Long Read Sequencing Identifies Putative Methanogens and Novel Microbial Diversity in the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest of Malaysia

This study explores the microbial diversity in the peat soils of the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest, one of Malaysia’s largest remaining peatlands. We measured the physicochemical properties of the soil at four sites across the forest and at different depths and using shotgun DNA sequencing, we identified over 1,500 microbial genomes, including methane-producing microbes in the deeper soil layers. While lab cultures only recovered a few types of microbes, DNA data revealed much greater diversity. These novel findings help us better understand how tropical peatlands store carbon and produce methane, which is important for climate research and conservation.