Ecology of methanogenic and methane-oxidizing microorganisms in paddy soil ecosystem
Susumu Asakawa
Abstract
Methane is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and paddy fields are an important source of methane emission. Methanogenic archaea and methane-oxidizing bacteria inhabiting paddy soil ecosystem play crucial roles in the methane emission from paddy fields. This literature review summarizes progress of ecological studies on methanogenic archaea and methane-oxidizing bacteria inhabiting paddy soil ecosystem from a series of investigations conducted in various paddy fields. Emphasis was placed on the isolation and identification of methanogenic archaea and methane-oxidizing bacteria, and also the composition, abundance, and dynamics of these microbial communities in paddy soil ecosystem. Some perspectives for future studies were presented on the robust stability of methanogenic archaeal community structure and the bias of methane-oxidizing bacterial isolates identified at species level, which will provide fundamental information useful for predicting, controlling, and mitigating methane emission from paddy fields.