The methane-driven interaction network in terrestrial methane hotspots

Biological interaction affects diverse facets of microbial life, modulating the activity, diversity, and composition of microbial communities. Concerning methanotrophy, aerobic methane oxidation is a community functioning, with emergent community traits arising from the interaction of the methane-oxidizers (methanotrophs) and non-methanotrophs. Yet little is known of the spatial and temporal organization of these interaction networks in naturally-occurring complex communities. We hypothesized that the assembled bacterial community of the interaction network in methane hotspots would converge, driven by high substrate availability which favors specific methanotrophs, in turn, influence the recruitment of non-methanotrophs. These environments would also share more co-occurring than site-specific taxa.