Microbial transformation of chitin in soil under anaerobic conditions

Anaerobic chitinolytic complex was studied in three soil types: chernozem, gray forest soil, and chestnut soil. The abundance and biomass of anaerobic chitinolytic microbial complex of fungi, bacteria, and actinomycetes were evaluated by luminescent microscopy. The dynamics of methane emission from soil during chitinolytic succession was studied by gas chromatography. All three studied microbial groups proved to participate in chitin transformation in soil under anaerobic conditions. The highest biomass growth was observed among prokaryotes, particularly actinomycetes, whose biomass doubled. The increase in methane emission during chitinolytic succession was most pronounced in soils with low organic matter content.