Saprotrophic fungi, key players in global carbon cycling, have been identified as methane (CH
4) sources not yet accounted for in the global CH
4 budget. This study, for the first time, explores the influence of oxygen (O
2) and temperature
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Saprotrophic fungi, key players in global carbon cycling, have been identified as methane (CH
4) sources not yet accounted for in the global CH
4 budget. This study, for the first time, explores the influence of oxygen (O
2) and temperature on CH
4 production by two fungi,
Laetiporus sulphureus and
Pleurotus sapidus. To explore the relationship between these parameters and fungal CH
4 formation, we examined CH
4 formation under varying O
2 levels (0 to 98%) and temperatures (17, 27, and 40 °C) during fungal growth on pine wood, beech wood, and grass under sterile conditions. Our findings show that fungal CH
4 formation strongly depends on O
2 levels. Methane formation was highest when O
2 levels exceeded 5%, whilst no CH
4 formation was observed after complete O
2 consumption. Reintroducing O
2 immediately resumed fungal CH
4 production. Methane formation normalized to O
2 consumption (CH
4_
norm) showed a different pattern.
L. sulphureus showed higher CH
4_
norm rates with higher O
2 levels, whereas
P. sapidus showed elevated rates between 0 and 5%. Temperature also significantly influenced CH
4 and CH
4_
norm rates, with the highest production at 27 °C, and comparatively lower rates at 17 and 40 °C. These findings demonstrate the importance of O
2 levels and temperature in fungal CH
4 emissions, which are essential for refining CH
4 source predictions.
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