewählte Doctoral Thesis:
Nancy Stralis Pavese
(2004):
Molekular Ecology of Methanotropic Bacteria associated with different Vegetation Types in Landfill Lysimeter Experiment.
Doctoral Thesis,
BOKU-Universität für Bodenkultur.
UB BOKU
obvsg
- Abstract:
- Methane-oxidising bacteria (methanotrophs) have the unique ability to use methane as their sole source of carbon and energy. Significant amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas with important global warming implications, are produced at landfill sites, most of which is consumed by methanotrophs. A lysimeter experiment was carried out in which different vegetation regimes were tested for their effect on methane oxidation in landfill sites. Methane oxidation was measured and soil methanotrophic communities were analysed using 16S rRNA fingerprinting techniques and microbial diagnostic microarray to provide a pattern or profile of the diversity of methanotroph communities. Analysis in the upper layer of the lysimeters using T-RFLP and sequencing analysis indicated Methylobacter and Methylocystis as dominant members of the typeI and typeII methanotroph communities, respectively. The type of plant covers affected both type I and typeII methanotrophs, however, biogas had more impact on typeI populations displaying higher diversity and abundance in samples supplied with biogas than those without biogas. A microarray was developed and applied for the in-depth analysis of methanotroph communities and functionally related bacteria in the lysimeters. Members of the genera Methylocystis and Methylocaldum were found to dominate these environments. Soil bacterial communities in biogas free control lysimeters, with less abundantmethanotroph populations, were dominated by Methylocaldum. A competitive advantage of typeII methanotrophs over typeIa was indicated under all plant covers investigated. In addition, the potential of microarrays for the rapid, high-resolution diagnosis of mixed microbial populations from a large number of samples was demonstrated.