Methane oxidation has been measured in several acidic environments, including peatlands, forest soils, and terrestrial geothermal
features. Aerobic methanotrophic bacteria have been detected in each of these environments using molecular cultivation-independent
methods, and anaerobic methanotrophs are also suspected to be active in peat. Most known methanotrophs are neutrophilic, but
moderately acidophilic alphaproteobacterial methanotrophs have been isolated and characterized. These grow between pH 4.2
and 7.5, and appear to be the predominant methane-oxidizing species in acidic peatlands and forest soils. Extremely acidophilic
methanotrophs able to grow below pH 1 and belonging to the phylum Verrucomicrobia have also been isolated from geothermal habitats. This chapter outlines the ecology, physiology, taxonomy, and genetics of
methanotrophs in acidic environments.