Researches on lake methane (CH4) production are of great significance for understanding the global CH4 budget since lakes are important releasing sources for CH4. In this study, sediment samples were firstly collected from Lake Taihu China then incubated in the laboratory with the purpose of investigating the temporal and spatial variations of the sediment methane production rates (MPR) in the lake. The environmental factors influencing the production rates were also analyzed. The results showed that MPR in sediments from Lake Taihu was 0.007~176.03µmol/(L·d). Higher MPR were found in the northwest bays and the eastern areas, while MPR in the open areas of Lake Taihu were relatively lower. The MPR in the sediments significantly varied from seasons, with the highest value of (42.85 ± 40.45) µmol/(L·d) in summer and the lowest of (5.26 ± 17.29) µmol/(L·d) in winter. The sediment MPR was positively correlated with the water temperature, the sediment water content, the porosity, the total nitrogen and the organic carbon. Differences of the temperature sensitivity (Q10) for sediment MPR were found from different sampling sites. A significant negative logarithmic correlation between Q10 and MPR was proofed. Microbial community analysis showed that hydrogenotrophic microorganisms dominated the methanogens in sediments of Lake Taihu during the summer. The copy number of the mcrA gene was significantly positively correlated with the sediment MPR. This study would provide important references to the studies of CH4 production, emission and carbon cycle in Lake Taihu and the sediment MPR in other lakes.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |