Trajectories of freshwater microbial genomics and greenhouse gas saturation upon glacial retreat

Abstract

Due to climate warming, ice sheets around the world are losing mass, contributing to changes across terrestrial landscapes on decadal time spans. However, landscape repercussions on climate are poorly constrained mostly due to limited knowledge on microbial responses to deglaciation. Here, we reveal the genomic succession from chemolithotrophy to photo- and heterotrophy and increases in methane supersaturation in freshwater lakes upon glacial retreat. Arctic lakes at Svalbard also revealed strong microbial signatures form nutrient fertilization by birds. Although methanotrophs were present and increased along lake chronosequences, methane consumption rates were low even in supersaturated systems. Nitrous oxide oversaturation and genomic information suggest active nitrogen cycling across the entire deglaciated landscape, and in the high Arctic, increasing bird populations serve as major modulators at many sites. Our findings show diverse microbial succession patterns, and trajectories in carbon and nitrogen cycle processes representing a positive feedback loop of deglaciation on climate warming.