Characterization of the methane cycling microbial communities of the tree phyllosphere for different species

The methane cycling microbial communities (i.e. the methanogens and methanotrophs) of tree phyllosphere remains uncharacterized for most tree species despite their potential role in regulating tree methane fluxes. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we characterized the methanogenic and methanotrophic communities of wood, bark and leaves of five tree species (Acer saccharinum, Fraxinus nigra, Ulmus americana, Salix nigra, and Populus tremuloides) growing in the temperate floodplain of lake St-Pierre (Quebec).