Page 15 - Microbial methane cycling in a warming world From biosphere to atmosphere Michiel H in t Zandt

formed a multi-cell layer around the methanogenic core. This implies the potential for direct oxidation of methane produced in aquatic ecosystems and, additionally, it provides a possible oxygen protection mechanism for methanogenic archaea.
Finally, Chapter 11 reviews the findings of this thesis and presents an outlook for future work. The research presented in this thesis focused on unravelling controls of in situ CH4 cycles in a changing environment. We wanted to unravel the contribution of CH4 cycling microorganisms as well as the key factors controlling their occurrence and activity. It is furthermore important to realize that different species, and thus methanogens, methanotrophs, and all the other microbial guilds respond differently to climate change. Therefore, the ecosystem response to climate change is dependent on a multitude of biotic and abiotic factors that together determine the ratio of CO2 and CH4 emissions, which in turn determines the climate impact of GHG emissions. Climate change is more than a linear consequence of a single cause and it requires holistic, multidisciplinary efforts to be both understood and resolved.
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