Scientists have discovered new microbes: they can greatly change the climate on our planet (4 photos)

Microbes found in peatlands in the Amazon forests can significantly affect the global carbon balance on Earth.





Scientists have found that complex tiny microorganisms can form huge ecosystems and influence the future climate of our planet. The study was published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum.

Scientists have discovered an unknown population of microbes in peatlands that contain little oxygen in the Amazon forests of Peru (South America). The authors of the study believe that these microbes play a dual role in the carbon cycle on our planet and can either reduce or increase climate change. This process can either stabilize the carbon for long-term storage or trigger its release as carbon dioxide and methane.



In stable conditions, microbes allow peatlands to act as huge reservoirs for storing carbon, which reduces the risk of climate change. But further warming could accelerate global climate change, due to the instability of peatlands.

Scientists have concluded that human-induced disruption of the natural peatland ecosystem could lead to the release of 500 million tons of carbon by the end of this century.

Amazonian peatlands are some of the largest carbon stores on the planet, storing an estimated 3.1 billion tonnes of carbon. That's about twice as much as all the world's forests. Peatlands are critical to global carbon storage because their conditions slow decomposition and allow organic material to accumulate over thousands of years. These ecosystems play a critical role in regulating greenhouse gas emissions and influencing climate change.





Newly discovered microbes, which are part of the Bathyarchaeia group, create the conditions necessary for this ecosystem to function. Scientists have discovered that new microbes help regulate the carbon cycle in peatlands.

These microbes consume carbon monoxide and convert it into energy, while at the same time reducing the toxicity of carbon in the environment. By breaking down chemical compounds, the microbes produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide, which other microbes use to make methane.

But changes in rainfall, temperature, and human activity cause peatlands to release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane.

While tropical peatlands currently act as carbon sinks, when they absorb more carbon than they release, they become increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Warming could dry out these peatlands, turning them into carbon sources.



The release of billions of tons of carbon dioxide and methane from peatlands will significantly increase global warming. Scientists believe that peatlands need to be protected so that they do not provoke further climate change. New microbes are an important part of the solution to climate problems and show that even the smallest organisms can have a huge impact on our planet.