Microbial Dynamics in Soil-Atmosphere Interactions
Summary
Soil microbial communities act as critical mediators of gas exchange between the terrestrial surface and the overlying atmosphere. Through the oxidation and production of trace gases such as hydrogen (H₂), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O), soil microorganisms influence global biogeochemical cycles and climate feedbacks. In the rhizosphere, plant–microbe associations modulate local redox conditions and pollutant degradation, while in extreme environments—such as deserts or contaminated sites—microbes exploit atmospheric trace gases to sustain survival and drive primary productivity. Advances in metagenomics, stable isotope probing and high‐resolution gas flux measurements have revealed the taxonomic and functional diversity of hydrogenases and carbon monoxide dehydrogenases, the spatial heterogeneity of gas flux hotspots, and the resilience of soil communities to environmental perturbations. Understanding these dynamics underpins strategies for carbon sequestration, pollution remediation and prediction of ecosystem responses to global change.
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Microbial Dynamics in Soil-Atmosphere Interactions publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in microbial dynamics in soil-atmosphere interactions across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
High-affinity hydrogenase: A metalloenzyme that enables bacteria to oxidise trace levels of H₂ in the atmosphere supporting low-energy survival and growth.
Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase: An enzyme complex that catalyses the oxidation of CO to CO₂, providing reducing power under nutrient-limited conditions.
Rhizosphere: The soil zone influenced by plant roots, where microbial activity is enhanced by root exudates and altered physicochemical gradients.
Trace gas oxidation: The microbial process of consuming low-concentration atmospheric gases (e.g. H₂, CO) to generate energy under oligotrophic conditions.
Chemoautotrophy: A mode of primary production in which organisms fix CO₂ using energy derived from the oxidation of inorganic compounds rather than from sunlight.
References
- Endogenous biohydrogen from a rhizobium-legume association drives microbial biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyl in contaminated soil. Environment International (2023).
- Atmospheric carbon monoxide oxidation is a widespread mechanism supporting microbial survival. The ISME Journal: Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial Ecology (2019).
- Chemosynthetic and photosynthetic bacteria contribute differentially to primary production across a steep desert aridity gradient. The ISME Journal: Multidisciplinary Journal of Microbial Ecology (2021).
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