FOREST SYSTEMS FOLLOW A SIMILAR PATTERN TO GRASSLAND WITH 18:1W7C BEING THE PRIME PLFA BUT WIHT LESSER AMOUNTS OF 16:0 AND/OR SOME FORM OF 17:0. OCCASIONALLY OTHER PLFAs WERE SEEN TO BE PRESENT IN LARGE AMOUNTS. IN CONTRAST TO GRASSLANDS, 16:1W5C WAS ABSENT FROM THOSE FOREST SOILS STUDIED. AGAIN THE OVERALL PATTERN POINTS TO TYPE II METHANOGENS DOMINATING IN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS. HOWEVER, THERE WERE SOME EXCEPTIONS. MOHANTY LOOKING AT A GERMAN BEECH FOREST REPORT LABEL IN 16:1W8C, INDICATING THE PRESENCE OF BOTH TYPE I AND TYPE II ORGANISMS.