水稻土中CH4氧化的研究

在实验室条件下研究了水稻土中CH₄氧化的特性.结果表明,在早稻种植前采集的水稻土不能氧化大气中的CH₄,但当所供给的CH₄浓度>10μl·L^-1时,能迅速氧化CH₄,所供给的CH₄浓度越高,氧化CH₄的速度越大.经高浓度(>1000μl·L^-1)的CH₄预培养10d,可使本来不具有氧化大气CH₄能力的土壤氧化大气CH_4.大田CH₄排放通量高的水稻土,氧化CH₄的能力较大.     

Aspects of methane flow from sediment through emergent cattail (Typha latifolia) plants

We measured the flow of methane in Typha latifolia L. (cattail)-dominated wetlands from microbial production in anoxic sediment into, through, and out of emergent T. latifolia shoots (i.e. plant transport). The purpose was to identify key environmental and plant factors that might affect rates of methane efflux from wetlands to the Earth's atmosphere. Methane accumulated in leafy T. latifolia shoots overnight, reaching concentrations up to 10000 μl l⁻¹ (vs. atmospheric concentrations <4 μl l⁻¹), suggesting that lower stomatal conductance at night limits methane efflux from the plant into ambient air. Daytime light and (or) lower atmospheric humidity that induce convective gas flow through the plant coincided with ( a ) an increase in the rate of methane efflux from T. latifolia leaves to ambient air (from <0·1 to >2·0 μmol m⁻² (leaf) s⁻¹) and ( b ) a decrease in shoot methane concentration to <70 μl l⁻¹. Very short fluctuation in stomatal conductance during the day did not affect the methane efflux rate unless, possibly, the rate of photosynthesis decreased. A strong relationship between the maximum daily rate of methane efflux and shoot methane concentration (measured before the onset of convective gas flow) suggests T. latifolia plants behave like a capacitor (filling with methane at night, emitting the stored methane during the day). Experimentally cutting leaves (to prevent pressurization) reduced plant capacitance for methane.     

Behavioral effects of low dissolved oxygen on the bivalve Macoma balthica

Hypoxia, a dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) below 2 mg l^– 1, is a significant stressor in many estuarine ecosystems. Many sedentary organisms, unable to move to avoid hypoxic areas, have metabolic and behavioral adaptations to hypoxic stress. We tested the effects of hypoxia on the behavior and mortality of the clam Macoma balthica, using four levels of dissolved oxygen in flow-through tanks. We used five replicates of each of four treatments: (1) Hypoxic (DO mean ± SE = 1.1 ± 0.06 mg O₂ l^– 1), (2) Moderately hypoxic (DO 2.6 ± 0.05 mg O₂ l^– 1), (3) Nearly normoxic (DO 3.2 ± 0.04 mg O₂ l^– 1), (4) Normoxic (DO = 4.9 ± 0.13 mg O₂ l^– 1). We lowered the dissolved oxygen with a novel fluidized mud-bed, designed to mimic field conditions more closely than the common practice of solely bubbling nitrogen or other gasses. This method for lowering the DO concentrations for a laboratory setup was effective, producing 1.4 l min^–1 of water with a DO of 0.8 mg O₂ l^– 1 throughout the experiment. The setup greatly reduced the use of compressed nitrogen and could easily be scaled up to produce more low-DO water if necessary. The lethal concentration for 50% of the M. balthica population (LC₅₀) was 1.7 mg O₂ l^– 1 for the 28-day experimental period. M. balthica decreased its burial depth under hypoxic and moderately hypoxic (~2.5 mg O₂ l^– 1) conditions within 72 hours of the onset of hypoxia. By the sixth day of hypoxia the burial depth had been reduced by 26 mm in the hypoxic tanks and 10 mm in the moderately hypoxic tanks. Because reduced burial depth makes the clams more vulnerable to predators, these results indicate that the sub-lethal effects of hypoxia could change the rate of predation on M. balthica in the field.     

大气CO2浓度缓增对稻田硝酸盐型甲烷厌氧氧化过程的影响

硝酸盐型甲烷厌氧氧化(AOM)是控制稻田甲烷排放的一种新途径,大气CO₂浓度升高会对稻田甲烷排放产生重要影响,但有关其对硝酸盐型AOM过程的影响知之甚少。本研究依托开顶式气室组成的CO₂浓度自动调控平台,采用¹³CH₄稳定性同位素示踪技术,从甲烷氧化活性、相关功能微生物Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens (M. nitroreducens)-like古菌丰度与群落组成等方面,系统研究了稻田土壤中硝酸盐型AOM过程对大气CO₂浓度缓增的响应。试验设置背景CO₂浓度和CO₂浓度缓增处理(背景CO₂浓度基础上每年增加40 μL·L^-1,直至增幅达160 μL·L^-1)。结果表明: 稻田土壤硝酸盐型AOM速率为0.7～11.3 nmol CO₂·g^-1·d^-1;定量PCR结果显示,M. nitroreducens-like古菌mcrA基因丰度为2.2×10⁶～8.5×10⁶ copies·g^-1。与对照相比,CO₂浓度缓增处理使土壤中硝酸盐型AOM速率和M. nitroreducens-like古菌mcrA基因丰度均有一定幅度提高,特别是在5～10 cm深度下两者均显著提高。CO₂浓度缓增处理未显著改变M. nitroreducens-like古菌群落结构,但使其多样性显著降低。相关性分析表明,土壤有机碳含量可能是影响硝酸盐型AOM过程的重要因子。综上,大气CO₂浓度缓增在一定程度上促进了硝酸盐型AOM反应,暗示在未来气候变化背景下其在控制稻田甲烷排放中具有积极作用。     

Oxidation and Assimilation of Atmospheric Methane by Soil Methane Oxidizers

The metabolism of atmospheric methane in a forest soil was studied by radiotracer techniques. Maximum (sup14)CH(inf4) oxidation (163.5 pmol of C cm(sup-3) h(sup-1)) and (sup14)C assimilation (50.3 pmol of C cm(sup-3) h(sup-1)) occurred at the A(inf2) horizon located 15 to 18 cm below the soil surface. At this depth, 31 to 43% of the atmospheric methane oxidized was assimilated into microbial biomass; the remaining methane was recovered as (sup14)CO(inf2). Methane-derived carbon was incorporated into all major cell macromolecules by the soil microorganisms (50% as proteins, 19% as nucleic acids and polysaccharides, and 5% as lipids). The percentage of methane assimilated (carbon conversion efficiency) remained constant at temperatures between 5 and 20(deg)C, followed by a decrease at 30(deg)C. The carbon conversion efficiency did not increase at methane concentrations between 1.7 and 1,000 ppm. In contrast, the overall methane oxidation activity increased at elevated methane concentrations, with an apparent K(infm) of 21 ppm (31 nM CH(inf4)) and a V(infmax) of 188 pmol of CH(inf4) cm(sup-3) h(sup-1). Methane oxidizers from soil depths with maximum methanotrophic activity respired approximately 1 to 3% of the assimilated methane-derived carbon per day. This apparent endogenous respiration did not change significantly in the absence of methane. Similarly, the potential for oxidation of atmospheric methane was relatively insensitive to methane starvation. Soil samples from depths above and below the zone with maximum atmospheric methane oxidation activity showed a dramatic increase in the turnover of the methane assimilated (>20 times increase). Physical disturbance such as sieving or mixing of soil samples decreased methane oxidation and assimilation by 50 to 58% but did not alter the carbon conversion efficiency. Ammonia addition (0.1 or 1.0 (mu)mol g [fresh weight](sup-1)) decreased both methane oxidation and carbon conversion efficiency. This resulted in a dramatic decrease in methane assimilation (85 to 99%). In addition, ammonia-treated soil showed up to 10 times greater turnover of the assimilated methane-derived carbon (relative to untreated soil). The results suggest a potential for microbial growth on atmospheric methane. However, growth was regulated strongly by soil parameters other than the methane concentration. The pattern observed for metabolism of atmospheric methane in soils was not consistent with the physiology of known methanotrophic bacteria.     

Activity of methanotrophic bacteria in Green Bay sediments

Abstract Sediment pore water samples obtained from a 19 m station in Green Bay in Lake Michigan were examined for levels of ambient dissolved methane and copper, and for the potential for in situ methane oxidation by methanotrophs found within surface sediments. The in situ methane concentration in the upper oxic sediment layer ranged from 20–150 μmol · 1⁻¹ at this station. The activity of methanotrophs and the kinetics of methane oxidation in these sediments were demonstrated by the uptake of radiolabeled methane. K_s values varied between 4.1–9.6 nmol · cm³ of sediment slurry. High V_max values (12.7–35.2 nmol · cm⁻³ · h⁻¹) suggest a large population of methanotrophs in the sediments. An average methane flux to the oxic sediments of 0.24 mol · m⁻² · year⁻¹ was calculated from the pore water methane gradients. Pore water concentrations of copper in the upper sediment layer ranged from 10–120 nmol · 1⁻¹. Based upon the copper concentration, other measured parameters, and equilibrium conditions defined by WATEQF4, an estimate for dissolved free Cu²⁺ concentration of 5–38 nmol · 1⁻¹ pore water was obtained. Several factors control the rate of methane oxidation, including oxygen, methane, and the bioavailability of free Cu²⁺.     

合肥市大气能见度变化特征及其影响因素

利用2013年10月至2015年6月合肥市大气能见度的观测资料以及同期观测的气象要素和PM_2.5、PM₁₀浓度的资料,在全面分析大气能见度影响因子的基础上,重点探讨相对湿度(RH)、PM_2.5和PM₁₀浓度与大气能见度的关系.结果表明: 研究期间,合肥市大气能见度与RH的相关性最高.当RH<60%时,随着RH的增大,PM_2.5和PM₁₀浓度与大气能见度的相关系数也逐渐增大;当RH>60%时,颗粒物浓度与大气能见度的相关系数呈递减趋势;当50%≤RH＜60%时,PM_2.5和PM₁₀浓度与大气能见度的相关系数最大.RH较高时,大气能见度主要受RH影响,反之,颗粒物浓度对大气能见度的影响较大.当RH>70%时,大气能见度等值线变化幅度较大,RH对大气能见度的影响加强.根据RH、PM_2.5和PM₁₀浓度与大气能见度的拟合公式,非线性拟合模型优于多元线性拟合模型,可以较好地模拟大气能见度的变化规律.     

Production of methanol from methane by methanotrophic bacteria

Methanotrophs can oxidize methane to carbon dioxide through sequential reactions catalyzed by a series of enzymes including methane monooxygenase, methanol dehydrogenase, formaldehyde dehydrogenase, and formate dehydrogenase. When suspensions of methanotrophic bacteria of Methylosinus trichosporium IMV 3011 were incubated at 32°C with methane and oxygen, there was an extracellular accumulation of methanol from methane oxidation in response to carbon dioxide addition. Maximal accumulation of methanol was achieved with 40% carbon dioxide in the mixed reaction gases. A continuous experiment was performed in a continuous ultrafiltration reactor. The optimum gas mixture containing 20% (v v^-1) methane, 20% oxygen, 20% nitrogen and 40% carbon dioxide was used to provide substrates and to maintain the transmembrane pressure. The product (methanol) was removed in the eluate buffer. The initial methanol concentration in the eluate buffer was 8.22 μmol L^-1. The bioreactor was operated continuously for 198 h without obvious loss of productivity.     

南昌市中心城区主要大气污染物分布模拟及土地利用对其影响

随着我国城市化、工业化的快速推进,城市大气污染问题日益突出,研究城市大气污染物的分布情况及其土地利用影响对解决城市大气污染问题具有重要意义.本研究以南昌市中心城区为研究区,基于土地利用回归模型(LUR)模拟了PM_2.5、PM₁₀、SO₂、NO₂、CO、O₃等6种主要大气污染物浓度,并分析其时空分布特征;基于主导土地利用类型,选择南昌市中心城区内居住、商业、教育和工业用地各15个样本区,为了减少气象因子的影响,分四季统计各样本区6类大气污染物浓度,运用双因素方差分析和多重比较,定量分析土地利用(样本区)对6类大气污染物的影响.结果表明: 采用LUR模型模拟研究区PM_2.5、PM₁₀、SO₂、NO₂、CO、O₃浓度的平均绝对误差率分别为11.9%、13.4%、12.5%、12.0%、12.7%和13.5%,模型误差较小,方法可行.研究区6类污染物浓度具有明显的时空分布特征,PM_2.5、PM₁₀、SO₂、NO₂和CO浓度在冬季最高,春季和秋季次之,夏季最低;O₃浓度则为夏季高,春季和秋季次之,冬季低.PM_2.5、PM₁₀、SO₂、NO₂、CO浓度整体呈现从城区中心到郊区递减的趋势,而O₃浓度则反之.不同季节与不同土地利用样本区间6种大气污染物浓度差异显著,表明在中心城区尺度上,气象条件和土地利用都对大气污染物有显著影响.不同土地利用对主要大气污染物浓度分布有不同程度的影响,其中,对PM_2.5、NO₂和O₃的影响较大,对CO的影响较小.     

Extraction of methane-oxidizing bacteria from soil particles

Abstract: We present a method for extraction of active methane (CH₄)-oxidizing bacteria from soil samples. The method is based on physical dispersion of bacteria from the soil particles followed by separation of bacteria and soil particles by floatation in the density media Nycodenz or Percoll. Separation on Nycodenz produced very pure bacterial suspensions while separation on Percoll produced rather impure suspensions. However, more than 60% of the methane-oxidizing activity was irreversibly inhibited in the procedure using Nycodenz compared to less than 10% irreversible inhibition when Percoll was employed. The bacterial suspensions extracted from soil can be used to study the physiology and ecology of soil bacteria that oxidize methane at atmospheric concentrations. Our data indicated that these bacteria are extremely difficult to dislodge from particles compared to the majority of bacteria in soil. Tentatively, we interpret the strong attachment to long residence time (i.e. slow turnover) of the methane-oxidizing bacteria. A slow turnover/growth rate would explain why soil disturbances, like cultivation, have a long lasting effect on the oxidation of atmospheric methane in soil.     

The loss of mass-independent fractionation in sulfur due to a Palaeoproterozoic collapse of atmospheric methane

We use a 1‐D numerical model to study the atmospheric photochemistry of oxygen, methane, and sulfur after the advent of oxygenic photosynthesis. We assume that mass‐independent fractionation (MIF) of sulfur isotopes – characteristic of the Archean – was best preserved in sediments when insoluble elemental sulfur (S₈) was an important product of atmospheric photochemistry. Efficient S₈ production requires three things: (i) very low levels of tropospheric O₂; (ii) a source of sulfur gases to the atmosphere at least as large as the volcanic SO₂ source today; and (iii) a sufficiently high abundance of methane or other reduced gas. All three requirements must be met. We suggest that the disappearance of a strong MIF sulfur signature at the beginning of the Proterozoic is better explained by the collapse of atmospheric methane, rather than by a failure of volcanism or the rise of oxygen. The photochemical models are consistent in demanding that methane decline before O₂ can rise (although they are silent as to how quickly), and the collapse of a methane greenhouse effect is consistent with the onset of major ice ages immediately following the disappearance of MIF sulfur. We attribute the decline of methane to the growth of the oceanic sulfate pool as indicated by the widening envelope of mass‐dependent sulfur fractionation through the Archean. We find that a given level of biological forcing can support either oxic or anoxic atmospheres, and that the transition between the anoxic state and the oxic state is inhibited by high levels of atmospheric methane. Transition from an oxygen‐poor to an oxygen‐rich atmosphere occurs most easily when methane levels are low, which suggests that the collapse of methane not only caused the end of MIF S and major ice ages, but it may also have enabled the rise of O₂. In this story the early Proterozoic ice ages were ended by the establishment of a stable oxic atmosphere, which protected a renewed methane greenhouse with an ozone shield.     

Effect of plant succession, ploughing, and fertilization on the microbiological oxidation of atmospheric methane in a heathland soil

Abstract: The effect of plant succession on methane uptake was measured on intact soil cores collected from seven heathland sites. Six of the sites had undergone either secondary succession with grass or oak, ammonium fertilization or ploughing, while the seventh site was located in the native heathland. There was a positive relationship between methane uptake rate and time elapsed since the plant invasion had taken place in the native heathland. The native heathland site showed an insignificant atmospheric methane uptake of 0.01 mg CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹, whereas the established oak brushwood (70 years old) and the grass invaded heathland (13 years old) showed rates of 1.36 mg CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹ and 0.73 mg CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹, respectively. In the fertilized heathland plot (112 kg N ha⁻¹ six years prior to this study) grass had become the dominating species and showed a methane oxidation rate of 0.28 mg CH₄ m⁻² d⁻¹. Ploughing of the heathland resulted in methane oxidation rates seven times the rates measured in the native heathland. The results suggested that an increased future atmospheric nitrogen deposition in heathlands and other nutrient poor ecosystems may have a stimulating effect on the soil sink for atmospheric methane.     

Soil microbial responses to increased concentrations of atmospheric CO2

Terrestrial ecosystems respond to an increased concentration of atmospheric CO₂. While elevated atmospheric CO₂ has been shown to alter plant growth and productivity, it also affects ecosystem structure and function by changing below-ground processes. Knowledge of how soil microbiota respond to elevated atmospheric CO₂ is of paramount importance for understanding global carbon and nutrient cycling and for predicting changes at the ecosystem-level. An increase in the atmospheric CO₂ concentration not only alters the weight, length, and architecture of plant roots, but also affects the biotic and abiotic environment of the root system. Since the concentration of CO₂ in soil is already 10–50 times higher than that in the atmosphere, it is unlikely that increasing atmospheric CO₂ will directly influence the rhizosphere. Rather, it is more likely that elevated atmospheric CO₂ will affect the microbe–soil–plant root system indirectly by increasing root growth and rhizodeposition rates, and decreasing soil water deficit. Consequently, the increased amounts and altered composition of rhizosphere-released materials will have the potential to alter both population and community structure, and activity of soil- and rhizosphere-associated microorganisms. This occurrence could in turn affect plant health and productivity and plant community structure. This review covers current knowledge about the response of soil microbes to elevated concentrations of atmospheric CO₂.     

Impact of biological activity on detritus transported in the lower river Rhine: an exercise in ecosystem analysis

SUMMARY. 1. Published data are used to construct a tentative carbon budget for the ecosystem of the lower river Rhine and its sedimentation areas in The Netherlands.
2. It is estimated that 287 × 10⁶kg Cy⁻¹ of particulate organic material is transported by the river Rhine, and 100 × 10⁶ kgCy⁻¹ of this material is deposited in the delta.
3. Phytoplankton and nitrifying bacteria seem to contribute significantly to the carbon budget, by producing c. 78 × 10⁶kgCy^−l.
4. The mineralization in the water (estimated from routine determinations of biological oxygen demand and from in situ diurnal fluctuations of oxygen) and in the bottom (estimated from the denitrification rates in the delta, from the production rate of methane and from overall oxygen consumption) is shown to degrade c. 50% of the carbon input plus autochthonous production.
5. The carbon budget and oxygen regime in the lower Rhine suggest that after decades of severe organic pollution the river has more or less resumed the normal, slightly heterotrophic state of a large lowland river.     

Synaptosomal response to oxidative stress: effect of vinpocetine

It has been suggested that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a role in the neuronal damage occurring in ischemic injury and neurodegenerative disorders and that their neutralization by antioxidant drugs may delay or minimize neurodegeneration. In the present study we examine whether vinpocetine can act as an antioxidant and prevent the formation of ROS and lipid peroxidation in rat brain synaptosomes. After ascorbate/Fe²⁺ treatment a significant increase in oxygen consumption (about 5-fold) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) formation (about 7-fold) occurred as compared to control conditions. Vinpocetine inhibited the ascorbate/Fe²⁺ stimulated consumption of oxygen and TBARS accumulation, an indicator of lipid peroxidation, in a concentration-dependent manner. The ROS formation was also prevented by vinpocetine. Oxidative stress increased significantly the fluorescence of the probes 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein (DCFH₂-DA) (about 6-fold) and dihydrorhodamine (DHR) 123 (about 10-fold), which is indicative of intrasynaptosomal ROS generation. Vinpocetine at 100 μM concentration decreased the fluorescence of DCFH₂-DA and DHR 123 by about 50% and 83%, respectively. We conclude that the antioxidant effect of vinpocetine might contribute to the protective role exerted by the drug in reducing neuronal damage in pathological situations.     

Influence of rumen protozoa on methane emission in ruminants: a meta-analysis approach

A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of protozoa concentration on methane emission from ruminants. A database was built from 59 publications reporting data from 76 in vivo experiments. The experiments included in the database recorded methane production and rumen protozoa concentration measured on the same groups of animals. Quantitative data such as diet chemical composition, rumen fermentation and microbial parameters, and qualitative information such as methane mitigation strategies were also collected. In the database, 31% of the experiments reported a concomitant reduction of both protozoa concentration and methane emission (g/kg dry matter intake). Nearly all of these experiments tested lipids as methane mitigation strategies. By contrast, 21% of the experiments reported a variation in methane emission without changes in protozoa numbers, indicating that methanogenesis is also regulated by other mechanisms not involving protozoa. Experiments that used chemical compounds as an antimethanogenic treatment belonged to this group. The relationship between methane emission and protozoa concentration was studied with a variance−covariance model, with experiment as a fixed effect. The experiments included in the analysis had a within-experiment variation of protozoa concentration higher than 5.3 log₁₀ cells/ml corresponding to the average s.e.m. of the database for this variable. To detect potential interfering factors for the relationship, the influence of several qualitative and quantitative secondary factors was tested. This meta-analysis showed a significant linear relationship between methane emission and protozoa concentration: methane (g/kg dry matter intake)=−30.7+8.14×protozoa (log₁₀ cells/ml) with 28 experiments (91 treatments), residual mean square error=1.94 and adjusted R²=0.90. The proportion of butyrate in the rumen positively influenced the least square means of this relationship.     

Animal chamber for in vivo testing of toxic gases

A closed-circuit chamber system for exposing animals to toxic concentrations of oxygen or nitrogen was designed and built. The facility was equipped with systems for the removal of carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane, water vapor, and particulates from the gas stream. Integral systems were built to monitor and control temperature (+/- 1 degree C), relative humidity (+/- 2%), oxygen concentration (10 to 100% +/- 0.5%), and methane concentration (below 2%). Operation was set at standard pressure (1.0 X 10(5) Newtons/m2). Hyperoxic studies have been performed on six species of rodents, as well as sheep, and have lasted from 1 to 28 days.     

Mitochondrial functions under hypoxic conditions: The steady states of cytochrome c reduction and of energy metabolism

1. The effect of low oxygen concentration on the oxidation-reduction states of cytochrome c and of pyridine nucleotide, on Ca²⁺ uptake, on the energy-linked reduction of pyridine nucleotide by succinate, and on the rate of oxygen consumption have been examined under various metabolic conditions, using pigeon heart mitochondria.

2. The oxygen concentration required to provide half-maximal reduction of cytochrome c (p50_c) ranges from 0.27 to 0.03 μM (0.2-0.02 Torr) depending upon the metabolic activity. There is a linear increase of the p50_c value with increasing respiratory rate.

3. The fraction of the normoxic respiration that is observed at p50_c is 70–90% under State 4 conditions, but is 30% under State 3 conditions.

4. The oxygen requirement for half-maximal reduction of pyridine nucleotide (p50_PN) varies less than p50_c, being 0.08 μM in State 3 and 0.06 μM in the uncoupled state.

5. The ability of the mitochondria to exhibit an energy-linked reduction of pyridine nucleotide by succinate disappears at an oxygen concentration of 0.09 μM (0.06 Torr). Below this oxygen concentration, endogenous Ca²⁺ begins to be released from the mitochondria. Thus, the critical oxygen concentration for bioenergetic function of mitochondria corresponds approximately to 50% reduction of pyridine nucleotide (p50_PN).