biostudies-literatureUnknown5(1)Paul DCurrent climate change assessments and greenhouse gas flux models often lack information on the microbiological processes that consume atmospheric nitrous oxide (N₂O), a potent greenhouse gas. There is limited understanding of phyllospheric microorganisms controlling N₂O exchange. In this study, we determined the microbial potential for N₂O consumption in aboveground vegetation in boreal forests. For this, we collected shoot samples from upland spruce forests in Finland and used a novel targeted metagenomics approach with a hybridization capture of gene-specific probes. Most of the samples contained <i>nos</i>Z genes, encoding the N₂O reductase. Phylogenetic placement showed a significantly higher relative abundance (<i>P</i> < .01) of <i>nos</i>ISME communicationsycaf196https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12642870biostudies-literatureMicroorganisms in the phyllosphere of Norway spruce controlling nitrous oxide dynamics.PMC12642870Jones CMPihlatie MPaasisalo ISiljanen HMPPutkinen AKohl LPaul DHallin SfalseMicroorganisms in the phyllosphere of Norway spruce controlling nitrous oxide dynamics.Current climate change assessments and greenhouse gas flux models often lack information on the microbiological processes that consume atmospheric nitrous oxide (N₂O), a potent greenhouse gas. There is limited understanding of phyllospheric microorganisms controlling N₂O exchange. In this study, we determined the microbial potential for N₂O consumption in aboveground vegetation in boreal forests. For this, we collected shoot samples from upland spruce forests in Finland and used a novel targeted metagenomics approach with a hybridization capture of gene-specific probes. Most of the samples contained <i>nos</i>Z genes, encoding the N₂O reductase. Phylogenetic placement showed a significantly higher relative abundance (<i>P</i> < .01) of <i>nos</i>2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Jan2026-06-05T16:54:22.065Z2026-06-05T03:06:33.686ZS-EPMC126428704129354710.1093/ismeco/ycaf196