Tiny Amazon Microbes Could Hold Key to Global Climate Impact todayheadline

Deep in the waterlogged soils of the Peruvian Amazon, scientists have discovered a family of microscopic organisms that could play a crucial role in determining how tropical peatlands respond to climate change. These newly identified microbes, thousands of times smaller than a grain of sand, have evolved unique abilities to either lock away carbon or release it as greenhouse gases.

The finding comes at a critical time for the Amazon’s peatlands, which currently store an estimated 3.1 billion tons of carbon – roughly twice the amount contained in all the world’s forests. Researchers warn that disruption of these ecosystems could release up to 500 million tons of carbon by century’s end, equivalent to 5% of annual global fossil fuel emissions.

“The microbial universe of the Amazon peatlands is vast in space and time, has been hidden by their remote locations, and has been severely under-studied in their local and global contributions,” says Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz, the study’s corresponding author from Arizona State University’s Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology.

The research, published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum, reveals how these microorganisms have adapted to thrive in the challenging conditions of tropical peatlands. Unlike most living things, they can survive in environments with little to no oxygen, demonstrating remarkable metabolic flexibility.

These microbes serve a dual function in the carbon cycle. Under stable conditions, they help peatlands act as carbon sinks, trapping and storing carbon that would otherwise enter the atmosphere. However, when environmental conditions shift due to factors like drought or warming, these same organisms can accelerate the release of greenhouse gases.

Nature’s Carbon Vault Under Threat

The study focused on Peru’s Pastaza-Marañón Foreland Basin, a vital peatland region spanning approximately 100,000 square kilometers of northwestern Amazon rainforest. This area includes extensive tracts of flooded forest and swamps underlain by ancient peat deposits.

What makes these microbes particularly interesting is their ability to consume carbon monoxide – a toxic gas to many organisms – and convert it into energy. In doing so, they simultaneously reduce carbon toxicity in the environment and produce compounds that other microbes can use to generate methane.

“Our work is finding incredible organisms adapted to this environment, and several of them provide unique and important services – from carbon stabilization or recycling to carbon monoxide detoxification and others,” Cadillo-Quiroz explains.

Climate Change Implications

While tropical peatlands currently act as carbon sinks, absorbing more carbon than they release, scientists warn they are increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Rising temperatures and altered rainfall patterns could dry out these peatlands, potentially transforming them from carbon storage systems into carbon sources.

The researchers emphasize the urgent need to protect these ecosystems from human activities like deforestation, drainage, and mining. They advocate for sustainable land management practices and continued investigation of microbial communities to better understand their roles in carbon cycling.

“Working to understand microbes and ecosystems in the lush and magnificent Amazon rainforest is the honor of my life, which I aim to use in the protection of this region in the fight against climate change,” says Cadillo-Quiroz.

The research, supported by the National Science Foundation, represents a significant advance in understanding how Earth’s smallest organisms can have outsized effects on global climate systems. As climate change continues to reshape our planet, these hidden ecosystems may hold crucial lessons for safeguarding our future.