Respiration in bumblebee queens: effect of life phase on the discontinuous ventilation cycle

Evidence for discontinuous ventilation cycles (DVC) has been obtained for many insects under various experimental conditions. Here, we show that DVC's exist for queens of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris in different phases of their life cycle: before entering diapause (pre-diapause queens) and when a colony has been established (post-diapause queens). Pre- and post-diapause queens experience distinct environmental conditions (ambient O₂ and CO₂ concentrations) which is reflected in their DVC: both ventilation frequency and amount of carbon dioxide emitted change with differences in ambient CO₂ concentration.     

Visual course control of escape responses in the cockroach Blaberus craniifer: role of internal and external orientation information

ABSTRACT. Nymphs of Blaberus craniifer were exposed to a point source of light while walking on a servosphere apparatus. The initial response was a brief stop followed by running at a rate exceeding that in darkness. Their course was away from the light source and their direction became closer to 180° away from the light, as the light source approached the horizontal. The straightness of the course was controlled by both internal and external orientation information. If the source was overhead the course was more circuitous than with the directional light. Following a temporal switch from darkness to light, abrupt sharp turns of more than 90° led the animals back into a 'zone of darkness'. Stopping occurs immediately after the onset or offset of the light stimulus, but the duration of stops does not seem to be correlated with the time since a previous stop, nor with the length of the run prior to a stop. Responses to a sudden onset of a light stimulus seem to represent adaptations for re-locating a 'zone of darkness' and for predator avoidance when a cockroach is disturbed during its photophase.     

Development of a forced ventilation micropropagation system for large-scale photoautotrophic culture and its utilization in sweet potato

Summary A forced ventilation system has been developed for large-scale photoautotrophic micropropagation of chlorophyllous plants. The major goal of the system is to provide a uniform supply of CO₂ inside a large culture vessel (volume 3480 ml) to achieve uniform growth of the plantlets. The system has been designed such that sterile nutrient solution can be supplied throughout the culture period, which is essential for long-term culture. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam., cv. ‘Beniazuma’) was used as a model plant for photoautotrophic culture with stagnant and nonstagnant nutrient solution in large vessels. Growth and net photosynthetic rates of the plantlets were compared with those of the plantlets grown in a small vessel under photoautotrophic conditions (with natural ventilation) and conventional photomixotrophic conditions. The results indicated that the large vessel with the forced ventilation system was effective for improving growth and uniformity of the plantlets and the rate of net photosynthesis. The stagnant nutrient solution condition under photoautotrophic forced ventilation treatment significantly increased the fresh mass of the plantlets; however, percent dry mass was highest in the treatment with nonstagnant nutrient solution condition. The results demonstrated that the conventional photomixotrophic culture system can cause seriously inhibited growth and development.     

Inflammatory cytokines and metabolic responses to high-intensity intermittent training: effect of the exercise intensity

To examine the effects of two high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT) programs of varying intensities (100% vs. 110% of maximal aerobic velocity [MAV]) on metabolic, hormonal and inflammatory markers in young men. Thirty-seven active male volunteers were randomly assigned into: HIIT experimental groups (100% MAV [EG₁₀₀, n = 9] and 110% MAV [EG₁₁₀, n = 9]) and a control groups (CG₁₀₀, n = 9 and CG₁₁₀, n = 9). Particpants performed high intesity intermittent exercise test (HIIE) at 100% or 110% MAV. Venous blood samples were obtained before, at the end of HIIE and at 15 min of recovery, and before and after 8 weeks of HIIT programs. After training, Glucose was lower (p < 0.01) in EG₁₀₀ (d = 0.72) and EG₁₁₀ (d = 1.20) at the end of HIIE, and at 15 min recovery only in EG₁₁₀ (d = 0.95). After training, Insulin and Cortisol were lower than before training in EG₁₀₀ and EG₁₁₀ at the end of HIIE (p < 0.001). After HIIT, IL-6 deceased (p < 0.001) in EG₁₀₀ (d = 1.43) and EG₁₁₀ (d = 1.56) at rest, at the end of HIIE (d = 1.03; d = 1.75, respectively) and at 15 min of recovery (d = 0.88;d = 1.7, respectively). This decrease was more robust (p < 0.05) in EG₁₁₀ compared to EG₁₀₀. After HIIT, TNF-α deceased (p < 0.001) in EG₁₀₀ (d = 1.43) and EG₁₁₀ (d = 0.60) at rest, at the end of HIIE (0.71 < d < 0.98) and at 15 min of recovery (0.70 < d < 2.78). HIIT with 110% MAV is more effective in young males on the improvements of some metabolic (Glucose), hormonal (Cortisol) and inflammatory (IL-6) markers at rest, at the end of HIIE and 15 min of recovery than training at 100 % MAV.     

Growth hormone responses to continuous and intermittent exercise in females under oral contraceptive therapy

In this study we investigated the effect of oral contraceptive (OC) use (OCU) and non-use (OCNU) on growth hormone (GH) responses to exercise in the same females (n = 7, age 22-31 years) during the normal course of OC therapy. Continuous (60% maximum oxygen consumption, VO2max for 20 min) and intermittent exercise (>80% VO2max) protocols of equal total duration, and similar external work were performed during phases of OCNU (days 3-5 of the menstrual cycle) and OCU (days 7-11). Levels of GH, lactate, 17 beta-estradiol, and progesterone were measured. Lactate responses were significantly greater (P<0.05) during intermittent than continuous exercise, with no effect of OC use. However, significantly greater GH responses were found during the OCU phase than the OCNU phase in both the continuous (+94%) and intermittent (+250%) exercise protocols. Estradiol and progesterone levels increased significantly during exercise in all four conditions. We suggest that the increased GH responses observed during the OCU-phase were potentiated by the elevated levels levels of total estrogens (endogenous 17 beta-estradiol and exogenous ethinyl estradiol). It is suggested that training programs for female athletes could be timed in accordance with the menstrual cycle to benefit from an increased GH response to exercise during phases of OC use or the luteal phase of women not on OC therapy.     

Soil and greenhouse gas responses to biochar additions in a temperate hardwood forest

Biochar additions can improve soil fertility and sequester carbon, but biochar effects have been investigated primarily in agricultural systems. Biochar from spruce and maple sawdust feedstocks (with and without inorganic phosphorus in a factorial design) were added to plots in a commercially managed temperate hardwood forest stand in central Ontario, Canada; treatments were applied as a top‐dressing immediately prior to fall leaf abscission in September 2011. Forests in this region have acidic, sandy soils, and due to nitrogen deposition may exhibit phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium limitation. To investigate short‐term impacts of biochar application on soil nutrient supply and greenhouse gas fluxes as compared to phosphorus fertilization, data were collected over the first year after treatment application; linear mixed models were used to analyze data. Two to six weeks after treatment application, there were higher concentrations of potassium in spruce and maple biochar plots, and phosphorus in spruce biochar plots, as compared to the control treatment. There were higher concentrations of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus in the phosphorus plots. In the following spring and summer (9–12 months after treatment application), there were higher soil calcium concentrations in maple biochar plots, and phosphorus plots still had higher soil phosphorus concentrations than control plots. No treatment effects on fluxes of carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide were detected in the field; however, laboratory incubations after 12 months showed higher microbial respiration in soils from maple biochar plots as compared to spruce biochar, despite no effect on microbial biomass. The results suggest that the most important short‐term impact of biochar additions in this system is the increased supply of the limiting plant nutrients phosphorus and calcium. We expect that larger changes in mineral soil physical and chemical properties will occur when the surface‐applied biochar becomes incorporated into the soil after a few years.     

The influence of cold stress and a 36- h fast on the physiological responses to prolonged intermittent walking in man

In a previous study, rectal temperature (T _re) was found to be lower, and oxygen consumption (V˙O₂) and the respiratory exchange ratio (R) were higher in a cold (+5°C), wet and windy environment (COLD), compared with a thermoneutral environment during intermittent walking at ≈30% of peak V˙O₂ (Weller AS, Millard CE, Stroud MA et al. Am J Physiol 272:R226–R233, 1997). The aim of the present study was to establish whether these cold-induced responses are influenced by prior fasting, as impaired thermoregulation has been demonstrated in cold-exposed, resting men following a 48-h fast. To address this question, eight men attempted a 360-min intermittent (15 min rest, 45 min exercise) walking protocol under COLD conditions on two occasions. In one condition, the subjects started the exercise protocol ≈120 min after a standard meal (FED/COLD), whereas in the other the subjects had fasted for 36 h (FASTED/COLD). The first two exercise periods were conducted at a higher intensity (HIGHER, 6 km · h⁻¹ and 10% incline), than the four subsequent exercise periods (LOW, 5 km · h⁻¹ and 0% incline). There was no difference in the time endured in FED/COLD and FASTED/COLD. In FASTED/COLD com pared with FED/COLD, R was lower during HIGHER and LOW, and T _re was lower during LOW, whereas there was no difference in V˙O₂, mean skin temperature and heart rate. Therefore, although the 36-h fast impaired temperature regulation during intermittent low-intensity exercise in the cold, wet and windy environment, it was unlikely to have been the principal factor limiting exercise performance under these experimental conditions. Accepted: 26 August 1997     

Use of on-line gas analysis to monitor recombinant mammalian cell cultures

The development of a system capable of accurately measuring the oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production rates during mammalian cell cultures is described. A detailed study of the specifications of the various components used in the system for the measurement of gas flow rates and composition, coupled with the validation of the system independent of the bioreactor was carried out. The aim of this study was to identify and eliminate where possible the errors controlling the accuracy of determination of gaseous metabolic rates. This study showed the importance of controlling the temperature of gaseous oxygen entering the system. With such temperature control, it was possible to obtain data with an accuracy of ±5% at the 95% confidence level. Another source of error, the use of bi-carbonate buffer, was studied. A mathematical model was used to compensate for the affect of such buffers on the determination of catbon dioxide production rates. The use of the system for the continuous determination of gaseous metabolism during the growth and production phase for recombinant CHO cell cultures is described.     

Effects of intermittent 60-Hz high voltage electric fields on metabolism,activity, and temperature in mice

Transient effects of 100-kV/m extremely low frequency electric fields were studied in the white footed deermouse, Peromyscus leucopus. Gross motor activity, carbon dioxide production, oxygen consumption, and core body temperature were monitored before, during, and after intermittent field exposures (four hour-long exposures, at one-hour intervals). Thirty-four mice were exposed in cages with plastic floors floating above ground potential, and 21 mice were exposed in cages with grounded metal floor plates. The first field exposure produced an immediate, transient increase of activity and gas measures during the inactive phase of the circadian cycle. All measures returned to baseline levels before the second exposure and were not significantly changed throughout the remainder of the exposures. The rapid habituation of field-induced arousal suggests that significant metabolic changes will not be measured in experiments in which the interval between exposure and measurement is greater than two hours.     

Application of transgenic plants in understanding responses to atmospheric change

Acclimation of plants to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is a well described phenomenon. It is characterized by an increase in leaf carbohydrates and a degradation of ribulose 1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase protein (Rubisco) leading in the long term to a lower rate of CO₂ assimilation than expected from the kinetic constants of Rubisco. This article summarizes studies with transgenic plants grown in elevated pCO₂ which are modified in their capacity of CO₂ fixation, of sucrose and starch synthesis, of triosephosphate and sucrose transport and of sink metabolism of sucrose. These studies show that a feedback accumulation of carbohydrates in leaves play only a minor role in acclimation, because leaf starch synthesis functions as an efficient buffer for photoassimilates. There is some evidence that in elevated pCO₂, plants grow faster and senescence is induced earlier.     

Metabolic and cardiorespiratory responses of summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus to hypoxia at two temperatures

To quantify the tolerance of summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus to episodic hypoxia, resting metabolic rate, oxygen extraction, gill ventilation and heart rate were measured during acute progressive hypoxia at the fish's acclimation temperature (22° C) and after an acute temperature increase (to 30° C). Mean ±s.e. critical oxygen levels (i.e. the oxygen levels below which fish could not maintain aerobic metabolism) increased significantly from 27 ± 2% saturation (2·0 ± 0·1 mg O(2) l(-1) ) at 22° C to 39 ± 2% saturation (2·4 ± 0·1 mg O(2) l(-1) ) at 30° C. Gill ventilation and oxygen extraction changed immediately with the onset of hypoxia at both temperatures. The fractional increase in gill ventilation (from normoxia to the lowest oxygen level tested) was much larger at 22° C (6·4-fold) than at 30° C (2·7-fold). In contrast, the fractional decrease in oxygen extraction (from normoxia to the lowest oxygen levels tested) was similar at 22° C (1·7-fold) and 30° C (1·5-fold), and clearly smaller than the fractional changes in gill ventilation. In contrast to the almost immediate effects of hypoxia on respiration, bradycardia was not observed until 20 and 30% oxygen saturation at 22 and 30° C, respectively. Bradycardia was, therefore, not observed until below critical oxygen levels. The critical oxygen levels at both temperatures were near or immediately below the accepted 2·3 mg O(2) l(-1) hypoxia threshold for survival, but the increase in the critical oxygen level at 30° C suggests a lower tolerance to hypoxia after an acute increase in temperature.     

Ventilatory and behavioural responses of the marbled sole Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae to progressive hypoxia

This study identified ventilatory and behavioural responses in the marbled sole Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae under experimentally induced progressive decreases in dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. Ventilation frequency showed an increase with decreasing DO levels from normoxia to 2·75 mg O₂ l^?1, followed by a decrease in ventilation frequency at decreased DO levels from 2·00 to 0·75 mg O₂ l^?1. At DO levels below 2·00 mg l^?1, behaviours at the bottom were suppressed, whereas avoidance behaviours increased. A decrease in avoidance behaviours was observed from 1·00 to 0·75 mg O₂ l^?1. Upside‐down reversal and incapacitation at DO levels of 1·00–0·75 mg O₂ l^?1 suggested that sublethal effects on P. yokohamae were induced. The responses observed before the sublethal DO level could be interpreted as an effort to maintain oxygen uptake, reduce routine activities and facilitate avoidance. The observed DO level thresholds that induce behavioural responses, in addition to sublethal effects, indicate hypoxia‐tolerance that is important for understanding the effects of hypoxia on coastal ecosystems.     

CO2 and O2 gas exchange in outdoor thin-layer high density microalgal cultures

Two thin layer culture units operated as batch cultures with the algaChlorella kessleri were used in gas exchange experiments. The mass transfer coefficient K_g [g m^–2 h^–1 kPa^–1] of O₂ and CO₂ desorption from culture surface decreased with increasing culture temperature. Between 60–70% of supplied CO₂ was used for algal growth. It was estimated that the length of growth surface may be extended to about 50 m, without additional saturation by CO₂. On average 1.35 g CO₂ was consumed by the alga per 1 g of produced O₂. Net CO₂ consumption (R_CO2) and O₂ production (R_O2) were not inhibited by irradiance. R_O2 did not decrease (in some cases it even increased) along the culture surface, despite increased accumulation of O₂. Measurement of pO₂ where the culture leaves the reactor before being pumped back onto the illuminated surface, correlated with O₂ production and CO₂ consumption and may be used to monitor the reactors growth performance.     

The role of changes in environmental quality in multitrait plastic responses to environmental and social change in the model microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Intraspecific variation plays a key role in species'' responses to environmental change; however, little is known about the role of changes in environmental quality (the population growth rate an environment supports) on intraspecific trait variation. Here, we hypothesize that intraspecific trait variation will be higher in ameliorated environments than in degraded ones. We first measure the range of multitrait phenotypes over a range of environmental qualities for three strains and two evolutionary histories of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in laboratory conditions. We then explore how environmental quality and trait variation affect the predictability of lineage frequencies when lineage pairs are grown in indirect co‐culture. Our results show that environmental quality has the potential to affect intraspecific variability both in terms of the variation in expressed trait values, and in terms of the genotype composition of rapidly growing populations. We found low phenotypic variability in degraded or same‐quality environments and high phenotypic variability in ameliorated conditions. This variation can affect population composition, as monoculture growth rate is a less reliable predictor of lineage frequencies in ameliorated environments. Our study highlights that understanding whether populations experience environmental change as an increase or a decrease in quality relative to their recent history affects the changes in trait variation during plastic responses, including growth responses to the presence of conspecifics. This points toward a fundamental role for changes in overall environmental quality in driving phenotypic variation within closely related populations, with implications for microevolution.     

Patterns of root activity and responses of species to nutrients in vegetation of fertile alluvial soil

Temporal pattern of growth, time and depth of root activity, and responses to N, P and K enrichment were measured for the three most abundant species in species-poor vegetation on fertile alluvial soil to examine whether differences in these characteristics could account for their co-existence. The responses of these co-existing species to nutrients were tested in a factorial experiment of N, P and K additions. In the control plots, repeated harvests and injections of Sr at different depths in the soil were used to test differences among species in temporal and spatial pattern of root activity. Root activities were assessed from the Sr concentrations in the aboveground biomass. Differences in temporal pattern of growth and root activity, but not differences in spatial root activity between species, could account for the co-existence of species, since Conium, the most abundant species, was the earliest grown and the deepest-rooted species and it died back when the other two species started to maximize their growth and root activity. In comparison with the second most abundant species Lactuca, Conium had higher N but lower P tissue concentrations. Addition of N favoured Conium and almost eliminated Lactuca, while P and/or K additions increased the abundance of Lactuca and restricted that of Conium. These results provide indications that the differential responses of species to nutrients could be explained by species co-existence also in fertile soils. The changes in vegetation composition after nutrient enrichment could merely be predicted by the species' tissue concentrations of nutrients. The addition of a particular nutrient tended to favor the species with the highest tissue concentration of this nutrient.     

Electroantennogram responses of the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, to carbon dioxide and other odours

ABSTRACT. Electroantennograms (EAGs) were recorded from Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) in response to increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in an airstream. The magnitude of the EAG increases logarithmically from +0.023% carbon dioxide up to approximately +2.0% where a maximum is reached. Flies deprived of food for 48–50 h are more responsive to small increases in the carbon dioxide concentration than those deprived of food for only 20–23 h. It is concluded that the sensitivity of carbon dioxide receptors on the antennae of S. calcitrans increases as hunger develops. EAGs were also recorded in response to cattle odour, odour from fresh cattle faeces, expired human breath, acetone, and l-octen-3-ol. Acetic acid vapour causes a reversal of the usual EAG response indicating inhibition.     

Soil greenhouse gas,carbon content,and tree growth response to biochar amendment in western United States forests

Restoring overstocked forests by thinning and pyrolyzing residual biomass produces biochar and other value‐added products. Forest soils amended with biochar have potential to sequester carbon (C), improve soil quality, and alter greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions without depleting nutrient stocks. Yet, few studies have examined the effects of biochar on GHG emissions and tree growth in temperate forest soils. We measured GHG emissions, soil C content, and tree growth at managed forest sites in Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. We applied biochar amendments of 0, 2.5, or 25 Mg/ha to the forest soil surface. Flux of carbon dioxide and methane varied by season; however, neither were affected by biochar amendment. Flux of nitrous oxide was not detected at these nitrogen‐limited and unfertilized forest sites. Biochar amendment increased soil C content by 41% but did not affect tree growth. Overall, biochar had no detrimental effects on forest trees or soils. We conclude that biochar can be used harmlessly for climate change mitigation in forests by sequestering C in the soil.     

中心静脉-动脉二氧化碳分压差与动脉-中心静脉氧含量差的比值(Pcv-aCO2/Ca-cvO2)变化率对急诊重症监护室脓毒症患者预后的评估价值

目的:探讨中心静脉动脉二氧化碳分压差/氧含量差(Pcv-aCO_2/Ca-cvO_2)变化率在急诊重症监护室(EICU)高乳酸脓毒血症患者病情及预后评估中的临床应用价值。方法:选择2017年1月到2018年9月入住急诊重症监护室的48例高乳酸(乳酸大于4 mmol/h)脓毒血症患者,均按2016年脓毒症指南进行液体复苏治疗。采集复苏前(T0h)和开始复苏后6h(T6h)、24h(T24h)的动脉血、上腔静脉血气分析以及动脉血乳酸浓度。计算并记录各时间点的乳酸,乳酸清除率,中心静脉动脉二氧化碳分压差(Pcv-aCO_2)值,中心静脉动脉二氧化碳分压差/氧含量(Pcv-aCO_2/Ca-cvO_2)值及其变化率。根据治疗24h改良SOFA评分是否改善将患者分为两组,即改良SOFA改善组和未改善组,观察和比较两组间基本临床资料及化验参数,并分析各时间点各参数之间的相关性,以及这些参数能否有效预测高乳酸脓毒血症患者病情危重程度和预后。结果:45例患者纳入最终分析,3例因为24h内死亡或者自动出院脱落。其中,17例24hSOFA改善,28例未改善;20例死亡,25例存活。两组患者复苏前各项一般临床资料指标比较差异均无统计学意义(P0.01)。24hSOFA改善组与未改善组患者Pcv-aCO_2/Ca-cvO_2(T24h)、Pcv-aCO_2/Ca-cvO_2变化率(0-24h)存在组间差异(P0.01)。45例患者的乳酸清除率(0-24h)与Pcv-aCO_2/Ca-cvO_2变化率(0-24h)呈显著相关性(r=0.906,P=0.034)。ROC分析显示Pcv-aCO_2/Ca-vO_2变化率(0-24h)能有效预测24hSOFA评分改善,同其他指标相比,曲线下面积最大(AUROC=0.851),最佳界值是0.307(30.7%),敏感度是76.5%,特异度是92.9%;Pcv-aCO_2/Ca-vO_2变化率(0-24h)也能有效预测脓毒症患者院内死亡,AUROC=0.696,AUROC较24h乳酸值小,但不存在统计学差异,最佳界值是0.181(18.1%),敏感度是65%,特异度是68%。结论:液体复苏前到开始复苏后24h的Pcv-aCO_2/Ca-cvO_2变化率可以有效预测高乳酸脓毒症患者的器官功能改善情况,也能有效预测脓毒症患者院内死亡的发生。     

Effects of Carbon dioxide on the Rheological behavior and oxygen transfer in submerged penicillin fermentations

Fermentations of Penicillium chrysogenum have been made with different CO(2) contents in the influent gas streams. The rheological behavior of the culture broth was found to be significantly changed by exposure to high levels of CO(2). This is attributed to the wide variation in the morphology of P. chrysogenum, from normal mycelia with long hyphae to roughly spherical pellets when subjected to high levels of CO(2). A correlation has been developed relating volumetric O(2) transfer coefficients, k(L)a, with the effective O(2) diffusion coefficients, D(e), and the apparent viscosities, mu(app), based on the results obtained in this study. The use of CO(2) as a potent means for altering the rheological properties of culture broths and consequently improving the O(2) transfer capabilities in penicillin fermentations was clearly demonstrated.     

Concentrations of CO2 and O2 in floodwater and in internodal lacunae of floating rice growing at 1–2 metre water depths

Abstract. Environment and plant measurements were made to determine what factors may limit growth of deepwater and floating rice plants during partial or complete submergence. Field surveys included measurements of temperature, pH, light, O₂ and CO₂ in floodwater in Thailand. In addition, measurements were made of O₂ and CO₂ concentrations inside internodal lacunae of deepwater and floating rice growing at 0.5–2.0 m water depths. The bulk of measurements were taken during periods when the changes in water level were less than 50 mm d^?1. In the 0–0.02 m surface layer of floodwater at any location there were large changes in oxygen concentrations over diurnal cycles: there were decreases during the night down to 0.02–0.18 mol m^?3 O₂ at 0600 h and increases during the day to 0.13–0.28 mol m^?3 O₂ at 1500 h (0.28 mol m^?3 being 120% of the O₂ concentration of air saturated water at 30°C). During the day oxygen concentrations decreased with increasing water depth; concentrations just above the soil surface were occasionally zero. Most of this gradient disappeared during the night, and at dawn the 0.6 m surface layer of water had uniform low O₂ concentrations. O₂ concentrations were also measured during flash floods in Thailand. In contrast to the conditions with only small increases in water level, the O₂ concentrations in the water during flash floods were more uniform with depth and changed little over a diurnal cycle, the O₂ ranging between 0.14–0.19 mol m^?3. In most locations floodwater contained 0.2–1.9 mol m^?3 CO₂ and 0.7–1.6 mol m^?3 bicarbonate; however, in a location with acid sulphate soil CO₂ was only 0.05–0.2 mol m^?3, and bicarbonate concentrations were several fold lower. Concentrations of CO₂ in floodwater increased with increasing water depth. O₂ and CO₂ concentrations inside internodal lacunae of rice were determined in the field when water depth were 1–2 m. Concentrations of O₂ in internodes at the water surface were 16–20%, and decreased to 10% and 5% at 0.8 and 1.8 m water depth respectively. There was no diurnal cycle in O₂ concentrations inside internodes. In contrast, CO₂ concentrations in the lacunae increased with water depth and ranged from 1–3% in internodes at the water surface to 5–10% in internodes at 1.8 m water depth. There was evidence for a diurnal cycle in CO₂ concentrations in the basal internode near the soil surface, CO₂ increased during the day and decreased during the night. The above data are used to show that there is little or no relationship between gas concentrations in floodwater and internodal lacunae of rice plants. Results are discussed in relation to O₂ supply to submerged portions of rice and metabolism of these tissues at low O₂ concentrations.