Northern palsa and peat ecosystem microbiomes are potentially supported by hydrogen and carbon monoxide metabolism

Palsa soils showed the strongest denitrification marker ratio [(nirS+nirK)/nosZ], indicating the highest potential to generate nitrous oxide (N2O) among all sampled peatland and water environments.

• Why it matters: Rapid warming, permafrost thaw, and hydrology shifts are changing biogeochemical cycling, but the microbial metabolic potential across soils and thaw waters remains unclear.
• What they did: Subarctic palsa and peat soils plus associated thaw ponds and streams were analyzed using metagenomics, including denitrification marker gene ratios and abundance of H2 and CO utilization markers.
• The result: Hydrogen and carbon monoxide utilization markers were abundant across soil environments and metagenome assembled genomes, and pmoA was most abundant in palsa ponds and peat soils, supporting trace-gas–driven energy and methanotrophy there.

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