Microbiology of Atmospheric Trace Gases: Sources, Sinks and Global Change Processes

310 Pages·1996·6.73 MB·English

by  Donovan P. Kelly (auth.)

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Series I: Global Environmental Change, Vol. 39
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Microbiology of
Atmospheric Trace Gases
Sources, Sinks and Global Change Processes
Edited by
J. Colin Murrell
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
Donovan P Kelly
Institute of Education
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
Springer
Published in cooperation with NATO Scientific Affairs Division
Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop "The Microbiology of
Atmospheric Trace Gases: Sources, Sinks and Global Change Processes", held
at II Ciocco, Italy, May 13-18, 1995
Library ot Congress Cataloging-In-Publication Data
Microbiology of atmospheric trace gases: sources. sinks and global
change processes / edited by J. Colin Murrell. Donovan P. Kelly.
p. cm. -- (NATO ASI series. Series I. Global environmental
change; vol. 39)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBIII-13:978-3-642-64693-S e-ISBIII-13: 978-3-642-61096-7
DOl: 10.1007/978-3-642-61096-7
1. Gases in microorganisms. 2. Biogeochemistry. I. Murrell. J.
C. (J. Colin) II. Kelly. Donovan P .• 1940- III. Series.
CR101.M53 199B
57B'.15--dc20 95-45BB7
CIP
ISBN-13: 978-3-642-64693-5 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York
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© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1996
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SPIN: 10498302 31/3137 -54321 0
PREFACE
The chapters making up this volume are based on the
presentations given by their authors at the NATO Advanced
Research Workshop (ARW) , also entitled "The Microbiology of
Atmospheric Trace Gases: Sources, Sinks and Global Change
Processes", held between 13-18 May 1995 at II Ciocco,
Castelvecchio Pascoli, Tuscany, Italy. Four reports of Working
Group discussions on aspects of trace gas microbiology and
climate change are also included in the volume, prepared by
rapporteurs designated at the ARW. All the papers here presented
have been subjected to peer review by at least two referees and
corrections and amendments made where necessary before their
acceptance for pUblication in this volume.
The ARW was set up to address a wide range of issues
relating to atmospheric trace gas microbiology and the
organizing group was aware of the burgeoning of studies on gas
metabolism and on global effects of atmospheric trace gases over
the past two decades. This research effort has led to a number
of specialist and generalist meetings including the triennial
series of symposia on the metabolism of one-carbon compounds,
colloquia concerned with dimethyl sulfide and its precursor,
DMSP, through to the Intergovernmental Panels on Climate Change,
which have addressed the impact of increasing levels of
atmospheric carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and
chlorofluorocarbons on global climate. Over recent years methane
and nitrous oxide showed rates of increase in the atmosphere of
40-48 and 3-4.5 Tg/year, respectively. Such increases are
microbiologically very significant, as the sources of these
gases are almost exclusively from bacterial metabolism, but
their increased production frequently results from man's
agricultural and land-use practices. Factors affecting sources
(and microbiological sinks) for these are thus of global concern
for analysis by microbiologists. Other gases of known climatic
impact are dimethyl sulfide, and other biogenic sulfur gases
such as carbonyl sulfide. Oxidation of these in the atmosphere
produces cloud condensation nuclei which can stimulate cloud
cover. Natural halocarbons and man-made chlorofluorocarbons have
impacts both as stratospheric-ozone-reactive substances and as
VI
"greenhouse gases", and the identity and activity of possible
microbial sinks for these were of obvious relevance to the ARW.
To put into comparative perspective the importance of these
trace gases as climatic "drivers", one has only to realize that
the "global warming potential" (Radiative Forcing Potential) of
some other trace gases is much more potent per molecule than
that of carbon dioxide. Taking the molar radiative forcing
potential of carbon dioxide as 1 relative unit, the values for
some important trace gases are: methane, 21, nitrous oxide, 206,
CFC-12 and CFC-113, 15,800 each, HCFC-22, 10,700, and HFC-134a,
9570. All of these compounds are likely to be susceptible to
biodegradation, in some cases by bacteria that also oxidize
methane, so comparative biochemistry and study of co-metabolism
could be of value in such studies. Biodegradation of some of
these was considered during the ARW and is reported in this
volume.
The development of suitably sensitive analytical
instrumentation over the past three decades has enabled precise
demonstration of significant concentrations and turnover of a
range of atmospheric trace gases, including methane,
halomethanes, carbon monoxide, various organosulfur compounds,
and the oxides of nitrogen. These are now recognised as major
components in the global biogeochemical cycling of carbon,
sulfur and nitrogen, with a significant and growing role in the
radiative energy balance of the atmosphere (although carbon
dioxide and water vapour still currently account for about 25%
and 60-70% of the total atmospheric warming globally), and in
the dynamics of atmospheric oxidation processes. The seminal
role of microorganisms in their biogenesis and ultimate
mineralization has only more recently become better documented.
It was a purpose of this ARW to bring together experts in
the microbiology and biogeochemistry of these fundamentally
important gases, in order to quantify as far as possible the
biological driving forces and regulatory processes (sources,
sinks, and turnover dynamics) leading to the observed
atmospheric composition, and to identify the biological and
chemical networks linking the various trace gases in their
production and turnover in the terrestrial and marine
environments, which are the ultimate sources and sinks for the
VII
atmospheric phases of these compounds. This enabled
identification of areas in which understanding is inadequate,
and where research efforts must be concentrated. A further
outcome of the Workshop was a better understanding of the roles
of these gases, and their microbiological driving forces, in
climate homeostasis and environmental change. The Workshop was
structured around (i) a series of theme lectures, in which
leaders in this field presented overview and state-of-the-art
papers, including the methodology available to investigate
molecular ecology and microscale transformations; (ii) oral and
poster contributions on current research by participants; and
(iii) a number of Working Groups given the brief of arriving at
a series of summary conclusions and recommendations concerning
the present status of trace gases in biogeochemistry, the
microbial processes (and their regulation) that drive these
processes, and the needs for future work better to understand
the microbiology and the extent to which global environmental
change is potentially likely to be forced by microbiological
activity. The Workshop brought together specialists who are
familiar with the atmospheric processes (Conrad, Oremland,
Kelly), the microbiology and ecological dynamics of gas
production and consumption in wetlands, coastal and oceanic
habitats (Hansen, Iversen, Kiene, King, Lloyd, Nedwell, Panikov,
Visscher), and in soil, forest and agricultural systems (Conrad,
Iversen, Kelly, Murrell, Steudler). Experimental approaches and
analysis of ecological constraints were covered by Kiene,
Lidstrom, Murrell and Revsbech. The time was ripe for a
synthesis of the kind undertaken, involving participants working
on diverse habitats and gases, to integrate understanding
(through the Workshop itself and the subsequent publication) of
the global processes and the key function of microorganisms in
the production and consumption of trace gases, and their role in
the catalysis of the complex inter-conversions between them and
their precursors. Participants in the ARW are listed at the
beginning of the book, and included research students and
postdoctoral workers, and thereby extended the scope for trained
workers in these fields, as well as providing an expert forum
for discussion.
The Editors
CONTENTS
A Global Perspective on Sources and Sinks of Biogenic
Trace Gases: an Atmospheric System Driven by Microbiology
D.P. Kelly 1
Physiological Limitations of Methanotrophic Activity
in situ
G.M. King 17
Methane Production and Oxidation in Soils and Sediments
D.B. Nedwell 33
Methane Oxidation in Coastal Marine Sediments
N. Iversen 51
Microbial Controls of Methane OXidation in Temperate
Forest and Agricultural Soils
P.A. Steudler, R.D. Jones, M.S. Castro,
J.M. Melillo and D.L. Lewis 69
Microbial Degradation of Atmospheric Halocarbons
R.S. Oremland 85
Microbial Transformation of Alkyl Esters
D.P. Kelly and A.P. Wood 103
Environmental Molecular Biology Approaches: Promises and
pitfalls
M.E. Lidstrom 121
Molecular Ecology of Methanotrophs
J.C. Murrell, A.J. Holmes, I.R. McDonald
and E.M. Kenna 135
Transformation of N20 and CH, in Stratified Microbial
Communities Studied by Use of Microsensors
L.R. Damgaard and N.P. Revsbech 153
x
Metabolism of Nitric Oxide in Soil and Soil Microorganisms
and Regulation of Flux into the Atmosphere
R. Conrad 167
Microbiological Controls on Dimethylsulfide Emissions
from Wetlands and the Ocean
R.P. Kiene 205
Microbial Turn-over of Volatile Sulfur Compounds
P.T. Visscher 227
Bacterial Metabolism of Methanesulfonic Acid
J.C. Murrell, T. Higgins and D.P. Kelly 243
working Group Reports:
[1] Contribution of Microbial Processes to Global Budgets
B.H. Svensson 255
[2] Global Environmental Change (GEC)
D.P. Kelly 261
[3] Problems and Developments in Methodology
A. Holmes and D. Lloyd 271
[4] Sulfur, Carbon and Nitrogen Interactions
A.P. Wood 281
Perspectives on the Microbiology of Atmospheric Trace Gases
D.P. Kelly 289
Index 297
Participants at Workshop 301
A Global Perspective on Sources and Sinks of Biogenic Trace
Gases: an Atmospheric System Driven by Microbiology
Donovan P Kelly
Institute of Education
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 7AL
England
Introduction
Atmospheric trace gases containing one or more of carbon,
nitrogen and sulfur, in combination with each other or with
oxygen, hydrogen or halogens, have long been recognised as key
intermediates in the biogeochemical cycling of these elements
between the terrestrial and aquatic phases of the biosphere. The
pivotal role of microorganisms in the cycling of trace gases was
probably first recognized on an international scale by the
Symposium held in Gottingen in 1975 (Schlegel et al. 1976).
Methane, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and dimethyl sulfide
occur in the atmosphere only at "trace" levels (ppm or ppb by
volume), and until relatively recently it was difficult to
measure and monitor their absolute concentrations and dynamics.
This served to promote undervaluation of their global importance
within the context of biosphere processes. The term "trace"
tends to suggest the idea of 'not very much' and hence perhaps
"not so important". As Schlegel (1976) put it: "Not long ago
these gases were regarded to be curious compounds, far away from
the main routes of research and from a quantitative point of
view they were considered unimportant. Calculations ... culminated
in the conclusion that methane is produced in unbelievable
amounts on our planet and plays a significant role in the carbon
cycle." Subsequently there have been many meetings, many at
governmental level, concerned with trace gases, largely because
of the growing recognition of the regulatory effect of trace
gases, such as methane, the nitrogen oxides, sulfur gases and
NATO ASI Series. Vol. I 39
Microbiology of Atmospheric Trace G3ses
Edited by 1. Colin Murrell and Donovan P. Kelly
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1996