Understanding Viral and Geochemical Controls on High Sulfate Reduction Rates in Prairie Wetlands
EMSL Project ID
50149
Abstract
The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America contains millions of small depressional wetlands, and is responsible for some of the highest atmospheric methane (CH4) and CO2 fluxes ever measured in a terrestrial ecosystem. Prior research by our group has revealed high rates of activity by sulfate-reducing bacteria and methanogens. However, the constraints on these rates are unknown. We propose using RNA-Seq (‘transcriptomics’) coupled with pre-existing metagenomic data to assess the active microbial and viral populations in characteristic wetland sediments. Results will allow us to test the hypothesis that high levels of viral activity are positively correlated with high sulfate reduction rates in these systems. This dataset represents one of the first opportunities to link viral populations and activities with microbial hosts in a terrestrial ecosystem. Data will additionally allow us to determine the most active methanogen populations in these same sediments, offering insight into the microorganisms (and associated processes) responsible for the measured large atmospheric methane fluxes.
Project Details
Project type
Limited Scope
Start Date
2018-02-08
End Date
2018-04-10
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Related Publications
Dalcin Martins P., J. Frank, H.D. Mitchell, L. Markillie, and M. Wilkins. 2019. "Wetland Sediments Host Diverse Microbial Taxa Capable of Cycling Alcohols." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 8, no. 12. PNNL-SA-147002. doi:10.1128/AEM.00189-19
Saup C.M., S. Bryant, A.R. Nelson, K.D. Harris, A.H. Sawyer, J.N. Christensen, and M. Tfaily, et al. 2019. "Hyporheic zone microbiome assembly is linked to dynamic water mixing patterns in snowmelt-dominated headwater catchments." Journal of Geophysical Research. Biogeosciences 124, no. 11:3269-3280. PNNL-SA-152884. doi:10.1029/2019JG005189