bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Short-term changes in anaerobic oxidation of methane in response to varying methane and sulfate fluxes
Authors: Wegener G. , Boetius A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. A major role in global methane fluxes has been attributed to the process of anaerobic oxidation of methane, which is performed by consortia of methanotrophic archaea and sulfate reducing bacteria. An important question remains how these very slow growing microorganisms with generation times of 3–7 months respond to natural variations in methane fluxes at cold seeps. Here, we used an experimental flow-through column system filled with cold seep sediments naturally enriched in methanotrophic communities, to test their response to short-term variations in methane and sulfate fluxes. At stable methane and sulfate concentrations of ~2 mM and 28 mM, respectively, we measured constant rates of anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) and sulfide production (SR) for up to 160 days of incubation. When percolated with methane-free medium, the anaerobic methanotrophs ceased to oxidize methane and to produce sulfide. After a starvation phase of 40 days, the addition of methane restored former AOM and SR rates immediately. At methane concentrations between 0–2.3 mM we measured a linear correlation between methane availability, AOM and SR. At constant fluid flow rates of 30 m yr−1, ca. 50% of the methane was consumed by the ANME population at all concentrations tested. Reducing the sulfate concentration from 28 to 1 mM, a decrease in AOM and SR by 35% was observed. Hence, the marine anaerobic methanotrophs (ANME) are capable to consume substantial amounts of methane rising from the subsurface seabed to the hydrosphere over a wide range of fluxes of methane and sulfate.
Coupling of heterotrophic bacteria to phytoplankton bloom development at different pCO2 levels: a mesocosm study
Authors: Allgaier M. , Riebesell U. , Vogt M. , Thyrhaug R. , Grossart H.-P.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The predicted rise in anthropogenic CO2 emissions will increase CO2 concentrations and decrease seawater pH in the upper ocean. Recent studies have revealed effects of pCO2 induced changes in seawater chemistry on a variety of marine life forms, in particular calcifying organisms. To test whether the predicted increase in pCO2 will directly or indirectly (via changes in phytoplankton dynamics) affect abundance, activities, and community composition of heterotrophic bacteria during phytoplankton bloom development, we have aerated mesocosms with CO2 to obtain triplicates with three different partial pressures of CO2 (pCO2): 350 µatm (1×CO2), 700 µatm (2×CO2) and 1050 µatm (3×CO2). The development of a phytoplankton bloom was initiated by the addition of nitrate and phosphate. In accordance to an elevated carbon to nitrogen drawdown at increasing pCO2, bacterial production (BPP) of free-living and attached bacteria as well as cell-specific BPP (csBPP) of attached bacteria were related to the C:N ratio of suspended matter. These relationships significantly differed among treatments. However, bacterial abundance and activities were not statistically different among treatments. Solely community structure of free-living bacteria changed with pCO2 whereas that of attached bacteria seemed to be independent of pCO2 but tightly coupled to phytoplankton bloom development. Our findings imply that changes in pCO2, although reflected by changes in community structure of free-living bacteria, do not directly affect bacterial activity. Furthermore, bacterial activity and dynamics of heterotrophic bacteria, especially of attached bacteria, were tightly linked to phytoplankton development and, hence, may also potentially depend on changes in pCO2.
Estimates of fire emissions from an active deforestation region in the southern Amazon based on satellite data and biogeochemical modelling
Authors: van der Werf G. R. , Morton D. C. , DeFries R. S. , Giglio L. , Randerson J. T. , Collatz G. J. , Kasibhatla P. S.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Tropical deforestation contributes to the build-up of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Within the deforestation process, fire is frequently used to eliminate biomass in preparation for agricultural use. Quantifying these deforestation-induced fire emissions represents a challenge, and current estimates are only available at coarse spatial resolution with large uncertainty. Here we developed a biogeochemical model using remote sensing observations of plant productivity, fire activity, and deforestation rates to estimate emissions for the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso during 2001–2005. Our model of DEforestation CArbon Fluxes (DECAF) runs at 250-m spatial resolution with a monthly time step to capture spatial and temporal heterogeneity in fire dynamics in our study area within the "arc of deforestation", the southern and eastern fringe of the Amazon tropical forest where agricultural expansion is most concentrated. Fire emissions estimates from our modelling framework were on average 90 Tg C year−1, mostly stemming from fires associated with deforestation (74%) with smaller contributions from fires from conversions of Cerrado or pastures to cropland (19%) and pasture fires (7%). In terms of carbon dynamics, about 80% of the aboveground living biomass and litter was combusted when forests were converted to pasture, and 89% when converted to cropland because of the highly mechanized nature of the deforestation process in Mato Grosso. The trajectory of land use change from forest to other land uses often takes more than one year, and part of the biomass that was not burned in the dry season following deforestation burned in consecutive years. This led to a partial decoupling of annual deforestation rates and fire emissions, and lowered interannual variability in fire emissions. Interannual variability in the region was somewhat dampened as well because annual emissions from fires following deforestation and from maintenance fires did not covary, although the effect was small due to the minor contribution of maintenance fires. Our results demonstrate how the DECAF model can be used to model deforestation fire emissions at relatively high spatial and temporal resolutions. Detailed model output is suitable for policy applications concerned with annual emissions estimates distributed among post-clearing land uses and science applications in combination with atmospheric emissions modelling to provide constrained global deforestation fire emissions estimates. DECAF currently estimates emissions from fire; future efforts can incorporate other aspects of net carbon emissions from deforestation including soil respiration and regrowth.
Reconstruction of the biogeochemistry and ecology of photoautotrophs based on the nitrogen and carbon isotopic compositions of vanadyl porphyrins from Miocene siliceous sediments
Authors: Kashiyama Y. , Ogawa N. O. , Shiro M. , Tada R. , Kitazato H. , Ohkouchi N.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. We determined both the nitrogen and carbon isotopic compositions of various vanadyl alkylporphyrins isolated from siliceous marine sediments of the Onnagawa Formation (middle Miocene, northeastern Japan) to investigate the biogeochemistry and ecology of photoautotrophs living in the paleo-ocean. The distinctive isotopic signals support the interpretations of previous works that the origin of 17-nor-deoxophylloerythroetioporphyrin (DPEP) is chlorophylls c, whereas 8-nor-DPEP may have originated from chlorophylls a2 or b2 or bacteriochlorophyll a. Although DPEP and cycloheptanoDPEP are presumably derived from common precursory pigments, their isotopic compositions differed in the present study, suggesting that the latter represents a specific population within the photoautotrophic community. Based on the δ 15N values of DPEP (−6.9 to −3.6‰ n=7), the average δ15N value for the entire photoautotrophic community is estimated to be −2 to +1‰, considering the empirical isotopic relationships that the tetrapyrrole nuclei of chloropigments are depleted in 15N by ~4.8‰ and enriched in ;13C by ~1.8‰ relative to the whole cells. This finding suggests that nitrogen utilized in the primary production was supplied mainly through N2-fixation by diazotrophic cyanobacteria. Based on the δ13C values of DPEP (–17.9 to −15.6‰ n=7), we estimated isotopic fractionation associated with photosynthetic carbon fixation to be 8–14‰. This range suggests the importance of β-carboxylation and/or active transport of the carbon substrate, indicating in turn the substantial contribution of diazotrophic cyanobacteria to primary production. Based on the δ15N values of 17-nor-DPEP (−7.4 to −2.4‰ n=7), the δ15N range of chlorophylls c-producing algae was estimated to be −3 to +3‰. This relative depletion in ;15N suggests that these algae mainly utilized nitrogen regenerated from diazotrophic cyanobacteria. Given that diatoms are likely to have constituted the chlorophylls c-producing algae within the biogenic-silica-rich Onnagawa Formation, cyanobacteria-hosting diatoms may have been important contributors to primary production.
High frequency Barium profiles in shells of the Great Scallop Pecten maximus: a methodical long-term and multi-site survey in Western Europe
Authors: Barats A. , Amouroux D. , Chauvaud L. , Pécheyran C. , Lorrain A. , Thébault J. , Church T. M. , Donard O. F. X.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Skeletal barium/calcium ([Ba]/[Ca])shell ratios were measured every third daily striae in 39 flat valves of the Great Scallop Pecten maximus (2-year old; 3 shells/year) collected in temperate coastal environments of Western Europe. Variations of ([Ba]/[Ca])shell ratio were first demonstrated reproducible for several scallop individuals from the same population, over a 7-year period (1998–2004), and from different coastal environments in France (42–49° N). As in previous studies, ([Ba]/[Ca])shell profiles exhibited a background ratio punctuated by transient maxima occurring in summer. Background partition coefficient (DBa=0.11±0.03, in 2000) was similar to that previously reported in P. maximus shells (DBa=0.18), suggesting a direct shell uptake of dissolved seawater Ba (Gillikin et al., 2008). Special attention was then dedicated to the complete monitoring of high resolution ([Ba]/[Ca])shell profiles in bivalve shells (7 years, Bay of Brest) to better constrain environmental processes influencing both the occurrence and the amplitude of summer peaks. In 2000, seawater Ba analyses underlined significant particulate Ba inputs at the seawater interface (SWI) during ([Ba]/[Ca])shell peak events. These Ba inputs are suggested to be subsequent to and rather induced by a pelagic biogenic process. The long term survey revealed first that archived Ba within the shell cannot be used as a direct paleo productivity tracer, and second that complex pelagic/benthic processes in the Ba cycle are responsible of particulate Ba inputs to the SWI, subsequently taken up by the bivalve and recorded as higher ([Ba]/[Ca])shell ratios. When these processes will be better constrained, high frequency observations of Ba in scallop shells would provide new insights into filter feeding dynamics and into Ba biogeochemistry in coastal environments.
Greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4 and N2O) from perialpine and alpine hydropower reservoirs
Authors: Diem T. , Koch S. , Schwarzenbach S. , Wehrli B. , Schubert C. J.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. In eleven reservoirs located at different altitudes in Switzerland depth profiles of greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, and N2O) concentrations were measured several times during spring and summer. Trace gas emissions were calculated using surface concentrations, wind speeds and transfer velocities. Additionally we assessed methane loss at the turbine and the methane input by inflowing water. All reservoirs were net emitters of CO2 with an average of 1030±780 mg m−2 d−1 and of methane with an average of 0.20±0.15 mg m−2 d−1. One reservoir (Lake Wohlen) emitted methane at a much higher rate (160±110 mg m−2 d−1), most of which (>98%) was due to ebullition. Only lowland reservoirs were sources for N2O (72±22 μg m−2 d−1), while the subalpine and alpine reservoirs seem to be in equilibrium with atmospheric concentrations. Methane loss at the turbine was as large as the diffusive flux from the surface for two subalpine reservoirs and around five times smaller for a lowland reservoir. The available data suggests greenhouse gas emissions from reservoirs in the Alps are minor contributors to the global greenhouse gas emissions.
C allocation among fine roots, above-, and belowground wood in a deciduous forest and its implication to ecosystem C cycling: a modelling analysis
Authors: Campioli M. , Verbeeck H. , Lemeur R. , Samson R.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Knowledge about allocation of carbohydrates among tree organs with different life times and decomposition rates is crucial in determining the residence time of carbon (C) in forests and the overall ecosystem C cycling rate. A new model (named CAF) able to simulate C allocation among fine roots, above-, and belowground wood in deciduous forests was developed and integrated into the net ecosystem exchange model FORUG. CAF draws on growth rules and source-sink relationships. Maintenance and growth of the modelled sinks i.e. fine roots, coarse roots, stems, and branches, are controlled by phenology, environment, and by the reserve of non-structural carbohydrates. CAF was parameterized for 2-y and tested against 6-y observations from a beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stand in North-East France, experiencing summer droughts of different intensities. The model reproduced well (i) the C fluxes allocated annually to assimilation, respiration and biomass production, and (ii) the interannual pattern of wood biomass accumulation. Seasonality of C reserve and wood growth was captured, but some discrepancies were detected at the onset of the growing season. The allocation pattern differed among years, although the overall net primary production decreased only in case of severe drought. During a year with severe drought, the fraction of C allocated to production of fast-decomposing C pools (e.g. fine roots, C reserve) increased by +13% than years without drought, whereas the same fraction increased on average by +18% in case of low to moderate drought. Carbon invested in biomass during a year with summer drought has therefore a shorter residence time in the ecosystem than the C stored during a year without summer drought.
African CO emissions between years 2000 and 2006 as estimated from MOPITT observations
Authors: Chevallier F. , Fortems A. , Bousquet P. , Pison I. , Szopa S. , Devaux M. , Hauglustaine D. A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The space-time variations of the carbon budget at the Earth surface are highly variable and quantifying them represents a major scientific challenge. One strategy consists in inferring the carbon surface fluxes from the atmospheric concentrations. A variational scheme for the hydrocarbon oxidation chain, that includes CO and CH4, is presented here with a focus on the African continent. The multi-tracer system has been built as an extension of a system initially developed for CO2 and includes a new simplified non-linear chemistry module. Individual in situ measurements of methyl-chloroform and individual retrievals of CO concentrations from the Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) space-born instrument have been processed by the new system for the period 2000–2006 to infer the time series of CO emissions at the resolution of 2.5°×3.75° (latitude, longitude). It is shown that the analysed concentrations improve the fit to five independent surface measurements located in or near Africa by up to 28% compared to standard inventories, which confirms that quantitative information about CO emissions can be obtained from MOPITT data. In practice, the inversion reduces the amplitude and the interannual variability of the seasonal cycle in the northern part of Africa, with a longer burning season. In the southern part, the inversion mainly shifts the emission peak by one month later in the season, consistent with previously-published inversion results.
Regulation of phytoplankton carbon to chlorophyll ratio by light, nutrients and temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean: a basin-scale model
Authors: Wang X. J. , Behrenfeld M. , Le Borgne R. , Murtugudde R. , Boss E.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The complex effects of light, nutrients and temperature lead to a variable carbon to chlorophyll (C:Chl) ratio in phytoplankton cells. Using field data collected in the equatorial Pacific, we derived a new dynamic model with a non-steady C:Chl ratio as a function of irradiance, nitrate, iron, and temperature. The dynamic model is implemented into a basin-scale ocean circulation-biogeochemistry model and tested in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The model reproduces well the general features of phytoplankton dynamics in this region. For instance, the simulated deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) is much deeper in the western warm pool (~100 m) than in the eastern equatorial Pacific (~50 m). The model also shows the ability to reproduce chlorophyll, including not only the zonal, meridional and vertical variations, but also the interannual variability. This study demonstrates that combination of nitrate and iron regulates the spatial and temporal variations in the phytoplankton C:Chl ratio. Particularly, nitrate is responsible for the high C:Chl ratio in the western warm pool while iron is responsible for the frontal features in the C:Chl ratio between the warm pool and the upwelling region. In addition, iron plays a dominant role in regulating the spatial and temporal variations of the C:Chl ratio in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. While temperature has a relatively small effect on the C:Chl ratio, light is primarily responsible for the vertical decrease of phytoplankton C:Chl ratio in the euphotic zone.
Rapid reorganization in ocean biogeochemistry off Peru towards the end of the Little Ice Age
Authors: Gutiérrez D. , Sifeddine A. , Field D. B. , Ortlieb L. , Vargas G. , Chávez F. , Velazco F. , Ferreira V. , Tapia P. , Salvatteci R. , Boucher H. , Morales M. C. , Valdés J. , Reyss J.-L. , Campusano A. , Boussafir M. , Mandeng-Yogo M. , García M. , Baumgartner T.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Climate and ocean ecosystem variability has been well recognized during the twentieth century but it is unclear if modern ocean biogeochemistry is susceptible to the large, abrupt shifts that characterized the Late Quaternary. Time series from marine sediments off Peru show an abrupt centennial-scale biogeochemical regime shift in the early nineteenth century, of much greater magnitude and duration than present day multi-decadal variability. A rapid expansion of the subsurface nutrient-rich, oxygen-depleted waters resulted in higher biological productivity, including pelagic fish. The shift was likely driven by a northward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and the South Pacific Subtropical High to their present day locations, coupled with a strengthening of Walker circulation, towards the end of the Little Ice Age. These findings reveal the potential for large reorganizations in tropical Pacific climate with immediate effects on ocean biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem structure.
An empirical model simulating long-term diurnal CO2 flux for diverse vegetation types
Authors: Saito M. , Maksyutov S. , Hirata R. , Richardson A. D.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. We present an empirical model for the estimation of diurnal variability in net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE). The model is based on the use of a nonrectangular hyperbola for photosynthetic response of canopy and was constructed by using a dataset obtained from the AmeriFlux network and containing continuous eddy covariance CO2 flux from 26 ecosystems over seven biomes. The model uses simplified empirical expression of seasonal variability in biome-specific physiological parameters with air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, and precipitation. The physiological parameters of maximum CO2 uptake rate by the canopy and ecosystem respiration had biome-specific responses to environmental variables. The estimated physiological parameters had reasonable magnitudes and seasonal variation and gave reasonable timing of the beginning and end of the growing season over various biomes, but they were less satisfactory for disturbed grassland and savanna than for forests. Comparison with observational data revealed that the diurnal cycle of NEE was generally well predicted all year round by the model. The model gave satisfactory results even for tundra, which had very small amplitudes of NEE variability. These results suggest that this model with biome-specific parameters will be applicable to numerous terrestrial biomes, particularly forest ones.
The inter-annual variability of Africa's ecosystem productivity: a multi-model analysis
Authors: Weber U. , Jung M. , Reichstein M. , Beer C. , Braakhekke M. , Lehsten V. , Ghent D. , Kaduk J. , Viovy N. , Ciais P. , Gobron N. , Rödenbeck C.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. We are comparing spatially explicit process-model based estimates of the terrestrial carbon balance and its components over Africa and confront them with remote sensing based proxies of vegetation productivity and atmospheric inversions of land-atmosphere net carbon exchange. Particular emphasis is on characterizing the patterns of interannual variability of carbon fluxes and analyzing the factors and processes responsible for it. For this purpose simulations with the terrestrial biosphere models ORCHIDEE, LPJ-DGVM, LPJ-Guess and JULES have been performed using a standardized modeling protocol and a uniform set of corrected climate forcing data. While the models differ concerning the absolute magnitude of carbon fluxes, we find several robust patterns of interannual variability among the models. Models exhibit largest interannual variability in southern and eastern Africa, regions which are primarily covered by herbaceous vegetation. Interannual variability of the net carbon balance appears to be more strongly influenced by gross primary production than by ecosystem respiration. A principal component analysis indicates that moisture is the main driving factor of interannual gross primary production variability for those regions. On the contrary in a large part of the inner tropics radiation appears to be limiting in two models. These patterns are corroborated by remotely sensed vegetation properties from the SeaWiFS satellite sensor. Inverse atmospheric modeling estimates of surface carbon fluxes are less conclusive at this point, implying the need for a denser network of observation stations over Africa.
Precipitation as driver of carbon fluxes in 11 African ecosystems
Authors: Merbold L. , Ardö J. , Arneth A. , Scholes R. J. , Nouvellon Y. , de Grandcourt A. , Archibald S. , Bonnefond J. M. , Boulain N. , Bruemmer C. , Brueggemann N. , Cappelaere B. , Ceschia E. , El-Khidir H. A. M. , El-Tahir B. A. , Falk U. , Lloyd J. , Kergoat L. , Le Dantec V. , Mougin E. , Muchinda M. , Mukelabai M. M. , Ramier D. , Roupsard O. , Timouk F. , Veenendaal E. M. , Kutsch W. L.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. This study reports carbon and water fluxes between the land surface and atmosphere in eleven different ecosystems types in Sub-Saharan Africa, as measured using eddy covariance (EC) technology in the first two years of the CarboAfrica network operation. The ecosystems for which data were available ranged in mean annual rainfall from 320 mm (Sudan) to 1150 mm (The Republic of Congo) and include a spectrum of vegetation types (or land cover) (open savannas, woodlands, croplands and grasslands). Given the shortness of the record, the EC data were analysed across the network rather than longitudinally at sites, in order to understand the driving factors for ecosystem respiration and carbon assimilation, and to reveal the different water use strategies in these highly seasonal environments. Values for maximum net carbon assimilation rates (photosynthesis) ranged from 12 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 in a dry, open Acacia savanna (C3-plants) up to 40 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 for a tropical moist grassland. Maximum carbon assimilation rates were highly correlated with mean annual rainfall (R2=0.89). Maximum photosynthetic uptake rates were positively related to satellite-derived fAPAR. Ecosystem respiration was dependent on temperature at all sites, and was additionally dependent on soil water content at sites receiving less than 1000 mm of rain per year. All included ecosystems, except the Congolese grassland, showed a strong decrease in 30-min assimilation rates with increasing water vapour pressure deficit above 2.0 kPa.
Microzooplankton grazing and phytoplankton growth in marine mesocosms with increased CO2 levels
Authors: Suffrian K. , Simonelli P. , Nejstgaard J. C. , Putzeys S. , Carotenuto Y. , Antia A. N.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Microzooplankton grazing and algae growth responses to increasing pCO2 levels (350, 700 and 1050 μatm) were investigated in nitrate and phosphate fertilized mesocosms during the PeECE III experiment 2005. Grazing and growth rates were estimated by the dilution technique combined with taxon specific HPLC pigment analysis. Phytoplankton and microzooplankton composition were determined by light microscopy. Despite a range up to 3 times the present CO2 levels, there were no clear differences in any measured parameter between the different CO2 treatments. Thus, during the first 9 days of the experiment the algae community standing stock (SS), measured as chlorophyll a (Chl a), showed the highest instantaneous grow rates (0.02–0.99 d-1) and increased from ca 2–3 to 6–12 μg l−1, in all mesocosms. Afterwards the phytoplankton SS decreased in all mesocosms until the end of the experiment. The microzooplankton SS, that was mainly dinoflagellates and ciliates varied between 23 and 130 μg C l−1, peaking on day 13–15, apparently responding to the phytoplankton development. Instantaneous Chl a growth rates were generally higher than the grazing rates, indicating only a limited overall effect of microzooplankton grazing on the most dominant phytoplankton. Diatoms and prymnesiophytes were significantly grazed (14–43% of the SS d-1) only in the pre-bloom phase when they were in low numbers and in the post-bloom phase when they were already limited by low nutrients and/or virus lysis. The cyanobacteria populations appeared more effected by microzooplankton grazing, generally removing 20–65% of the SS d−1.
Coccolithophore response to climate and surface hydrography in Santa Barbara Basin, California, AD 1917–2004
Authors: Grelaud M. , Schimmelmann A. , Beaufort L.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The varved sedimentary AD 1917–2004 record from the depositional center of the Santa Barbara Basin (SBB, California) was analyzed with monthly to annual resolution to yield relative abundances of six coccolithophore species representing at least 96% of the coccolithophore assemblage. Seasonal/annual relative abundances respond to climatic and surface hydrographic conditions in the SBB, whereby (i) the three species G. oceanica, H. carteri and F. profunda are characteristic of the strength of the northward flowing warm California Counter Current, (ii) the two species G. ericsonii and G. muellerae are associated with the cold equatorward flowing California Current, (iii) and E. huxleyi appears to be endemic to the SBB. Spectral analyses on relative abundances of these species show that all are influenced by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and/or by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Increased relative abundances of G. oceanica and H. carteri are associated with warm ENSO events, G. muellerae responds to warm PDO events, and the abundance of G. ericsonii increases during cold PDO events. Morphometric parameters measured on E. huxleyi, G. muellerae and G. oceanica indicate increasing coccolithophore calcification from ~1917 until 2004 concomitant with rising pCO2 and sea surface temperature in the region of the SBB.
Simulating carbon exchange using a regional atmospheric model coupled to an advanced land-surface model
Authors: Ter Maat H. W. , Hutjes R. W. A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. A large scale mismatch exists between our understanding and quantification of ecosystem atmosphere exchange of carbon dioxide at local scale and continental scales. This paper will focus on the carbon exchange on the regional scale to address the following question: What are the main controlling factors determining atmospheric carbon dioxide content at a regional scale? We use the Regional Atmospheric Modelling System (RAMS), coupled with a land surface scheme simulating carbon, heat and momentum fluxes (SWAPS-C), and including also sub models for urban and marine fluxes, which in principle include the main controlling mechanisms and capture the relevant dynamics of the system. To validate the model, observations are used which were taken during an intensive observational campaign in the central Netherlands in summer 2002. These included flux-site observations, vertical profiles at tall towers and spatial fluxes of various variables taken by aircraft. The coupled regional model (RAMS-SWAPS-C) generally does a good job in simulating results close to reality. The validation of the model demonstrates that surface fluxes of heat, water and CO2 are reasonably well simulated. The comparison against aircraft data shows that the regional meteorology is captured by the model. Comparing spatially explicit simulated and observed fluxes we conclude that in general simulated latent heat fluxes are underestimated by the model to the observations which exhibit large standard deviation for all flights. Sensitivity experiments demonstrated the relevance of the urban emissions of carbon dioxide for the carbon balance in this particular region. The same test also show the relation between uncertainties in surface fluxes and those in atmospheric concentrations.
Interannual variability of pteropod shell weights in the high-CO2 Southern Ocean
Authors: Roberts D. , Howard W. R. , Moy A. D. , Roberts J. L. , Trull T. W. , Bray S. G. , Hopcroft R. R.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Anthropogenic inputs of CO2 are altering ocean chemistry and may alter the role of marine calcifiers in ocean ecosystems. CO2 emissions over the coming centuries may produce changes in ocean pH not seen for millions of years. Laboratory evidence has shown decreased calcification in some species of coccolithophores, foraminifera, corals and pteropods in response to CO2 enrichment. However, in situ observations of calcification in marine organisms are limited, especially for the aragonitic pteropods. This group of pelagic molluscs are likely to be more sensitive to changes in carbonate chemistry than calcite producers such as foraminifera and coccolithophores. Here we present observations of pteropod shell-weight and flux from 1997–2006 in sediment traps deployed at 47° S, 142° E at 2000 meters below sea surface in the Southern Ocean. A decadal trend of –1.17±0.47 μg yr−1 (P=0.02) in mean shell weight in the pteropod Limacina helicina antarctica forma antarctica suggests a small but detectable reduction in calcification. Gaps in the data make it difficult to state with certainty the significance of the trend. However, this data set represents the first attempt to estimate interannual variations in pteropod calcification and establish a benchmark against which future impacts of ocean acidification may be detected. Contributions of Limacina helicina antarctica morphotypes to the total pteropod flux were also reduced over the decade. We suggest these small though discernible trends are due to changing carbonate chemistry in the Subantarctic, as other oceanographic variables show no clear decadal trends. With CO2 continuing to enter the ocean such impacts on pteropods and other marine calcifiers could result in changes to the distribution of species and the structure of Southern Ocean ecosystems.
The effect of flooding on the exchange of the volatile C2-compounds ethanol, acetaldehyde and acetic acid between leaves of Amazonian floodplain tree species and the atmosphere
Authors: Rottenberger S. , Kleiss B. , Kuhn U. , Wolf A. , Piedade M. T. F. , Junk W. , Kesselmeier J.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The effect of root inundation on the leaf emissions of ethanol, acetaldehyde and acetic acid was investigated with 2–3 years old tree seedlings of four Amazonian floodplain species by applying dynamic cuvette systems under greenhouse conditions. Emissions were monitored over a period of several days of inundation using a combination of Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) and conventional techniques (HPLC, ion chromatography). Under non-flooded conditions, none of the species exhibited significant emissions of any of the compounds. A slight deposition of acetaldehyde and acetic acid was mainly observed, instead. Tree species specific variations in deposition velocities were largely due to variations in stomatal conductance. Flooding of the roots resulted in leaf emissions of ethanol and acetaldehyde by all species, while emissions of acetic acid occurred only by the species exhibiting the highest ethanol and acetaldehyde emission rates. All three compounds showed a similar diurnal emission profile, each displaying an emission burst in the morning, followed by a decline in the evening. This concurrent behavior supports the conclusion, that all three compounds emitted by the leaves are derived from ethanol produced in the roots by alcoholic fermentation, transported to the leaves with the transpiration stream and finally partly converted to acetaldehyde and acetic acid by enzymatic processes. Co-emissions and peaking in the early morning confirmed that root ethanol, after transportation with the transpiration stream to the leaves and enzymatic oxidation to acetaldehyde and acetate, is the metabolic precursor for all compounds emitted. Emission rates substantially varied among tree species, with maxima differing by up to two orders of magnitude (3–200 nmol m−2 min−1 for ethanol and 5–500 nmol m−2 min−1 for acetaldehyde). Acetic acid emissions reached 12 nmol m−2 min−1. The observed differences in emission rates between the tree species are discussed with respect to their root adaptive strategies to tolerate long term flooding, providing an indirect line of evidence that the root ethanol production is a major factor determining the foliar emissions. Species which develop morphological root structures allowing for enhanced root aeration produced less ethanol and showed much lower emissions compared to species which lack gas transporting systems, and respond to flooding with substantially enhanced fermentation rates. The pronounced differences in the relative emissions of ethanol to acetaldehyde and acetic acid between the tree species indicate that not only the ethanol production in the roots but also the metabolic conversion in the leaf is an important factor determining the release of these compounds to the atmosphere.
Fluxes of microbes, organic aerosols, dust, and methanesulfonate onto Greenland and Antarctic ice
Authors: Price P. B. , Rohde R. A. , Bay R. C.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Using a spectrofluorimeter with 224-nm laser excitation to measure fluorescence intensity at 300-μm depth intervals, we report results of the first comparative study of concentrations of microbial cells (using the spectrum of protein-bound tryptophan (Trp) as a proxy) and of aerosols with an autofluorescence spectrum different from Trp as a function of depth in ice cores from west Antarctica (WAIS Divide and Siple Dome) and Greenland (GISP 2). The ratio of fluxes of microbial cells onto Antarctic Greenland ice is 0.23±0.11 and of non-Trp aerosols is 0.17±0.08, both of which are comparable to the ratio of fluxes of mineral dust at Antarctic and Greenland sites (0.09±0.06). In contrast, the ratio of fluxes of methanesulfonate (MSA) onto Antarctic relative to Greenland sites is 1.86±0.4, a factor 20 higher. The lower fluxes of microbes, non-Trp aerosols, and dust onto Antarctic ice may be due to the smaller areas of their source regions, together with less favorable wind patterns for Antarctic ice than Greenland ice. We attribute the higher fluxes of MSA in Antarctic ice to the concentration of haptophytes, a phylum of marine algae, in the far more extensive sea ice margin around Antarctica than around Greenland. The similarity of flux ratios of microbes and non-Trp aerosols to dust flux ratios suggests that their source regions overlap with dust sources rather than with MSA sources. A new version of the spectrofluorimeter with additional channels for mapping chlorophyll and volcanic tephra will be used to map WAIS Divide ice at 1 mm intervals to bedrock.
Optics and remote sensing of Bahamian carbonate sediment whitings and potential relationship to wind-driven Langmuir circulation
Authors: Dierssen H. M. , Zimmerman R. C. , Burdige D. J.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Regions of milky white seas or "whitings" periodically occur to the west of Andros Island along the Great Bahama Bank where the bottom sediment consists of fine-grained aragonite mud. We present comprehensive measurements of inherent optical properties within a whiting patch and discuss the potential for monitoring the frequency, extent, and quantity of suspended matter from ocean colour satellite imagery. Sea spectral reflectance measured in situ and remotely from space revealed highly reflective waters elevated across the visible spectrum (i.e., "whitened") with a peak at 490 nm. Particulate backscattering was an order of magnitude higher than that measured at other stations throughout the region. The whiting also had one of the highest backscattering ratios measured in natural waters (0.05–0.06) consistent with water dominated by aragonite particles with a high index of refraction. Regular periodicity of 40 and 212 s evident in the light attenuation coefficient over the sampling period indicated patches of fluctuating turbidity on spatial scales that could be produced from regular rows of Langmuir cells penetrating the 5-m water column. We suggest that previously described mechanisms for sediment resuspension in whitings, such as tidal bursting and fish activity, are not fully consistent with these data and propose that wind-driven Langmuir cells reaching the full-depth of the water column may represent a plausible mechanism for sediment resuspension and subsequent whiting formation. Optics and remote sensing provide important tools for quantifying the linkages between physical and biogeochemical processes in these dynamic shallow water ecosystems.
Structure of the transport uncertainty in mesoscale inversions of CO2 sources and sinks using ensemble model simulations
Authors: Lauvaux T. , Pannekoucke O. , Sarrat C. , Chevallier F. , Ciais P. , Noilhan J. , Rayner P. J.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. We study the characteristics of a statistical ensemble of mesoscale simulations in order to estimate the model error in the simulation of CO2 concentrations. The ensemble consists of ten members and the reference simulation using the operationnal short range forecast PEARP, perturbed by Singular Vector (SV) technic. We then used this ensemble of simulations as the initial and boundary conditions for the meso scale model simulations, here the atmospheric transport model Méso-NH, transporting CO2 fluxes from the ISBA-A-gs land surface model. The final ensemble represents the model dependence to the boundary conditions, conserving the physical properties of the dynamical schemes. First, the variance of our ensemble is estimated over the domain, with associated spatial and temporal correlations. Second, we extract the signal from noisy horizontal correlations, due to the limited size ensemble, using diffusion equation modelling. Finally, we compute the diagonal and non-diagonal terms of the observation error covariance matrix and introduced it into our CO2 flux matrix inversion over 18 days of the 2005 intensive campaign CERES over the South West of France. On the horizontal plane, variance of the ensemble follows the discontinuities of the mesoscale structures during the day, but remain locally driven during the night. On the vertical, surface layer variance shows large correlations with the upper levels in the boundary layer (>0.6), down to 0.4 with the low free troposphere. Large temporal correlations were found during the afternoon (>0.5 for several hours), reduced during the night. Diffusion equation model extracted relevant error covariance signals on the horizontal space, and shows reduced correlations over mountain area and during the night over the continent. The posterior error reduction on the inverted CO2 fluxes accounting for the model error correlations illustrates finally the predominance of the temporal over the spatial correlations when using tower-based CO2 concentration observations.
The African contribution to the global climate-carbon cycle feedback of the 21st century
Authors: Friedlingstein P. , Cadule P. , Piao S. L. , Ciais P. , Sitch S.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Future climate change will have impact on global and regional terrestrial carbon balances. The fate of African tropical forests over the 21st century has been investigated through global coupled climate carbon cycle model simulations. Under the SRES-A2 socio-economic CO2 emission scenario of the IPCC, and using the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace coupled ocean-terrestrial carbon cycle and climate model, IPSL-CM4-LOOP, we found that the warming over African ecosystems induces a reduction of net ecosystem productivity, making a 20% contribution to the global climate-carbon cycle positive feedback. However, the African rainforest ecosystem alone makes only a negligible contribution to the overall feedback, much smaller than the one arising from the Amazon forest. This is first because of the two times smaller area of forest in Africa, but also because of the relatively lower local land carbon cycle sensitivity to climate change. This beneficial role of African forests in mitigating future climate change should be taken into account when designing forest conservation policy.
Quantifying methane emissions from rice fields in Tai-Lake region, China by coupling detailed soil database with biogeochemical model
Authors: Zhang L. , Yu D. , Shi X. , Zhao L. , Ding W. , Wang H. , Pan J. , Li C.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. China's paddy rice accounts for about 22% of the world's rice fields, therefore it is crucial to accurately estimate the CH4 emissions at regional scale to gauge their contribution to global greenhouse gas effect. This paper reports an application of a biogeochemical model, DeNitrification and DeComposition or DNDC, for quantifying CH4 emissions from rice fields in Tai-Lake region of China by linking DNDC to a 1:50 000 soil database, which was derived from 1107 paddy soil profiles in the Second National Soil Survey of China in the 1980s–1990s. The modeled results estimate that the 2.34 M ha of paddy rice fields in Tai-Lake region emitted about CH4 of 5.67 Tg C for the period of 1982–2000, with the average CH4 flux ranged from 114 to 138 kg C ha−1y−1. The highest emission rate (659.24 kg C ha−1 y−1) occurred in the subgroup of "gleyed paddy soils", while the lowest (90.72 kg C ha−1y−1) were associated with the subgroup "degleyed paddy soils". The subgroup "hydromorphic paddy soils" accounted for about 52.82% of the total area of paddy soils, the largest of areas of all the soil subgroups, with the CH4 flux rate of 106.47 kg C ha−1y−1. On a sub-regional basis, the annual average CH4 flux in the Tai-Lake plain soil region and alluvial plain soil region was higher than that in low mountainous and hilly soil region and polder soil region. The model simulation was conducted with two databases using polygon or county as the basic unit. The county-based database contained soil information coarser than the polygon system built based on the 1:50 000 soil database. The modeled results with the two databases found similar spatial patterns CH4 emissions in Tai-Lake region. However, discrepancies exist between the results from the two methods, the relative deviation is −42.10% for the entire region, and the relative deviation ranged from −19.53% to 97.30% for most counties, which indicates that the more precise soil database was necessary to better simulate CH4 emissions from rice fields in Tai-Lake region using the DNDC model.
Dynamics of microphytoplankton abundance and diversity in NW Mediterranean Sea during late summer condition (DYNAPROC 2 cruise; September–October 2004)
Authors: Lasternas S. , Tunin-Ley A. , Ibañez F. , Andersen V. , Pizay M.-D. , Lemée R.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Changes in marine phytoplankton communities over short-time scales have rarely been examined. We sampled nearly daily, and determined taxonomic composition and abundance of the main microplanktonic groups from both net and bottle sampling during the DYNAPROC 2 cruise (September–October 2004), in the NW Mediterranean Sea. Hydrological conditions were characterised by the existence of a highly-stratified water column and nutrient-depleted conditions. In this almost steady state situation, we found a decrease in regularity, which we attribute to competitive exclusion, leading to the dominance of species with the best fitness. While overall diversity appeared to be quite invariant, important variations occured among specific taxonomic groups. For example, within the genus Ceratium, the dominance index tended to increase throughout the study from 44% to a maximum of 73% at the end of the cruise. We also discuss the value of taxonomic studies, especially in the context of global change, as able to provide valuable information on biogeochemically-important groups of species, as well as those indicative of water masses or warming, and trophic aspects of the community that are ignored or largely underestimated with other kind of phytoplankton studies, such as pigment analysis.
Short-scale temporal variability of physical, biological and biogeochemical processes in the NW Mediterranean Sea: an introduction
Authors: Andersen V. , Goutx M. , Prieur L. , Dolan J. R.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. In the framework of the PROOF-PECHE project (www.obs-vlfr.fr/proof/vt/op/ec/peche/pec.htm) a multi-disciplinary team performed experiments and collected samples during the DYNAPROC2 cruise aboard the RV Thalassa from September to October in 2004. The cruise provided data on the functioning of the pelagic food web by sampling over a month long period in the NW Mediterranean Sea at a fixed station subject to weak horizontal advection currents during a period of hydrological stability. This paper describes the background of the cruise and provides an overview of the results derived from the campaign which constitute the special section. The major objective of the cruise was to assess the relative importance and variability of the pathways of carbon in the open ocean. Intensive sampling through 4 periods of 5 days each was accomplished a site near the DYFAMED time-series site. The site was near stable in terms of hydrodynamics as there was some evidence of an intrusion of low-salinity coastal water. One major product of the cruise was a comprehensive data set data set acquired by sampling at high frequencies (ranging from every 3, 6, 12 and/or 24 h) and over a vertical spatial dimension so far never explored (0–1000 m) in the North Western Mediterranean Sea. Parameters investigated included the biochemical composition of DOM (lipids), and the structure of bacterial communities, phytoplankton and zooplankton community compositions and abundances, as well as zooplankton metabolism, and particulate organic carbon fluxes. Nearly all the parameters described in this section, as well as reports appearing elsewhere, showed time-course variabilities of similar magnitude to those known from a previous study of the spring-summer seasonal transition, a period of marked hydrological change, at the same study site.