Circadian redox oscillations drive oxic methane production in the rhizosphere
Methanogenesis was previously considered to be strictly confined to anoxic environments, but aerobic methane (CH4) production is increasingly being recognized, although it is typically ascribed to biological activity or photothermal reactions. Here we describe rhizosphere soil incubation experiments...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
12 May 2026
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| In: |
Nature geoscience
Year: 2026, Volume: 19, Issue: 6, Pages: 660-666 |
| ISSN: | 1752-0908 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41561-026-01980-9 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-026-01980-9 Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-026-01980-9 
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| Author Notes: | Hu Sheng, Cai Li, Maoxing Song, Hanyang Sun, Guoqiang Zhao, Huacheng Xu, Shiming Ding, Zengwei Yuan & Frank Keppler |
| Summary: | Methanogenesis was previously considered to be strictly confined to anoxic environments, but aerobic methane (CH4) production is increasingly being recognized, although it is typically ascribed to biological activity or photothermal reactions. Here we describe rhizosphere soil incubation experiments and biogeochemical analyses and our findings that photothermally inert rhizospheres of aquatic plants sustain widespread oxic CH4 formation in the absence of microbial CH4 oxidation. Circadian radial oxygen loss from plant roots induces redox oscillations in the rhizosphere that drive the CH4 production. At night, iron minerals in the soil are reduced, and during the day, the Fe(II) produced overnight is re-oxidized. This sequence generates reactive oxygen species and oxo-iron(IV) complexes, which mediate demethylation of organic substrates and release CH4 as a by-product. The extent of this redox-driven CH4 formation depends largely on the soil iron reactivity and the composition of the organic matter. Using a random forest model, we estimate that the global CH4 production potential in rice rhizospheres is on the order of 0.7-3.3 Tg yr−1, corresponding to 1.9-13.2% of total paddy CH4 emissions. These findings uncover a redox-driven CH4 source, with implications for global CH4 budgets and organic carbon cycling. |
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| Item Description: | Gesehen am 09.07.2026 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1752-0908 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41561-026-01980-9 |