Effects of enclosure time on the community composition of methanotrophs in the soils of the Inner Mongolia grasslands

Purpose Despite the great number of studies about methane uptake and its response to grazing in the Inner Mongolia grasslands, only a few focused on the methanotrophic composition. This study aimed to investigate the methanotrophic community structure and abundance, then to analyze the abiotic driving factors of methanotrophic community structure in different enclosed times in this area.