Abstract: Fe(Ⅲ) respiration is an ubiquitous metabolism type of microbes under anaerobic circumstance. Many kinds of archaea and bacteria can respire with Fe(Ⅲ) oxides as terminal electron acceptor. Fe(Ⅲ) is abundant in natural environment, which can provide enough electron acceptors for dissimilatory Fe(Ⅲ)reducing microbes. However, electron transfer is restricted, because most Fe(Ⅲ) is insoluble under natural conditions. This paper introduced the diversity of dissimilatory Fe(Ⅲ)reducing microbes, summarized four mechanisms of Fe(Ⅲ) respiration, i.e., direct cell contact with Fe(Ⅲ) oxides, chelation that solubilizes Fe(Ⅲ), electron shuttling, and bacterial nanowires that serve as the conduits for transferring electrons from cells to mineral surfaces, and proposed future research directions on the mechanisms of microbial-Fe(Ⅲ)- respiration.

Key words: Hippophae rhamnoides, Caragana korshinskii, Water use characteristics, Productivity, Eco-adaptability