反刍动物瘤胃含有甲烷菌，是主要的甲烷(methane，CH4)排放源，甲烷菌利用饲料发酵过程中生成的氢和CO2作为主要的电子受体和供体通过还原反应生成甲烷，在瘤胃功能性生态生境（niche）中发挥重要作用。除甲烷菌以外，其他瘤胃微生物也影响甲烷产量。瘤胃微生物总体来说可分为产氢微生物（hydrogenogens）和耗氢微生物（hydrogenotrophs）2大类。本文从这2大类微生物关系入手，探讨了瘤胃产甲烷菌与非产甲烷菌之间的关系，重点关注了与降低甲烷产量有关的微生物群体，包括原虫、纤维素降解微生物等产氢微生物和除甲烷菌以外的耗氢微生物。

Ruminal methanogenesis is one of the main emission sources of methane due to the methanogenic archaea in the rumen. Methanogens can utilize H2 and CO2 produced during feed fermentation as the main electron acceptor and donor to generate methane through reduction, and play an important role in rumen functional niche. In addition to methanogens, other microbes also affect the methane production. In general, rumen microbes can be divided into hydrogenogens and hydrogenotrophs. This review has explored the relationship between methanogens and non-methanogens, and focused on the microbial population related to the decreasing of methane production in the rumen which consisted of hydrogenogens such as protozoa and fibrolytic bacteria and hydrogenotrophs beyond methanogens.［Chinese Journal of Animal Nutrition，2011，23（4）：556 -562］