Limitation of lowland riverine bacterioplankton by dissolved organic carbon and inorganic nutrients

Flow regulation in lowland rivers has reduced the amount of allochthonous dissolved organic carbon (DOC) entering main channels through less frequent wetting of benches, flood runners and floodplains. The hypothesis tested was that lowland riverine bacterioplankton are DOC limited when flow events are absent and simulating an increase in assimilable DOC similar to that expected during an environmental flow will lead to heterotrophic dominance. Experiments took place in the Namoi River, a highly regulated lowland river in Australia. Specifically, in situ microcosms were used to examine the responses of bacterioplankton and phytoplankton to various additions of DOC as glucose or leaf leachate, with and without additions of inorganic nutrients. The results indicated that ambient DOC availability limited the bacterioplankton for the three seasons over which we conducted the experiments. When DOC was added alone, dissolved oxygen concentrations decreased primarily because of increased bacterial respiration and bacterioplankton growth generally increased relative to controls. Additions of DOC alone led to a pattern of decreased chlorophyll a concentration relative to controls, except for willow leachate. Additions of inorganic nutrients alone increased chlorophyll a concentrations above controls, indicating limitation of phytoplankton. These findings support our hypothesis. Based on the present results, environmental flows should increase the duration of allochthonously driven heterotrophic dominance, thus shifting regulated lowland rivers to more natural (pre-regulation) conditions for greater periods.     

Effects of sunlight on the production of dissolved organic and inorganic nutrients from resuspended sediments

A series of laboratory-based and field experiments was conducted to address the effects of sunlight-exposed resuspended sediments on dissolved nutrient fluxes in two different water bodies. In suspensions of tidal creek sediments in 0.2 μm-filtered creek water, measurable increases in dissolved nutrients occurred after only 2 h of exposure to simulated sunlight. During a 6-h irradiation, nutrient release rates for total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and phosphate were 2.2 ± 0.5 (standard error; S.E.) μmol g^?1 h^?1 and 0.09 ± 0.005 μmol g^?1 h^?1 (S.E.), compared to no significant changes in dark controls. The majority of nitrogen was released as dissolved organic nitrogen (87% on average) with lesser amounts of ammonium (13%). Continental shelf sediments resuspended in unfiltered seawater also released phosphate and TDN when exposed to sunlight, suggesting that this process can occur in a variety of marine and estuarine environments. The source material for inorganic nutrients appears to be associated with sediments rather than dissolved organic matter, as no significant changes in nutrient concentrations occurred in experiments with 0.2 μm-filtered creek water or seawater alone. Results suggest that photoproduction of dissolved nutrients from resuspended sediments could be an episodically significant and previously unrecognized source of dissolved organic and inorganic nutrients to coastal ecosystems. This process may be especially important for continental margins where episodic resuspension events occur, as well as in regions experiencing high riverine sediment fluxes resulting from erosion associated with deforestation and desertification.     

Diversity and composition of macrobenthic community associated with sandy shoals of the Louisiana continental shelf

Along the Louisiana, USA continental shelf, sandy shoals are shallow, possibly oxygen-rich “islands” surrounded by deeper muddy deposits prone to hypoxia. Shoals also contain significant quantities of fine sand that may be mined in the future for coastal restoration. The ecological role of shoals remains poorly understood and we hypothesized that shoals provide critical habitat for benthic invertebrates. Using Ship Shoal as a model system, we assessed the diversity and structure of macrobenthic assemblages and how community structure varies with season and environmental parameters. High biomass (averaging 26.7 g m⁻²) and high diversity (161 species) of macrobenthos was found in 2006. Polychaetes (45%—72 species) and crustaceans comprised most of the species (28%—46 species); spionids and amphipods dominated the polychaete and crustacean groups respectively, both in terms of number of species and abundances. Sharp decreases in diversity, abundance and biomass occurred from spring to autumn. Species diversity and total abundance significantly increased with decreasing sediment grain size and increasing bottom water dissolved oxygen. Across seasons, mole crabs Albunea paretii and amphioxus Branchiostoma floridae typified the community and contributed most of the biomass. The polychaetes Nephtys simoni, Neanthes micromma, Dispio uncinata, Mediomastus californiensis and Magelona sp. A, the amphipod Acanthohautorius sp. A and the burrowing shrimp Ogyrides alphaerostris also contributed to variation in community composition. Cluster analyses quantified seasonal variation, mainly based on sharp decreases in abundance, as well as spatial differences in species composition oriented along both east–west and north–south gradients. Variation in benthic assemblages was correlated with water depth and sediment characteristics (mean grain size and percentage of gravel-sized shell debris). We conclude that Ship Shoal is an unrecognized biodiversity hotspot and a hypoxia refuge compared to the immediate surrounding area where the benthic community is affected by seasonal hypoxia events and we discuss how sand-mining may influence this community.     

Effects of light, dissolved organic carbon, and inorganic nutrients [2pt] on the relationship between algae and heterotrophic bacteria in stream periphyton

Depending on the chemical and physical environment, algae and heterotrophic bacteria in stream periphyton communities likely engage in both positive and negative interactions. We tested the hypothesis that bacteria are more closely associated with algae when allochthonous sources of labile DOC are low and algae are not light limited. Secondly, we tested the hypothesis that, under extremely oligotrophic conditions, bacteria will out-compete algae for inorganic nutrients if their carbon requirements are met by allochthonous sources. Experiments were carried out using in situ light manipulations and nutrient diffusing substrates (releasing inorganic nutrients and /or glucose) in Harts Run, an oligotrophic stream located in north central Kentucky. Although we found that both algal and bacterial biomass were higher under ambient light, bacteria did not respond to glucose in the dark. This may indicate that bacteria were associated with algae not as a carbon source, but as a substrate for colonization. In the nutrient × glucose manipulation, we found that bacteria were co-limited by inorganic nutrients. There was no evidence of algae being negatively affected by competition with bacteria for nitrogen and phosphorus. Although low temperatures might have played a role in preventing inorganic nutrient competition between these two groups of organisms, the results of both experiments may indicate that the quantitative link between periphytic bacteria and algae is stronger under oligotrophic conditions.     

Impacts of climate and land use on N2O and CH4 fluxes from tropical ecosystems in the Mt. Kilimanjaro region,Tanzania

In this study, we quantify the impacts of climate and land use on soil N₂O and CH₄ fluxes from tropical forest, agroforest, arable and savanna ecosystems in Africa. To do so, we measured greenhouse gases (GHG) fluxes from 12 different ecosystems along climate and land‐use gradients at Mt. Kilimanjaro, combining long‐term in situ chamber and laboratory soil core incubation techniques. Both methods showed similar patterns of GHG exchange. Although there were distinct differences from ecosystem to ecosystem, soils generally functioned as net sources and sinks for N₂O and CH₄ respectively. N₂O emissions correlated positively with soil moisture and total soil nitrogen content. CH₄ uptake rates correlated negatively with soil moisture and clay content and positively with SOC. Due to moderate soil moisture contents and the dominance of nitrification in soil N turnover, N₂O emissions of tropical montane forests were generally low (<1.2 kg N ha^?1 year^?1), and it is likely that ecosystem N losses are driven instead by nitrate leaching (~10 kg N ha^?1 year^?1). Forest soils with well‐aerated litter layers were a significant sink for atmospheric CH₄ (up to 4 kg C ha^?1 year^?1) regardless of low mean annual temperatures at higher elevations. Land‐use intensification significantly increased the soil N₂O source strength and significantly decreased the soil CH₄ sink. Compared to decreases in aboveground and belowground carbon stocks enhanced soil non‐CO₂ GHG emissions following land‐use conversion from tropical forests to homegardens and coffee plantations were only a small factor in the total GHG budget. However, due to lower ecosystem carbon stock changes, enhanced N₂O emissions significantly contributed to total GHG emissions following conversion of savanna into grassland and particularly maize. Overall, we found that the protection and sustainable management of aboveground and belowground carbon and nitrogen stocks of agroforestry and arable systems is most crucial for mitigating GHG emissions from land‐use change.     

The influence of elevated rhizosphere dissolved inorganic carbon concentrations on respiratory O2 and CO2 flux in tomato roots

Respiratory CO2 and O2 flux were measured in hydroponically grown Lycopersicon esculentum (L.) Mill. cv. F144 plants at either low (O mol mol^-1) or elevated CO2 concentrations (>2000 mol mol^-1) supplied to the roots. In NO3^- fed plants the consumption of O2 and the engagement of the alternative pathway were increased by elevated dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC = CO2 + HCO3^-) concentrations. This was ascribed to the influence of organic acids on the TCA cycle and electron transport pathways. Inhibition of O2 consumption by elevated DIC in NH4^--fed plants may be due to the reduction requirements of anaplerotic carbon entering the TCA cycle or the removal of carbon from the TCA cycle for amino acid synthesis. In both NO3^- and NH4⁺-fed plants elevated DIC inhibited CO2 release due to high rates of DIC incorporation by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPc) activity. Transient net CO2 consumption due to the inhibition of respiration by salicylhydroxamic acid and KCN, together with high respiratory quotients after the addition of inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity, were also ascribed to high rates of DIC incorporation at elevated DIC concentrations. Ethoxyzolamide, an inhibitor of CA activity, inhibited both DI¹⁴C incorporation into organic products and NO3^- uptake by 81% and 40%, respectively. This, together with a 32% increase in DI¹⁴C accumulation and inhibition of NO3^- uptake upon inhibition of anion transport by diisothiocyanato-stilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid (DIDS) may indicate the exchange of HCO3^- for NO3^- across the root plasmalemma. It was concluded that dark incorporation of HCO3^- by PEPc increased at elevated rhizosphere DIC concentrations and that the products of DIC incorporation may stimulate respiratory electron transport. Additional reducing energy and carbon skeletons from the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle would therefore be available for respiration and the reduction and incorporation of NO3^- into amino acids.Key words: Tomato, PEPc, respiration, carbon dioxide nitrate.      

Annual emissions of dissolved CO2, CH4, and N2O in the subsurface drainage from three cropping systems

Indirect emission of nitrous oxide (N₂O), associated with nitrogen (N) leaching and runoff from agricultural lands is a major source of atmospheric N₂O. Recent studies have shown that carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) are also emitted via these pathways. We measured the concentrations of three dissolved greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the subsurface drainage from field lysimeter that had a shallow groundwater table. Aboveground fluxes of CH₄ and N₂O were monitored using an automated closed‐chamber system. The annual total emissions of dissolved and aboveground GHGs were compared among three cropping systems; paddy rice, soybean and wheat, and upland rice. The annual drainage in the paddy rice, the soybean and wheat, and the upland rice plots was 1435, 782, and 1010 mm yr^?1, respectively. Dissolved CO₂ emissions were highest in the paddy rice plots, and were equivalent to 1.05–1.16% of the carbon storage in the topsoil. Dissolved CH₄ emissions were also higher in the paddy rice plots, but were only 0.03–0.05% of the aboveground emissions. Dissolved N₂O emissions were highest in the upland rice plots, where leached N was greatest due to small crop biomass. In the soybean and wheat plots, large crop biomass, due to double cropping, decreased the drainage volume, and thus decreased dissolved GHG emissions. Dissolved N₂O emissions from both the soybean and wheat plots and the upland rice plots were equivalent to 50.3–67.3% of the aboveground emissions. The results indicate that crop type and rotation are important factors in determining dissolved GHG emissions in the drainage from a crop field.     

A method to estimate net community metabolism from profiles of dissolved O2 and N2

A method to estimate net community metabolism (NCM) in natural waters using vertical profiles of water temperature, salinity, dissolved O₂, gas tension, and calculated dissolved N₂ is presented. The method utilizes the disparate biological activity of dissolved O₂ and N₂ to estimate metabolism at different depths in the water column. For well-mixed surface waters, N₂ saturation levels are assumed to be the result of a quasi steady state balance of net warming or cooling and air–water gas exchange. Dissolved O₂ levels are assumed to maintain a similar balance, subject to net biological activity, and NCM is then calculated based on the difference between N₂ and O₂ saturation levels and the estimated timescale required to equilibrate the layer with the atmosphere. For deeper stratified layers of water that warmed after layer formation in isolation from the atmosphere, the temperature at formation is calculated using the measured N₂ concentration and an assumed N₂ saturation level of 100% at formation. By assuming that initial N₂ and O₂ saturation levels were equal, the initial O₂ concentration is calculated based on solubility relationships. NCM of the deeper waters is then estimated based on this information and knowledge of the general seasonal heating cycle of the waters. Daily mean water temperature and dissolved gas levels are used in the calculations. The method was assessed using profile measurements collected at Long Pond, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA, on 23 August 2002. Oxygen was supersaturated relative to N₂ by approximately 4% in the 0–6 m deep epilimnion, and undersaturated relative to N₂ by approximately 7% in the stratified water at 9 m depth. The estimated 4-day average NCM for the epilimnion was 140 ± 70 mgC m⁻²day⁻¹. For waters at 9 m depth, the temperature at formation was calculated to be 6.58 °C, and the estimated 100-day average NCM was −2.5 ± 0.6 mgC m⁻³ day⁻¹. An independent estimate of −4.6 ± 0.9 mgC m⁻³ day⁻¹ was derived from the measured O₂ decline at 9 m depth over the same period of 2003.     

Dynamics of nutrients and phytoplankton,and fluxes of carbon,nitrogen and silicon in the Antarctic Ocean

Summary Four major functional units have been identified in the Southern Ocean and the mechanisms that control the dynamics of nutrients and phytoplankton are detailed for the different sub-systems. The very productive Coastal and Continental Shelf Zone (CCSZ, 0.9 M km ²) can experience severe macronutrient depletion paralleling intense diatom-dominated phytoplankton blooming (maximum > 8 mg Chl a m^–3) at the ice edge. In the Seasonal Ice Zone (SIZ, 16 M km ²), dramatic variations in the hydrological structure occur in surface waters during the spring to summer retreat of the pack-ice, changing from a well-mixed system to a stratified one within the reaches of the ice edge. Grazing activity of euphausiids limits phytoplankton biomass to a moderate level (Chl a maximum around 4 mg m^–3). A shift from new production to a regenerated production regime has been demonstrated during spring, along with the key role played by protozoans in controlling high ammonium concentrations (maximum > 2 M) in the surface layers. The well-mixed Permanently Open Ocean Zone (POOZ, 14 M km ²) is characterised by variable N/Si ratios in surface waters along a north-south transect: at the northern border of the POOZ (N/Si = 0.25) silicate concentrations as low as < 10 M could help limit the phytoplankton growth. Although favourable conditions have been demonstrated for the initiation of blooms in spring in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, it appears that critical-depth/ mixing-depth relationships control maximum chlorophyll a concentrations < 1 g l^–1 during summer. The POOZ is usually not influenced directly by euphausiids, except for the Scotia Sea and Drake Passage where migrations of krill from the adjacent SIZ are usual. Mesoscale eddies are typical of the Polar Front Zone (FPZ, 3 M km ²): significant increases in phytoplankton biomass have been reported in this frontal area (maximum Chl a = 2 mg m^–3). Food web and biogeochemical cycles in this sub-system are poorly documented. The question of limitation of the primary production by eolian-transported trace-metals in these different sub-systems is still a matter of debate, although clear iron limitation has been evidenced for offshore waters of the Ross Sea.Data presented here were partly collected during the European Polarstern Study (EPOS) sponsored by the European Science Foundation     

Dynamics of dissolved O2, CO2, CH4, and N2O in a tropical coastal swamp in southern Thailand

We studied the distribution of dissolved O₂, CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O in a coastal swamp system in Thailand with the goal to characterize the dynamics of these gases within the system. The gas concentrations varied spatially and seasonally in both surface and ground waters. The entire system was a strong sourcefor CO₂ and CH₄, and a possible sink for atmospheric N₂O. Seasonal variation in precipitation primarily regulated the redox conditions in the system. However, distributions of CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O in the river that received swamp waters were not always in agreement with redox conditions indicated by dissolvedO₂ concentrations. Sulfate production through pyriteoxidation occurred in the swamp with thin peat layerunder aerobic conditions and was reflected by elevatedSO ₄ ^2– /Cl^– in the river water. When SO ₄ ^2– /Cl^– was high, CO₂ and CH₄ concentrations decreased, whereas the N₂O concentration increased. The excess SO ₄ ^2– in the river water was thus identified as a potential indicator for gas dynamics in this coastal swamp system.     

Fissuroderes, a new genus of Kinorhyncha (Cyclorhagida) from the deep sea and continental shelf of New Zealand and from the continental shelf of Costa Rica

Specimens of Kinorhyncha collected by RV Sonne from the continental shelf off the coast of Costa Rica and from the deep sea East of New Zealand as well as by RV Kaharoa in the Firth of Thames are identified as five new species of a new genus Fissuroderes gen. nov. which is distinguished from all other kinorhynch genera by a ring-like cuticle in the first trunk segment and a cuticle with midventral and lateral articulations resulting in two sternal plates and one tergal plate in segments 2-10. Fissuroderes higginsi sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other species of Fissuroderes by a laterodorsal spine in segment 2 and the lack of a lateroventral spine in segment 8. Fissuroderes rangi sp. nov. is recognized from all other species by the lack of a ventrolateral spine in segment 2, the lack of a lateroventral spine in segment 5, an extremely elongate spinose tergal extension of segment 11 and a prominent midventral spinose process of the sternal plates in segment 11. Fissuroderes papai sp. nov. is identified by the short spinose process of the sternal plate of segment 11. Only Fissuroderes thermoi sp. nov. possesses bilobed sternal plates in segment 11 and a short conical tergal extension. Fissuroderes novaezealandia sp. nov. differs from F. higginsi sp. nov. in the lack of a laterodorsal spine in segment 2, the lack of an accessory spine in a lateral position in segment 8, the lack of a sublateral spine in segment 10, the existence of a lateroventral spine in segment 8 and in the lack of a subdorsal type 2-gland cell outlet in segment 2. The former species differs from F. papai sp. nov. in the lack of a lateroventral spine in segment 8, the lack of longitudinal indentations in the posterior part of the trunk cuticle of each segment and in the existence of an elongate spinose tergal extension of segment 11 and of many fine hairs on the surface of the cuticle. Fissuroderes is included into the Echinoderidae which is suggested to enclose also the genera Echinoderes and Cephalorhyncha. Echinoderes nybakkeni Higgins, 1988 is now combined as Cephalorhyncha nybakkeni (Higgins, 1988) comb. nov.     

模拟增温对荒漠生物土壤结皮-土壤系统CO2、CH4和N2O通量的影响

目前, 有关增温条件下荒漠生物土壤结皮(BSCs)-土壤系统与大气之间主要温室气体(CO₂、CH₄和N₂O)通量变化的研究十分匮乏, 以致很难准确地评估荒漠生态系统温室气体通量对气候变暖的响应与反馈的方向和程度。该文选择腾格里沙漠东南缘天然植被区由藻类、藓类以及二者混生的3种类型的BSCs覆盖土壤为研究对象, 以开顶式生长室(OTC)为增温方式模拟全球变暖, 采用静态箱-气相色谱法探究了2012年7月至2013年6月增温和不增温处理下CO₂、CH₄和N₂O通量的变化特征。结果表明: 增温和结皮类型对CO₂、CH₄和N₂O通量没有显著影响。采样日期、结皮类型与采样日期, 以及增温与结皮类型和采样日期的互作显著影响CO₂和CH₄通量, 增温和采样日期互作显著影响CH₄通量。BSCs-土壤系统的CO₂、CH₄和N₂O年通量及其增温潜能在增温和不增温处理下的差异均不显著。CO₂通量与5 cm深度的土壤温度呈显著的指数正相关关系, 与10 cm深度的土壤湿度呈线性正相关关系; 藓类、混生结皮的CH₄通量与5 cm深度的土壤温度和10 cm深度的土壤湿度均呈显著的线性负相关关系; 3种结皮类型的N₂O通量与5 cm深度的土壤温度均无相关关系, 藓类结皮的N₂O通量与10 cm深度的土壤湿度呈显著的线性负相关关系。藓类结皮的CO₂和CH₄在增温和不增温两种处理下的通量差异与5 cm深度的土壤温度差异呈显著的负线性相关, 藻类结皮N₂O的通量差异与温度差异呈近似正相关关系(p = 0.051)。以上结果说明: 在全球变暖的背景下, 荒漠BSCs-土壤系统主要温室气体通量不会有明显的变化, 意味着荒漠生态系统温室气体的排放可能对气候变暖没有明显的 反馈。     

Winter production of CO2 and N2O from alpine tundra: environmental controls and relationship to inter-system C and N fluxes

Fluxes of CO₂ and N₂O were measured from both natural and experimentally augmented snowpacks during the winters of 1993 and 1994 on Niwot Ridge in the Colorado Front Range. Consistent snow cover insulated the soil surface from extreme air temperatures and allowed heterotrophic activity to continue through much of the winter. In contrast, soil remained frozen at sites with inconsistent snow cover and production did not begin until snowmelt. Fluxes were measured when soil temperatures under the snow ranged from –5°C to 0°C, but there was no significant relationship between flux for either gas and temperature within this range. While early developing snowpacks resulted in warmer minimum soil temperatures allowing production to continue for most of the winter, the highest CO₂ fluxes were recorded at sites which experienced a hard freeze before a consistent snowpack developed. Consequently, the seasonal flux of CO₂ –C from snow covered soils was related both to the severity of freeze and the duration of snow cover. Over-winter CO₂ –C loss ranged from 0.3 g C m⁻² season⁻¹ at sites characterized by inconsistent snow cover to 25.7 g C m⁻² season⁻¹ at sites that experienced a hard freeze followed by an extended period of snow cover. In contrast to the pattern observed with C loss, a hard freeze early in the winter did not result in greater N₂O–N loss. Both mean daily N₂O fluxes and the total over-winter N₂O–N loss were related to the length of time soils were covered by a consistent snowpack. Over-winter N₂O–N loss ranged from less 0.23 mg N m⁻² from the latest developing, short duration snowpacks to 16.90 mg N m⁻² from sites with early snow cover. These data suggest that over-winter heterotrophic activity in snow-covered soil has the potential to mineralize from less than 1% to greater than 25% of the carbon fixed in ANPP, while over-winter N₂O fluxes range from less than half to an order of magnitude higher than growing season fluxes. The variability in these fluxes suggests that small changes in climate which affect the timing of seasonal snow cover may have a large effect on C and N cycling in these environments. Received: 5 April 1996 / Accepted: 25 November 1996     

Dissolved oxygen and dissolved inorganic carbon stable isotope composition and concentration fluxes across several shallow floodplain aquifers and in a diffusion experiment

Recent studies have documented the occurrence of dissolved molecular oxygen (DO) in shallow groundwater that is isotopically lighter than can be explained by atmospheric gas exchange or by biogeochemical reactions that consume ¹⁶O¹⁶O faster than ¹⁶O¹⁸O. In the present study, spatial gradients in the isotopic composition of DO (δ¹⁸O-DO) and dissolved inorganic carbon (δ¹³C-DIC) were measured in three shallow floodplain aquifers: (1) the Nyack aquifer, of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River in northwest Montana; (2) the Silver Bow Creek floodplain in southwest Montana; and (3) the Umatilla River floodplain in northeast Oregon. The field data show general trends of increasing DIC concentration, decreasing δ¹³C-DIC, and decreasing DO concentration with increase in groundwater path length. These trends are consistent with consumption of DO and production of DIC by microbial respiration. Although the expected trend of an increase in δ¹⁸O-DO with increase in path length was found at an area adjacent to hyporheic recharge at the Nyack floodplain, the majority of groundwater samples collected at Nyack and from the other sites distal to recharge zones had anomalously low δ¹⁸O-DO values well below 24.2 ‰, the value corresponding to atmospheric isotopic equilibrium. At the Nyack site, ³H-³He dates were used to estimate groundwater travel time: all groundwater samples with apparent age >1 year had δ¹⁸O-DO<24.2 ‰. Previously it has been suggested that diffusion of O₂ could be a viable mechanism to explain the existence of isotopically light DO in shallow groundwater. To test this hypothesis, laboratory experiments were conducted to measure the isotopic fractionation of O₂ as it diffuses from air across a simulated capillary fringe (made from a floating layer of foam beads) into a stirred, initially anoxic, water column. As expected, ¹⁶O¹⁶O diffused faster than ¹⁶O¹⁸O, and the magnitude of isotope fractionation associated with diffusion increased with a decrease in temperature. Fractionation factors (α) calculated from these diffusion experiments were 1.0030 at 15–19 °C and 1.0048 at 8 °C. The combined field and laboratory data suggest that diffusion is an important mechanism to maintain aerobic conditions in shallow groundwater systems, allowing microbial respiration to continue at long distances (km scale) from the source of groundwater recharge.     

Seasonal variation in dissolved carbon concentrations and fluxes in the upper Purus River, southwestern Amazon

One of the less studied components of carbon cycling that could improve our understanding of how and how strongly Amazonian ecosystems act as sinks or sources of carbon is the amount that is carried downstream by rivers. In this paper, we show that a headwater river can carry from 25 to 130 % of the reported sink for Amazonian forests, therefore not being negligible for ecosystem-level carbon budgets. Based on monthly measurements from May 2004 to April 2005 of the upper Purus River, southwestern Amazonia, we found that: water pH, dissolved oxygen, specific electrical conductivity, and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) were inversely related to water discharge and precipitation; pCO₂ was directly and strongly related to discharge and precipitation, and to a lesser extent to pH and dissolved oxygen; and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was not related to any measured variable. Annual flux of dissolved carbon (DIC + DOC) at the sampling site was estimated as 604 ± 55 Gg C a^?1. More than 75 % was in the form of bicarbonate, with the remainder as CO₂ and DOC. This amount is equivalent to 0.15 ± 0.01 Mg C ha^?1 a^?1 in the upstream drainage basin, which is on the same order of magnitude as terrestrial carbon fixation.     

万峰湖水库溶解性无机碳来源及时空变异特征

溶解性无机碳(DIC)的通量和形式在水生态系统的生物地球化学循环中起关键作用,是碳收支的重要组成部分。通过分析万峰湖水库库区水体理化参数、DIC和稳定碳同位素(δ¹³C_DIC)特征,揭示了DIC的行为和来源。结果表明: 1)在表水层,整个库区pH变化较保守,均呈弱碱性。硝酸盐氮(NO₃^--N)有最大变异系数,具有高度的时空变异性。由于稀释效应的存在,电导率(EC)、二氧化碳分压(pCO₂)和DIC的最低值均出现在夏季高径流量阶段。在水柱面上,夏季氧化还原电位(Eh)和NO₃^--N随水深增加无显著变化,其余指标均变化明显,且在温跃层变异程度最大。两季节的水温(T)、pH和Eh均随水深增加而降低,pCO₂则与之相反。EC、总碱度(TA)和DIC在夏季随水深增加而降低,冬季变化梯度较小。两季节的DIC与pH、Eh呈负相关,与EC、pCO₂呈正相关。2)夏季DIC为2.66～4.9 mmol·L^-1,而冬季为3.38～4.52 mmol·L^-1。水体热分层期间,DIC和δ¹³C_DIC在温跃层的变化梯度最大,DIC与δ¹³C_DIC在夏季表水层呈正相关。两个季节水柱面上及冬季表水层的DIC和δ¹³C_DIC均呈负相关,但冬季DIC和δ¹³C_DIC值随水深变化趋势不明显。3)夏季δ¹³C_DIC较高,为-7.71‰～-1.38‰,表明碳酸盐矿物的溶解占优势。冬季δ¹³C_DIC为-16.93‰～-9.44‰,显著低于夏季且范围更宽,生物源CO₂的输入和有机质矿化是主要来源。δ¹³C_DIC在不同季节和水深均差异显著,一方面是碳的来源不同;另一方面归因于碳来源的相对贡献比例的变化。     

Fluxes of dissolved carbon dioxide and inorganic carbon from an upland peat catchment: implications for soil respiration

This study uses long-term water chemistry records for a circum-neutral peat stream to reconstruct a 7-year record of dissolved CO₂ and DIC flux from the catchment. Combining catchment flux with a knowledge of in-stream metabolism and gas evasion from the stream surface enables an estimate of the dissolved CO₂ content of water emerging from the peat profile to be made; furthermore, these can be used to estimate soil CO₂ respiration. In this way multi-annual records of CO₂ production can be reconstructed, and therefore inter-annual controls on production examined. The results suggest that:(i) Stream evasion of CO₂ within the catchment varied between 80 and 220 g C/m of stream/yr, while in-stream metabolism produces between 1.0 and 2.9 g C/m of stream/yr;Export of dissolved CO₂ emerging from the soil profile, above that expected at equilibrium with the atmosphere, varies between 9.6 and 25.6 tonnes,C/km²/yr; andThe export of dissolved CO₂ implies a soil respiration rate of between 64.2 and 94.9 tonnes C/km²/yr.The inter-annual variation in both dissolved CO₂ flux and soil CO₂ respiration suggests that severe drought has no long-term effect on CO₂ production and that temperature-based models of soil CO₂ respiration will be adequate in all but the severest of summer droughts. The inter-annual variation in CO₂ flux shows that CO₂ production is decoupled from dissolved organic carbon (DOC) production. The decoupling of DOC and dissolved CO₂ production shows that enzymatic-latch production of DOC is an anaerobic process and will not increase soil CO₂ respiration.     

Sources and export fluxes of inorganic and organic carbon and nutrient species from the seasonally ice-covered Yukon River

Climate and environmental changes are having profound impacts on Arctic river basins, but the biogeochemical response remains poorly understood. To examine the effect of ice formation on temporal variations in composition and fluxes of carbon and nutrient species, monthly water and particulate samples collected from the lower Yukon River between July 2004 and September 2005 were measured for concentrations of organic and inorganic C, N, and P, dissolved silicate (Si(OH)₄), and stable isotope composition (δD and δ¹⁸O). All organic carbon and nutrient species had the highest concentration during spring freshet and the lowest during the winter season under the ice, indicating dominant sources from snowmelt and flushing of soils in the drainage basin. In contrast, inorganic species such as dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and Si(OH)₄ had the highest concentrations in winter and the lowest during spring freshet, suggesting dilution during snowmelt and sources from groundwater and leaching/weathering of mineral layer. The contrasting relation with discharge between organic, such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and inorganic, such as DIC and Si(OH)₄, indicates hydrological control of solute concentration but different sources and transport mechanisms for organic and inorganic carbon and nutrient species. Concentration of DOC also shows an inter-annual variability with higher DOC in 2005 (higher stream flow) than 2004 (lower stream flow). Average inorganic N/P molar ratio was 110?±?124, with up to 442 under the ice and 38–70 during the ice-open season. While dissolved organic matter had a higher C/N ratio under the ice (45–62), the particulate C/N ratio was lower during winter (21–26) and spring freshet (19). Apparent fractionation factors of C, N, P, Si and δD and δ¹⁸O between ice and river water varied considerably, with high values for inorganic species such as DIC and Si(OH)₄ (45 and 9550, respectively) but lower values for DOC (4.7). River ice formation may result in fractionation of inorganic and organic solutes and the repartitioning of seasonal flux of carbon and nutrient species. Annual export flux from the Yukon River basin was 1.6?×?10¹² g-DOC, 4.4?×?10¹² g-DIC, and 0.89?×?10¹² g-POC during 2004–2005. Flux estimation without spring freshet sampling results in considerable underestimation for organic species but significant overestimation for inorganic species regardless of the flux estimation methods used. Without time-series sampling that includes frozen season, an over- or under-estimation in carbon and nutrient fluxes will occur depending on chemical species. Large differences in carbon export fluxes between studies and sampling years indicate that intensive sampling together with long-term observations are needed to determine the response of the Yukon River to a changing climate.     

Effects of multiple global change treatments on soil N2O fluxes

Global environmental changes are expected to alter ecosystem carbon and nitrogen cycling, but the interactive effects of multiple simultaneous environmental changes are poorly understood. Effects of these changes on the production of nitrous oxide (N₂O), an important greenhouse gas, could accelerate climate change. We assessed the responses of soil N₂O fluxes to elevated CO₂, heat, altered precipitation, and enhanced nitrogen deposition, as well as their interactions, in an annual grassland at the Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment (CA, USA). Measurements were conducted after 6, 7 and 8?years of treatments. Elevated precipitation increased N₂O efflux, especially in combination with added nitrogen and heat. Path analysis supported the idea that increased denitrification due to increased soil water content and higher labile carbon availability best explained increased N₂O efflux, with a smaller, indirect contribution from nitrification. In our data and across the literature, single-factor responses tended to overestimate interactive responses, except when global change was combined with disturbance by fire, in which case interactive effects were large. Thus, for chronic global environmental changes, higher order interactions dampened responses of N₂O efflux to multiple global environmental changes, but interactions were strongly positive when global change was combined with disturbance. Testing whether these responses are general should be a high priority for future research.