The results of studies of biological activity, concentrations of carbon-containing greenhouse gases and their emissions in eutrophic and mesotrophic swamps are presented. It was established that 4 years of research are characterized as long-term averages, levels marsh water in the swamps were close to the surface, and the humidity in the 0–30 cm layer did not fall below 0.8 of the total moisture capacity. It was revealed that the degree of heating of peat profiles of swamps is determined by their type and the level marsh water. The activity of oxidoreductases involved in the formation of humic substances has been revealed. The activity of catalase and polyphenol oxidase in the peats of a eutrophic swamp is identical to their activity in the peats of a mesotrophic swamp, and the activity of peroxidase in eutrophic peats is 1.5–6 times higher compared to the peats of a mesotrophic swamp. The dynamics of carbon-containing gases in the peat profile of swamps was studied, which showed similar values for both types of swamps from 0.07 to 1.4 mmol/dm3 for CO2 and from zero to 0.65 mmol/dm3 for CH4. The extreme values of the concentration of CO2 and CH4 gases in the eutrophic peat deposit were determined: for CO2—0.07–1.40 and for CH4—0.00–0.65 mmol/dm3, and in the mesotrophic: for CO2—0.05–1.10 mmol/dm3 and for CH4—0.00–0.62 mmol/dm3. In the eutrophic swamp, limits of emission values are observed: for CO2—17.2–932 77.1 mg CO2/(m2 h), for CH4 1.3–11.3 mg CH4/(m2 h). In a mesotrophic swamp, the emission limits are: for CO2—34.9–109.9 mg CO2/(m2 h), for CH4—0.5–15.1 mg CH4/(m2 h). Quantitative indicators of biological parameters and their distribution along the peat profile of eutrophic and mesotrophic types were obtained. It has been proven that the activity of biological processes manifests itself throughout the peat profile of the swamp down to the mineral underlying rocks, but the degree of their activity is determined by the type of swamp and the botanical composition of the peat profile.

The results of the study of enzymatic activity of peats of the three bogs of upper and lowland types – Saim, Bolshoye and Tungusovskoye (Tomsk region) are presented. The peculiarities of organic matter formation of peats of different types are given. It is shown that the properties of peats with up to eight different plants in their composition are a consequence of the different structure of polymers of the original plants. The activity indices of enzymes invertase, protease, catalase, polyphenol oxidase, nitrate and nitrite reductase in the peats of different genesis are determined. Thus, at the type level, the extreme values of nitrate and nitrite reductase activity in the peats of the upland bog are equal to 3.60–4.94 mg of reduced NO3– /24 h/g and 3.52–7.01 mg of reduced NO2–/24 h/g, respectively, lowland bog – 4.66–19.33 mg of reduced NO3–/24 h/g and 0.9–13.0 mg of reduced NO2 –/24 h/g, fluvial bog – 8.77–22.29 mg of reduced NO3–/24 h/g and 0.2–13.6 mg of reduced NO2 –/24 h/g. The activity of the enzyme in peats and in mineral soils is compared with the activity estimation according to the D.G. Zvyagintsev scale. Peats are found to show a wider range of invertase values than indicated by the scale. The need to develop a gradation of enzymatic activity assessment for peats is identified. Probably, the activity of enzymes on peat OM transformation may increase when external conditions change towards warming. In the future, it is suggested to develop an evaluation cadastre of peats by enzymatic activity, which will allow, through a balanced selection of peats for agricultural production, to ensure the required quality of products, their environmental safety and economic efficiency.

The interest in studying the distribution of actinomycetes in natural ecosystems is the result of a large-scale use of these organisms in biotechnological industry (actinomycetes produce 45

Peat deposits of the Bol`sheberezovskoe and Podkos`movo floodplain mires formed during the Atlantic–Subboreal periods of the Holocene in the Nepryadva River valley in the northeastern part of the Central Russian Upland have been studied. Data on the botanical composition of peat indicate that the genesis of these mires was associated with eutrophic paleocenoses, which accumulated carbon at a rate of 21.8–95 g/m2 per year. The formed eutrophic peat was characterized by a high degree of decomposition (45–55

The influence of soil erodibility degree on the abundance and diversity of cultivated fungi and actinomycetes have been assessed for different seasons of the annual cycle. The objects of the study are sod-podzolic soils (Umbric Retisols (Abruptic)) with different erodibility degree, located on the slope of the southeastern exposure (Solnechnogorsk raion, Moscow oblast), which have been used for a long time for the cultivation of agricultural crops. The indicators of microbial abundance have been determined by the plate method, identification has been carried out on the basis of phenotypic characters. It is shown that the decline in physical and agrochemical parameters of the soil resulted from the erosion processes, leads to a change in microbiological parameters. An increase in the degree of soil erosion leads to a decrease in the abundance and species diversity of fungi and actinomycetes. Significant differences in the taxonomic composition of microbial communities of noneroded and eroded soils have been found (the Sørensen coefficient of species similarity does not exceed 0.42 and 0.30 for fungi and actinomycetes, respectively). Taxonomic units of mycelial microorganisms have been identified. Among fungi, they are represented by the species Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Scopulariopsis, and among actinomycetes, by Streptomyces malachitospinus, S. candidus, and Micromonospora aurantiaca.

The study of the structure of peat deposits of the Bolsheberezovskoye and Podkosmovo inundated mires which were formed during the Atlantic – subboreal periods of the Holocene in the valley of the Nepryadva River, in the north-eastern part of the Middle-Russian Upland. The results of the botanical composition of peat deposits showed that the genesis of mires is represented by eutrophic paleocenoses, which accumulated carbon at a rate of 21.8-95 g/m2 per year. The formed eutrophic peat was characterized by a high degree of decomposition (45-55%) and a low rate of vertical growth (on average, 0.3-0.6 mm/year), which is due to the seasonal dynamics of the level of occurrence of mire waters. The carbon content in peat by peat deposit profiles is 14% for the Podkosmovo mire and 31% for the Bolsheberezovskoye mire. The differences are due to the peculiarities of the water-mineral nutrition of the mires, which is manifested in the high content of carbonates and ash content of the Podkosmovo mire. Carbon reserves in peat soils of inundated mires vary from 51.5 up to 125 kg/m2 for horizons with a capacity of 10 cm. This indicator is determined by the intensity of decomposition of plant residues, which depends on the composition and structure of microbial complexes. On the Bolsheberezovskoye mire the microbial complex is dominated by the fungal component, on the Podkosmovo mire – by the bacterial component. This is the reason for the differences in the microbial biomass of the mires: 222 g/ m2 for the Podkosmovo, 898 g/m2 for the Bolsheberezovskoye mire. The reason for the differences in inundated mires is the range of variation in the level of mire waters during the growing season, due to the reclamation measures carried out in the Bolsheberezovskoye mire. Nevertheless, inundated mires are important “depots” of atmospheric carbon and the intensity of its accumulation is determined by a complex of factors.

When studying the carbon cycle in the biosphere, special attention is paid in Russia to the transformation of organic matter in the surface layer of supergene zone. The group composition of the organic matter (OM) in peats of different genesis in the taiga zone of Western Siberia is studied. Our data show that it is important to take into account the botanical composition of peat that make up natural and reclaimed forest swamps, well as their spatial heterogeneity, which is a necessary component when estimating the carbon stocks in peat soils of forest ecosystems within the national monitoring system for carbon pools and greenhouse gas fluxes. The experiments on peat OM transformation demonstrate that its efficiency is determined by its botanical composition. According to the rate of OM decomposition, the oligotrophic peats form a sequence: sphagnum–hollow > complex > fuscum > scheuchzeria–sphagnum > cotton grass–sphagnum > scheuchzeria > cotton grass peats and eutrophic peats: hypnum > sedge > sedge–hypnum > menyanthes > woody > wood–sedge peats. According to two-year field experiments on the transformation rate and direction of the OM of peat-forming plants, the component and chemical compositions of their OM significantly changes but in an individual manner for each plant. The content of aromatic polyconjugated systems and carboxyl groups increases, while the amount of carbohydrate fragments decreases. A 60 years long forest amelioration influences the transformation of peat OM. The degree of grass and sedge peat species in the process of amelioration increases by 5

Natural peatlands represent a wide range of habitats that contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, including microbial biodiversity. Molecular biological methods make it possible to significantly increase the accounting of microbial diversity compared to the cultivation methods. The studies on microbial diversity in minerotrophic peatlands using molecular biological methods lag significantly behind such studies for ombrotrophic peatlands. In this work, we characterized the taxonomic composition and functional potential of the prokaryotic community of the minerotrophic pine swamp (fen) in the Tver region of northwestern Russia using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragments. This study is unique, since it was carried out not in individual horizons but across the entire fen profile, taking into account the differentiation of the profile into the acrotelm and catotelm. The composition and dominants of bacterial and archaeal communities were determined not only at the level of phyla but also at the level of classes, families, and cultivated genera. The prokaryotic community of the studied fen was shown to have a high taxonomic diversity (28 bacterial and 10 archaeal phyla were identified). The profile differentiation of the taxonomic composition of prokaryotic communities is most clearly manifested in the analysis of the acrotelm and catotelm. In the bacterial communities of the acrotelm, the top three phyla included Acidobacteriota, Alphaproteobacteria, and Actinomycetota, in the catotelm—Betaproteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Chloroflexota. In archaeal communities of the acrotelm, we discovered the monodominance of Nitrososphaerota, in the catotelm—the dominance of Bathyarchaeota and subdominance of Thermoplasmatota, Halobacterota, and Aenigmarchaeota. The hot spots of microbial diversity in the studied fen profile were found to be the 0–20 cm layer of the acrotelm and the 150–200 cm layer of the catotelm. In contrast to the taxonomic composition, the functional profiles of the prokaryotic communities of the acrotelm and catotelm were generally similar, except for methane metabolism, which was primarily carried out in the catotelm.

The results from surveying swamps in the Altai Republic at permanent stations from 2010 to 2014 are presented. The hydrothermal and gas regimes, as well as carbon dioxide and methane emissions, have been investigated at observation stations located in the Turochak, Kutyushskoe, and Balanak swamps. It is pointed out that, throughout all the years of investigation, the levels of swamp water remained close to the surface and the humidity did not fall beyond the limit 0.8 of total moisture capacity. The extreme values of CO 2 and CH 4 concentrations in the mesotrophic peat deposit varied from 0.05‒1.10 mmol/dm 3 to 0‒0.62 mmol/dm 3 , respectively. In the eutrophic deposit, these values were higher: 0.07‒1.40 for CO 2 and 0‒0.65 mmol/dm 3 for CH 4 . It is established that different weather conditions are not the determining factor for the dynamics of the gas regime in the peat deposit of eutrophic and mesotrophic genesis. A significant role is played by other factors that have been neglected. It is found that the concentration of greenhouse gases in peat deposits of a different genesis varies within small limits, and their dynamics under different weather conditions have an unstable regime, but with a general increasing trend towards the underlying rock. It is confirmed that mountain swamps are not a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Extreme losses of CO 2 and CH 4 in total for the summer period were 29.7 to 76.6 g/(m 2 × summer period) in the Turochak Swamp and 42.1 to 80.9 g/(m 2 × summer period) in the Kutyushskoe Swamp, which is a factor of 15‒43 smaller than the net primary production.

Swamps and wetlands in forested areas, as well as nonforest swamps, are collectively involved in the global carbon cycle. They play an important role in depositing greenhouse gases. This article analyzes the long-term dynamics of concentration of greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) in a peat deposit and their emission in a natural and reclaimed oligotrophic bog in the southern taiga zone of Western Siberia. It is shown that a significant role in the dynamics of CO2 and CH4 concentration in peat deposits is played by weather conditions in each month of the warm period, as well as by the botanical composition, the activity of biochemical processes, and the structure and physical and mechanical properties of peat deposits. We have also identified the intradeposit spatial and temporal dynamics of indices of greenhouse gas concentrations. It has been proven that there are multicomponent dependences of CO2 and CH4 concentrations on parameters of external and intradeposit conditions. Parameters of concentrations in the peat deposit of the oligotrophic bog from the swampy catchment basin of the Klyuch River have been determined as follows: extreme concentrations of CO2 were 0.002–3.64 mmol/dm3 and extreme concentrations of CH4 were 0.003–2.03 mmol/dm3; normalized CO2 fluxes varied from /–22.2/ to 157.8 mg C/(m2 h), the extreme values of normalized CH4 fluxes were /–3.0/–5.3 mg C/(m2 h), CO2 fluxes for the warm period were 20–110 g C/(m2 year), and CH4 fluxes for the warm period were 0.8–3.7 C/(m2 year). A slight increase in the activity of normalized CO2 fluxes has been recorded at the forest reclamation site compared to a natural swamp, while the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the peat deposit have proven to be comparable in both cases. It is shown that the absence of an operating drainage system leads to rebogging. The vast areas of swamps on the West Siberian Plain and the aggressive pattern of bogging implies moderate and selective forest reclamation for its taiga zone.

Structural indicators (abundance and diversity) of the fungal and actinomycete complexes of eutrophic peat soils in the zone of active organic detritus decomposition, namely, litter (L and F layers) and eutrophic peat horizon (TE), were analyzed. Samples were e taken in swamped forests (black alder, pine, birch, and mixed forest stands) of the Tver and Tomsk oblasts (Russia) in summer of 2021. The abundance of mycelial organisms was measured by fluorescence microscopy and plate method. Species of culturable representatives were identified by their phenotypic traits. The fungal mycelium in the litter is two–tenfold longer as compared with the TE horizons; the abundance of culturable fungi is bigger by two‒three orders of magnitude; and that of actinomycetes, by one‒two orders of magnitude. The litter fermentative layer (F) displays the maximum carbon content of the mycelial component (3‒10 mg C/g). The stocks of actinomycete biomass in the zone of active organic detritus decomposition varies from 23 to 60 kg/ha and of fungal biomass, from 1593 to 3718 kg/ha. The share of litter in the total stock of mycelial biomass across the profile is larger in deciduous forests. In total, 70 species of culturable fungi belonging to 43 genera and 42 actinomycetes species of 12 series and 4 sections were isolated from the zone of active organic detritus decomposition. Representatives of Penicillium, Talaromyces, and Trichoderma genera are prevalent in the fungal complex and of Streptomyces, in the actinomycete complex. The litter does not yield to the TE horizon in terms of species diversity of both fungi and actinomycetes. The species similarity of fungal complexes of the litter and TE horizon is 0.68 and that of actinomycetes, 0.27.

The actinomycete complexes of eutrophic peatlands differing by genesis were studied in order to broaden the knowledge of microorganisms' biodiversity in wetland ecosystems and to detect microorganisms with a high potential for antagonistic action. The research sites included eutrophic peatlands of lacustrine, forest, and floodplain origins in Tver and Tomsk regions, Russia. Samples from the 3-m-thick peatlands were taken layer-by-layer with due account for the botanical composition of peat in September 2019. The length and biomass of the mycelium of actinomycetes were determined by luminescent microscopy; and the number of culturable actinomycetes was determined by plate method. The actinomycetes species were identified by their morphological and cultural features and the analysis of 16S rRNA fragments. The antagonistic activity of streptomycetes was analyzed by the method of agar blocks. The actinomycetic mycelium was found throughout the peatland profiles. Its length varied from 700 to 3000 m/g dry peat and its biomass was from 22 to 140 mg/g dry peat. A reliable correlation between the abundance of actinomycetic mycelium and the botanical composition of peat was determined for the first time. It was also found that the abundance of actinomycetic mycelium depends on the degree of decomposition of profile-forming peat. The actinomycete complex included representatives of the Streptomyces, Micromonospora, Streptosporangium, and Streptoverticillium genera. Representatives of Streptomyces were dominant according to their occurrence frequency and were assigned to 19 species from 9 series and 5 sections. About 70% of the studied actinomycetes demonstrated the ability for microaerophilic growth. This fact indicated that these actinomycetes are adapted to the oxygen deficiency in the deep layers of peatlands. Antibacterial activity was found in 89% of the isolates. S. avicenniae and S. caeruleus proved to be the most active strains with antibacterial activity and multiple resistance to antibiotics.

This study deals with the analysis of long-term trends in greenhouse gas concentration, emission, and flows in the landscape profile (LP) of the Vasyugan swamp located in the southern taiga biome in Western Siberia. The autonomous part of the LP is occupied by the sedge–sphagnum swamp; the transitional part, by the dwarf-shrub–sphagnum swamp with low pine trees; and the accumulative part, by the dwarf-shrub–sphagnum swamp with high pine trees. Peat deposit in autonomous and transitional parts of the LP is up to 3 m in thickness, whereas in the accumulative part, up to 1 m. Concentrations of greenhouse gases were determined by the equilibrium diffusion chambers (“peepers”) method, and emissions were determined by the chamber method. It was found that under different climatic conditions the concentration of CO2 in the LP peat deposits varied in the range from 0.01 to 4.2 mmol/dm3; and the concentration of CH4, from 0.01 to 2.19 mmol/dm3. Against the background of an uneven distribution of CO2 and CH4 in peat deposits, a tendency for an increase in their concentrations and a decrease in the amplitude of fluctuations with the depth was revealed. A reliable influence of the botanical composition of peat on the profile activity of the studied gases was determined. The temporal variability of greenhouse gas concentrations in the upper layer of LP peat deposits was greatly affected by the weather conditions: the maximum values of CO2 concentrations were more often recorded in July and of CH4 concentrations, in May and September. The CO2 emission in LP peat deposits during the 8-yr-long observation period ranged from 3.9 to 160.3 mg CO2/(m2 h); and CO2 flows, from 17 to 120.5 g C/(m2 yr); CH4 emission varied from –3.0 to 10.7 mg CH4/(m2 h); and CH4 flows, from 0.5 to 6.7 g C/(m2 yr). At all observation points of the LP, maximum CO2 flows and minimum CH4 flows were recorded in a dry year with the annual hydrothermal index of 0.9. The flows of CH4 consistently increased from the accumulative to the transit and then to the autonomous part of the LP irrespectively of the hydrothermal conditions of particular year.

In 1995–1998 and 2013–2016, we measured methane fluxes (1Q-median-3Q, mgC m−2 h−1) in the Petushikha black alder swamp of the boreo-nemoral zone of European Russia. At microelevations (EL sites), flat surfaces (FL), microdepressions (DEP), and water surfaces of streams and channels (STR) sites, the fluxes comprised 0.01–0.03–0.09, 0.02–0.06–0.19, 0.04–0.14–0.43, and 0.10–0.21–0.44, respectively. The biggest uncertainty of methane fluxes was caused by seasonal variability (the level of relative variability of fluxes is a nonparametric analogue of the coefficient of variation) which comprised 144%, then by spatial variability—105%, and the smallest by interannual variability—75%. Both spatial and temporal variability of methane fluxes at different elements of the microrelief is heterogeneous: the most variable are communities that are “unstable” in terms of hydrological conditions, such as FL and DEP, and the least variable are the most drained EL and the most moistened STR (“stable” in terms of hydrological conditions). The obtained data on the fluxes and their spatial and temporal variability are consistent with the literature data and can be used to optimize the process of planning studies of the methane budget of “sporadic methane sources”, such as waterlogged forests. This is especially relevant for an adequate assessment of the role of methane fluxes in the formation of the waterlogged forests carbon budget and a changing climate.

Actinomycetes are an important group of bioactive hydrolytic bacteria in any ecosystem. However, the actinomycete biodiversity in tropical ecosystems, particularly in Vietnam, is still underexplored. The aim of this article is to analyze the abundance, taxonomic structure and ecophysiological features of actinomycete complexes of soils and litter in Vietnam’s protected areas. A total of 41 samples of soils, plant litter and suspended soils were collected from six of Vietnam’s national parks and nature reserves. The direct inoculation technique showed that the total abundance of actinomycetes varied from 2.0 × 104 to 1.0 × 108 CFU/g. According to the luminescent microscopy with acridine orange dye, the length of the actinomycete mycelium was as long as 1000 m/g in the litter of Xuan Son National Park. A total of 80 strains were isolated and tested for antagonistic activity against Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. Inoculation on Getchinson’s medium showed high cellulolytic activity. The most active strains were isolated from alluvial brown soil, plant litter and suspended soil of the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve. In these samples, actinomycetes adapted to high temperatures and low pH were found to be predominant. High-throughput sequencing of the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and bioinformatic analysis confirmed the high taxonomic diversity and high hydrolytic activity of actinomycete complexes of the Pu Hoat Nature Reserve samples.

The comprehensive study of mycobiota in full profiles of eutrophic peatlands based on abundance and diversity rates has been carried out in order to broaden the knowledge on microorganisms’ biodiversity in wetland ecosystems and get a detailed understanding of their functioning. Thick eutrophic peatlands of forest and floodplain origin in Tver and Tomsk oblasts, Russia, were the objects of research. The abundance of fungi has been assessed by luminescent microscopic and plate methods. Culturable fungi were identified basing on their phenotypic features. All the numbers and rates acquired were analyzed considering that the peatland profile could be divided into acrotelm and catotelm layers. Samples were taken from the peatlands layer-by-layer with regard to botanical composition of peat in September 2019. The length of fungal mycelium varied in the studied peatlands from 195 m to 2.3 km per gram, the number of spores varied from 8 to 45 million spores per gram of dry peat. The fungal mycelium biomass differed (2–24 times) from peatland to peatland, whereas the fungal spore biomass was similar at all studied sites. Fungal biomass supplies in the studied peatlands, calculated for the whole profile, varied from 2 to 18.7 t/ha. Alder peatland (Alnusglutinosa) of forest origin was especially rich in fungal biomass. The proportion of fungal biomass in the acrotelm varied from 52 to 72% of total fungal biomass throughout all the peat profile. Culturable fungi were represented by 52 species of 32 genera. In the samples of analyzed fungi the representatives of genera: Mortierella, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Trichoderma were the most widespread. The list of fungi species and the frequency of their occurrence are presented in the study. The Shannon’s biodiversity index varied from 1.8 to 2.5. The taxonomic similarity of the fungal complexes in the studied peatland in accordance with the Sørensen-Dice Index did not exceed 0.65.

This article contains an analysis of structural and functional parameters of bacterial complexes taken for examination from complete profiles of fens assigned to the Klyukvennoe and Karbyshevskoe wetlands in Tomsk oblast. Bacteria in the fens are revealed throughout the entire profile. Their number determined by a direct method of fluorescence microscopy is high and varies from 27 to 78 × 109 cells/g of dry peat. The high number of saprotrophic bacteria (to 108–109 CFU/g of dry peat) is detected by the plate method. An increase in the number of saprotrophic bacteria down the fen profile is revealed. These data enable us to conclude for the first time that index k (a dimensionless universal characteristic of natural prokaryotic communities) in fen profiles decreases with depth. The bacterial cultures isolated from the fens studied are assigned to ten taxa: Bacillus, Streptomyces, Arthrobacter, Microbacterium, Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Dyadobacter, Janthinobacterium, Pedobacter, and Myxobacteriales. The acrotelm is dominated by bacterial cultures represented by genera Bacillus and Streptomyces; and Pseudomonas, Dyadobacter, and Arthrobacter are the dominants of the catotelm. The functions of bacterial genera and species identified by molecular biological methods are described. The study of nitrogen fixation, denitrification, and methanogenesis has shown that bacteria are viable and active throughout the entire peat profile.