Newly discovered microbes in Amazon Peatlands could impact global carbon balance

Aerial view of a remote village in the Amazon’s Pasta Maranhão Foreland Basin where Hinsby Cadillo Quiros conducts fieldwork. Rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage, this region serves as an important site for studying microbial life and its impact on climate change. Credit: Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz
Complex organisms, thousands of times smaller than grains of sand, can form large-scale ecosystems and influence the fate of Earth’s climate, according to a new study.
Researchers at Arizona State University, along with colleagues from the National University of the Amazon in Peru, have identified a previously unknown microbial species uniquely adapted to the waterlogged, low-oxygen conditions of the Amazon rainforest in northwestern Peru.
New research shows that these microbes play a dual role in the carbon cycle, potentially mitigating or intensifying climate change. This process can either stabilize carbon for long-term storage or release it into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases, particularly CO2 and methane.
Under stable conditions, these microorganisms allow peatlands to act as vast carbon reservoirs, sequestering carbon and reducing climate risks. But environmental changes, including droughts and warming temperatures, can trigger their activity and accelerate global climate change.
And continued human-induced disruption of natural peatland ecosystems could release 500 million tonnes of carbon by the end of the century.
“The microbial universe of Amazon peatlands is vast in space and time, hidden in remote locations and seriously understudied to local and global contributions, but thanks to local partnerships, we can You can visit and study the major ecosystems, says Hinsbee Cadillo-Quiros, author of the new study and a researcher at ASU’s Biodesign Center for Environmental Biotechnology.
“Our work is finding incredible organisms that have adapted to this environment, and some of them provide unique and important services, from carbon stabilization or recycling to carbon monoxide detoxification. ”
Cadillo-Quiroz is also a researcher in Basic and Applied Microbiology and the Biodesign Center at ASU School of Life Sciences. ASU colleague Michael J. Pavia is the study’s lead author.
The study, which appears in the American Society for Microbiology journal Spectrum of Microbiology, highlights the importance of protecting tropical peatlands to stabilize one of the planet’s most important carbon storage systems, supporting microbial life and the world’s It highlights the delicate interplay between climate regulation.


Local residents in the dense Amazon rainforest near the Pastaza Maranine Foreland Basin. Their deep connection to the land provides valuable insight for researchers like Hinsby. That research relies on understanding both the ecosystem and the communities that live within it. Credit: Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz
Why peatlands are essential to climate stability
Amazon peatlands are one of the planet’s largest carbon stores, storing an estimated 3.1 billion tons of carbon in dense, saturated soil. Peatlands are essential to global carbon storage because their flooded conditions slow decomposition and organic material can accumulate over thousands of years. These ecosystems play a critical role in regulating greenhouse gas emissions and influencing global climate patterns.
Building on previous studies, the current study describes newly identified microorganisms. It is part of an ancient hydrostyle group that forms a complex network essential to the functioning of this ecosystem. This study highlights the remarkable ability of these microorganisms to modulate carbon cycling in peatlands. Unlike most living organisms, these microorganisms can thrive in extreme conditions, including environments with little or no oxygen, thanks to their metabolic flexibility.
The microorganisms are located in the Pasta Maranhão Foreland Basin, an important peatland in the northwestern Amazon rainforest of Peru. Encompassing approximately 100,000 square kilometers, the basin contains vast areas of flooded rainforest and swamps beneath ancient peat.
These peatland microorganisms consume carbon monoxide, which metabolizes and converts it into energy, which is toxic to many organisms, while reducing carbon toxicity in the environment. By decomposing carbon compounds, they produce hydrogen and CO2, which other microorganisms use to produce methane. Their ability to survive both oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor conditions makes them well-suited to the Amazonian environment, where water levels and oxygen availability fluctuate throughout the year.
However, changes in rainfall, temperature and human activities, including deforestation and mining, disrupt this delicate balance, releasing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into peatlands.
climate connection
Tropical peatlands currently act as carbon sinks, absorbing more carbon than they emit, but will become increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns could dry out these peatlands and turn them into a source of carbon.


Study author Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz collects soil samples in the lush rainforest of the Pastaza-Mareñón Foreland basin. Such fieldwork is essential to understanding the Amazon’s complex ecosystems and their role in global environmental processes. Credit: Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz
The release of billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide and methane from peatlands will greatly amplify global warming. The findings highlight the urgent need to protect tropical peatlands from human activities and climate stress.
Researchers advocate sustainable land management, including reducing peatland deforestation, drainage and mining activities to prevent destruction. Further investigation of microbial communities is required to better understand their role in carbon and nutrient cycling.
Predicting future impacts on peatlands also requires tracking changes in temperature, rainfall, and ecosystem dynamics.
new direction
The discovery of highly adaptable peatland microorganisms improves our understanding of microbial diversity and highlights the resilience of life in extreme environments. These microorganisms represent a key piece of the puzzle in meeting the world’s climate challenges and demonstrate how the tiniest organisms can have profound effects on Earth’s systems.
This research, supported by the National Science Foundation, represents an important step forward in understanding the critical role of tropical peatlands and their microbial inhabitants in global carbon cycling. As climate change continues to reshape our planet, these hidden ecosystems hold lessons that may help protect our future.
Cadillo-Quiroz and his team plan to use this microbial and ecological knowledge for tropical peatland management and restoration in future work.
“It has been the honor of my life to work to understand microbes and ecosystems in the lush and majestic Amazon rainforest. This is something I aim to use to protect this region in the fight against climate change. ” says Cadillo Quiros.
Details: Michael J. Pavia et al, Functional insights into a novel water sarchayaiia reveal metabolic versatility in its role in Peruvian Amazon peatlands, the microbiology spectrum (2024). doi:10.1128/spectrum.00387-24
Provided by Arizona State University
Citation: Newly discovered microorganisms in Amazon Peatlands impact global carbon balance (January 25, 2025) Retrieved January 25, 2025 from https:/2025-01-January 25, 2025 Possibly.
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