Recovery of Methanotrophic Activity Is Not Reflected in the Methane-Driven Interaction Network after Peat Mining
Thomas Kaupper, Lucas William Mendes, Monica Harnisz, Sascha Krause, Marcus A. Horn, Adrian Ho
Abstract
The resilience and recovery of microorganisms from disturbances are often determined with regard to their activity and community composition/abundances. Rarely has the response of the network of interacting microorganisms been considered, despite accumulating evidence showing that microbial interaction modulates community functioning. Comparing the methane-driven interaction network of a pristine and restored peatland, our findings revealed that the metabolically active microorganisms were less connected and formed less modular 'hubs' in the restored peatland, indicative of a less complex network which may have consequences with recurring disturbances and environmental changes. This also suggests that the resilience and full recovery in the methanotrophic activity and abundances do not reflect on the interaction network. Therefore, it is relevant to consider the interaction-induced response, in addition to documenting changes in activity and community composition/abundances, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the resilience of microorganisms to disturbances.