Dry and flood dynamics of methanothophs and methanogens on floodplains from the Negro and Solimões rivers in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Wetlands significantly contribute with the global annual emissions of methane (CH4). Given that microorganisms mediate the CH4 cycling, it is surprising that the role of microbial community composition in regulating the metabolic processes involved in CH4 flow in ecosystem scale is unknown. In this sense, this master's degree project proposal aims to reveal the composition of methanogenic and methanotrophic microbial communities in floodplains from the Negro e Solimões rivers, state of Amazonas, Brazil. Metatranscriptomic analyses will be performed to reveal the methanotrophs and metanogens on both natural and agricultural wetlands in the Brazilian Amazon (the crop will be defined after geoprocessing analyses and field confirmation). Soil samples will be collected from sampling sites in contrasting hydrograph (wet and dry seasons). The results from this study (metanogenic and metanotrophic microbial communities) will be available for joint interpretation with biogeochemical data and CH4 fluxes determined for the sampling sites described at the Young Scientist' Research Grant (FAPESP 2016/16687-3) to which this master's degree project proposal is linked. (AU)