Methane is a greenhouse gas, which can lead to an increase in global warming, which can affect the habitats and biological processes of many organisms on Earth. Plants naturally produce methane that can accumulate in atmosphere. The resulting effect of global warming further causes an increase in plant growth. However, methanotrophic bacteria, which can associate with non-vascular plants, can consume some of the methane that these plants produce. If methanotrophs are readily used to consume methane produced by plants, we can begin to reverse the cycle of ozone depletion and global warming.

I am trying to determine methanotrophic bacteria's influence on the methane produced by non-vascular plants. As the quantities of methanotrophic bacteria exposed to Sphagnum moss are increased, the rates of methane consumption will increase. In addition, the levels of methane produced by the moss will be significantly lower as the moss is exposed to higher quantities of methanotrophic bacteria.By further understanding the capabilities of methanotrophs, we can then investigate ways to increase their effectiveness and efficiency to solve the problem of global warming.

I decided to use Sphagnum moss because it is an easily attainable non-vascular plant that often associates with methanotrophic bacteria in the natural environment.I then decided on the specific species of methanotrophic bacteria to use-Methylocella palustris because it has a high affinity for Sphagnum moss environments. Next, I purchased the Methylocella palustris and created its optimal medium for growth. I incubated the bacteria in a closed-box airtight system that exposed the methanotrophs to an atmosphere of 50% methane and 50% air. I also tried a second method to grow the bacteria-by using methanol in the culture medium. After the bacteria grew, I mixed the bacteria with a medium broth and sprayed different amounts on three pieces of moss of the same volume. Each bacteria-moss system was placed in a closed-box airtight system, and attached to the Ultraportable Greenhouse Gas Monitor (from Los Gatos Research). Methane production levels were then detected for each experimental group. The control group consisted of a closed-box airtight system with a piece of moss that was not exposed to the bacteria.

Test group 1 has more severe fluctuations in methane concentration for more extended periods of time than the control group and test group 2. The data in test group 2 seems to have fluctuations that are similar to the control group -neither group's data indicate severe changes throughout the 24 hour period. However, the consumption rates are only significant when the volume of bacterial-broth solution is greater than 0.5 mL. The consumption rate is large when the moss is exposed to 1 ml bacteria, indicating that methane consumption is sensitive to acute changes in methanotroph quantity. This proves that the exposure of non-vascular plants to small quantities of methantrophs can greatly reduce the natural methane levels that are emitted by the plants.