Wintertime activity of microbial communities in tundra soil

This study aims to elucidate the functional activity and ecological roles of bacterial and archaeal communities in oroarctic tundra soils during the Arctic winter. By integrating metatranscriptomic sequencing with in situ greenhouse gas flux measurements across diverse vegetation types, we investigate how microbial metabolism contributes to wintertime carbon and nitrogen cycling. The study reveals active microbial transcription under snow cover, including genes related to carbohydrate metabolism, stress responses, methane oxidation, and denitrification. These findings highlight the significant role of microbial communities in regulating greenhouse gas fluxes during winter and underscore the importance of incorporating microbial data into ecosystem models to improve predictions of climate change impacts in high-latitude environments.