bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increase in water column denitrification during the deglaciation controlled by oxygen demand in the eastern equatorial Pacific
Authors: Martinez P. , Robinson R. S.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Here we present organic export production and isotopic nitrogen results over the last 30 000 years from one core localized off Costa Rica (ODP Site 1242) on the leading edge of the oxygen minimum zone of the Eastern Tropical North Pacific. Marine export production reveals glacial-interglacial variations with low organic matter (total organic carbon and total nitrogen) contents during warm intervals, twice more during cold episodes and double peaked maximum during the deglaciation, between ~15.5–18.5 and 11–13 ka BP. When this new export production record is compared with four nearby cores localized within the Eastern Pacific along the Equatorial divergence, a good agreement between all the cores is observed, with the major feature being a maximum of export during the early deglaciation. As for export production, water-column denitrification represented by sedimentary δ15N records along the Eastern tropical North and South Pacific between 15° N and 36° S is coherent as well over the last deglaciation period. The whole isotopic nitrogen profiles indicate that denitrification increased abruptly at 19 ka BP to a maximum during the early deglaciation, confirming a typical Antarctic timing. It is proposed that the increase in export production and then in subsurface oxygen demand lead to an intensification of water-column denitrification within the oxygen minimum zones in the easternmost Pacific at the time of the last deglaciation. The triggering mechanism would have been primarily linked to an increase in preformed nutrients contents feeding the Equatorial Undercurrent driven by the resumption of overturning in the Southern Ocean and the return of nutrients from the deep ocean to the sea-surface. An increase in equatorial wind-driven upwelling of sub-surface nutrient-rich waters could have played the role of an amplifier.
Large regional-scale variation in C3/C4 distribution pattern of Inner Mongolia steppe is revealed by grazer wool carbon isotope composition
Authors: Auerswald K. , Wittmer M. H. O. M. , Männel T. T. , Bai Y. F. , Schäufele R. , Schnyder H.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. This work explored the spatial variation of C3/C4 distribution in the Inner Mongolia, China, steppe by geostatistical analysis of carbon isotope data of vegetation and sheep wool. Standing community biomass (n=118) and sheep wool (n=146) were sampled in a ~0.2 Mio km2 area. Samples from ten consecutive years (1998–2007) were obtained. Community biomass samples represented the carbon isotopic composition of standing vegetation on about 1000 m2 ("community-scale"), whereas the spatio-temporal scale of wool reflected the isotope composition of the entire area grazed by the herd during a 1-yr period (~5–10 km2, "farm-scale"). Pair wise sampling of wool and vegetation revealed a 13C-enrichment of 2.7‰ in wool relative to vegetation, but this shift exhibited no apparent relationships with environmental parameters or stocking rate. The proportion of C4 plants in above-ground biomass (PC4, %) was estimated with a two-member mixing model of C3 and C4 13C discrimination (13Δ3 and 13Δ4, respectively), in accounting for the effects of changing 13C in atmospheric CO2 on sample isotope composition, and of altitude and aridity on 13Δ3. PC4 averaged 19%, but the variation was enormous: full-scale (0% to 100%) at community-scale, and 0% to 85% at farm-scale. The farm-scale variation of PC4 exhibited a clear regional pattern over a range of ~250 km. Importantly PC4 was significantly higher above and lower below the 22°C isotherm of the warmest month, which was averaged from high-resolution maps of the sample years. This is consistent with predictions from C3/C4 crossover temperature of quantum yield in C3 and C4 plants. Still, temperature gradients accounted for only 10% of the farm-scale variation of PC4, indicating that additional factors control PC4 on this scale.
Annual carbon gas budget for a subarctic peatland, northern Sweden
Authors: Bäckstrand K. , Crill P. M. , Jackowicz-Korczyñski M. , Mastepanov M. , Christensen T. R. , Bastviken D.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Temperatures in the Arctic regions are rising, thawing permafrost and exposing previously stabile soil organic carbon (OC) to decomposition. This can result in that northern latitude soils which have accumulated large amounts of OC potentially shift from atmospheric C sinks to C sources with positive feedback on climate warming. In this paper, we estimate the annual net C gas balance (NCB) of the subarctic mire Stordalen, based on automatic chamber measurements of CO2 and total hydrocarbon (THC; CH4 and NMVOCs) exchange. We studied the dominant vegetation communities with different moisture and permafrost characteristics; a dry Palsa underlain by permafrost, an intermediate thaw site with Sphagnum spp. and a wet site with Eriophorum spp. where the soil thaws completely. Whole year accumulated fluxes of 2 were estimated to 30, −35 and −35 g C m−2, respectively for the Palsa, Sphagnum and Eriophorum sites (positive flux indicates an addition of C to the atmospheric pool). The corresponding annual THC emissions were 0.52, 6.2 and 32 g C m−2 for the same sites. Therefore, the NCB for each of the sites were 30, −29 and −3.1 g C m−2, respectively for the Palsa, Sphagnum and Eriophorum site. On average, the whole mire was a sink of CO2 (−2.6 g C m−2) and a source of THC (6.4 g C m−2) over a year. Consequently, the mire was a net source of C to the atmosphere (3.9 g C m−2). Snow season efflux of CO2 and THC emphasize the importance of winter measurements for complete annual C budgets. Decadal vegetation changes at Stordalen indicate that both the productivity and the THC emissions increased between 1970 and 2000. Considering the GWP100 of CH4, the net radiative forcing on climate increased 21% over the same time. Conclusively, reduced C compounds in these environments have high importance for both the annual C balance and climate.
A method to detect soil carbon degradation during soil erosion
Authors: Alewell C. , Schaub M. , Conen F.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Soil erosion has been discussed intensively but controversial both as a significant source or a significant sink of atmospheric carbon possibly explaining the gap in the global carbon budget. One of the major points of discussion has been whether or not carbon is degraded and mineralized to CO2 during detachment, transport and deposition of soil material. By combining the caesium-137 (137Cs) approach (quantification of erosion rates) with stable carbon isotope signatures (process indicator of mixing versus degradation of carbon pools) we were able to show that degradation of carbon occurs during soil erosion processes at the investigated mountain grasslands in the central Swiss Alps (Urseren Valley, Canton Uri). Transects from upland (erosion source) to wetland soils (erosion sinks) of sites affected by sheet and land slide erosion were sampled. Analysis of 137Cs yielded an input of 2 and 2.6 t ha−1 yr−1 of soil material into the wetlands sites. Assuming no degradation of soil organic carbon during detachment and transport, carbon isotope signature of soil organic carbon in the wetlands could only be explained with an assumed 800 and 400 years of erosion input into the wetlands. The latter is highly unlikely with alpine peat growth rates indicating that the upper horizons might have an age between 7 and 200 years. While we do not conclude from our data that eroded soil organic carbon is generally degraded during detachment and transport, we propose this method to gain more information on process dynamics during soil erosion from oxic upland to anoxic wetland soils, sediments or water bodies.
Distribution, origin and cycling of carbon in the Tana River (Kenya): a dry season basin-scale survey from headwaters to the delta
Authors: Bouillon S. , Abril G. , Borges A. V. , Dehairs F. , Govers G. , Hughes H. , Merckx R. , Meysman F. J. R. , Nyunja J. , Osburn C. , Middelburg J. J.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The Tana River basin (TRB) is the largest in Kenya (~120 000 km2). We conducted a survey during the dry season throughout the TRB, analyzing a broad suite of biogeochemical parameters. Biogeochemical signatures in headwater streams were highly variable, but some organic carbon (OC) characteristics (δ13CPOC, DOC/POC ratios and %POC/TSM) were clearly correlated to surface soil characteristics. Along the middle and lower river course, total suspended matter (TSM) concentrations increased more than 30-fold despite the absence of tributary inputs, indicating important resuspension events of internally stored sediment. These resuspended sediment inputs were characterized by a lower and 14C-depleted OC content, suggesting selective degradation of more recent material during sediment retention. Masinga Dam (a large reservoir on the upper river) induced a strong nutrient retention (~50% for inorganic N, ~72% for inorganic phosphate, and ~40% for dissolved silicate). Moreover, while DOC pools and δ13C signatures were similar above, in and below the reservoir, the POC pool in Masinga surface waters was dominated by 13C-depleted phytoplankton, which contributed to the riverine POC pool immediately below the dam, but rapidly disappeared further downstream, suggesting rapid remineralization of this labile C pool in the river system. Despite the generally high turbidity, the combination of relatively high oxygen saturation levels, low δ18O signatures of dissolved O2 (all <+24.2‰), and the relatively low pCO2 values suggest that in-stream primary production was significant, even though pigment data suggest that phytoplankton makes only a minor contribution to the total POC pool in the Tana River.
An integrated model of soil-canopy spectral radiance observations, photosynthesis, fluorescence, temperature and energy balance
Authors: van der Tol C. , Verhoef W. , Timmermans J. , Verhoef A. , Su Z.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. This paper presents the model SCOPE (Soil Canopy Observation, Photochemistry and Energy fluxes), which is a vertical (1-D) integrated radiative transfer and energy balance model. It calculates the radiation and the energy balance of a vegetated land surface at the level of single leaves as well as at canopy level, and the spectrum of the outgoing radiation in the viewing direction, at a high spectral resolution over the range from 0.4 to 50 μm, thus including the visible, near and shortwave infrared, as well as the thermal domain. A special routine is dedicated to the calculation of chlorophyll fluorescence. The calculation of radiative transfer and the energy balance is fully integrated, allowing for feedback between surface temperatures, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence and radiative fluxes. Model simulations were evaluated against observations reported in the literature. The model may serve as a theoretical ground truth to derive relationships between observed spectra and physical processes at the land surface.
The role of airborne volcanic ash for the surface ocean biogeochemical iron-cycle: a review
Authors: Duggen S. , Olgun N. , Croot P. , Hoffmann L. , Dietze H. , Teschner C.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Iron is a key micronutrient for phytoplankton growth in the surface ocean. Yet the significance of volcanism for the marine biogeochemical iron-cycle is poorly constrained. Recent studies, however, suggest that offshore deposition of airborne ash from volcanic eruptions is a way to inject significant amounts of bio-available iron into the surface ocean. Volcanic ash may be transported up to several tens of kilometres high into the atmosphere during large-scale eruptions and fine ash may encircle the globe for years, thereby reaching even the remotest and most iron-starved oceanic areas. Scientific ocean drilling demonstrates that volcanic ash layers and dispersed ash particles are frequently found in marine sediments and that therefore volcanic ash deposition and iron-injection into the oceans took place throughout much of the Earth's history. The data from geochemical and biological experiments, natural evidence and satellite techniques now available suggest that volcanic ash is a so far underestimated source for iron in the surface ocean, possibly of similar importance as aeolian dust. Here we summarise the development of and the knowledge in this fairly young research field. The paper covers a wide range of chemical and biological issues and we make recommendations for future directions in these areas. The review paper may thus be helpful to improve our understanding of the role of volcanic ash for the marine biogeochemical iron-cycle, marine primary productivity and the ocean-atmosphere exchange of CO2 and other gases relevant for climate throughout the Earth's history.
Soil organic carbon dynamics under long-term fertilizations in arable land of northern China
Authors: Zhang W. J. , Wang X. J. , Xu M. G. , Huang S. M. , Liu H. , Peng C.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Soil organic carbon (SOC) data were collected from six long-term experiment sites in the upland of northern China. Various fertilization (e.g. inorganic fertilizations and combined inorganic-manure applications) and cropping (e.g. mono- and double-cropping) practices have been applied at these sites. Our analyses indicate that long-term applications of inorganic nitrogen-phosphorus (NP) and nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) result in a significant increase in SOC at the sites with the double-cropping systems. The applications of inorganic NP and/or NPK combined with manure lead to a significantly increasing trend in SOC content at all the sites. However, the application of NPK with crop residue incorporation can only increase SOC content in the warm-temperate areas with the double-cropping systems. Regression analyses suggest that soil carbon sequestration responds linearly to carbon input at all the sites. Conversion rates of carbon input to SOC decrease significantly with an increase of annual accumulative temperature or precipitation, showing lower rates (6.8%–7.7%) in the warm-temperate areas than in the mid-temperate areas (15.8%–31.0%).
Iron biogeochemistry across marine systems at changing times – conclusions from the workshop held in Gothenburg, Sweden (14–16 May 2008)
Authors: Breitbarth E. , Achterberg E. P. , Ardelan M. V. , Baker A. R. , Bucciarelli E. , Chever F. , Croot P. L. , Duggen S. , Gledhill M. , Hassellöv M. , Hassler C. , Hoffmann L. J. , Hunter K. A. , Hutchins D. A. , Ingri J. , Jickells T. , Lohan M. C. , Nielsdóttir M. C. , Sarthou G. , Schoemann V. , Trapp J. M. , Turner D. R. , Ye Y.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Based on an international workshop (Gothenburg, 14–16 May 2008), this review article aims to combine interdisciplinary knowledge from coastal and open ocean research on iron biogeochemistry. The major scientific findings of the past decade are structured into sections on natural and artificial iron fertilization, iron inputs into coastal and estuarine systems, colloidal iron and organic matter, and biological processes. Potential effects of global climate change, particularly ocean acidification, on iron biogeochemistry are discussed. The findings are synthesized into recommendations for future research areas.
Autumn warming and carbon balance of a boreal Scots pine forest in Southern Finland
Authors: Vesala T. , Launiainen S. , Kolari P. , Pumpanen J. , Sevanto S. , Hari P. , Nikinmaa E. , Kaski P. , Mannila H. , Ukkonen E. , Piao S. , Ciais P.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. We analyzed the dynamics of carbon balance components: gross primary production (GPP) and total ecosystem respiration (TER), of a boreal Scots pine forest in Southern Finland. Our aim was to study how these dynamics are related to different environmental conditions and how they affect the inter-annual variation in the carbon balance in autumn (September–December). We used standard micrometeorological data and CO2 exchange measurements collected by the eddy covariance (EC) technique over 11 years. The intra-annual relationships between the carbon balance components and the environmental factors were studied by the correlation analysis. Two models, a stand photosynthesis model and a generic dynamic vegetation model (ORCHIDEE), were also applied in the analysis. EC data revealed that increasing autumn temperature significantly enhances TER: the temperature sensitivity was 9.5 gC m−2 °C−1 for the period September–October (early autumn when high radiation levels still occur) and 3.8 gC m−2 °C−1 for November–December (late autumn with suppressed radiation level). The cumulative GPP was practically independent of the temperature in early autumn. In late autumn, air temperature could explain part of the variation in GPP but the temperature sensitivity was very weak, less than 1 g C m−2 °C−1. The stand photosynthesis model predicted that under a predescribed 3–6°C temperature increase, the temperature sensitivity of 4–5 gC m−2 °C−1 in GPP may appear in early autumn. The TER and GPP sensitivities, produced by the ORCHIDEE model, were similar to observed ones when the site level ½ h time step was applied, but the results calculated by using daily meteorological forcing, interpolated to ½ h time step, were biased stemming from the nonlinear relationship between the processes and the environmental factors.
Physiological controls on seawater uptake and calcification in the benthic foraminifer Ammonia tepida
Authors: de Nooijer L. J. , Langer G. , Nehrke G. , Bijma J.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. During the last decades conceptual models describing the calcification pathway of foraminifera and its physiological controls have been developed. These models are derived by combining data of tracer experiments and microscopic observations obtained from different species. Although vital for understanding their calcitic isotopic and trace elemental composition, direct observational evidence on e.g. seawater vacuolization and intracellular Ca-cycling is lacking for most species. To analyse the relation between seawater uptake and calcification, we incubated juveniles of the cosmopolitan benthic, intertidal foraminifer Ammonia tepida with various fluorescent probes. Visualizing the membranes of endocytosed vesicles was achieved by incubating specimens with the dye FM1-43, while Ca ions in the calcification vesicles were detected by the Ca2+-indicator Fluo3-AM. Uptake of fluorescent latex-beads (0.5 μm diameter) and subsequent transport to the site of chamber formation provided additional evidence that endocytosis is related to the calcification pathway and not merely involved in membrane cycling. Our results show for the first time that endocytosis of seawater is part of the calcification process in Ammonia tepida. Data on the intracellular calcium ion-cycling allowed for calculating a preliminary cellular Ca-budget during foraminiferal calcification.
SURFATM-NH3: a model combining the surface energy balance and bi-directional exchanges of ammonia applied at the field scale
Authors: Personne E. , Loubet B. , Herrmann B. , Mattsson M. , Schjoerring J. K. , Nemitz E. , Sutton M. A. , Cellier P.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. A new biophysical model SURFATM-NH3, simulating the ammonia (NH3) exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere is presented. SURFATM-NH3 consists of two coupled models: (i) an energy budget model and (ii) a pollutant exchange model, which distinguish the soil and plant exchange processes. The model describes the exchanges in terms of adsorption to leaf cuticles and bi-directional transport through leaf stomata and soil. The results of the model are compared with the flux measurements over grassland during the GRAMINAE Integrated Experiment at Braunschweig, Germany. The dataset of GRAMINAE allows the model to be tested in various climatic and agronomic conditions: prior to cutting, after cutting and then after the application of mineral fertilizer. The whole comparison shows close agreement between model and measurements for energy budget and ammonia fluxes. The major controls on the soil and plant emission potential are the physicochemical parameters for liquid-gas exchanges which are integrated in the compensation points for live leaves, litter and the soil surface. Modelled fluxes are highly sensitive to soil and plant surface temperatures, highlighting the importance of accurate estimates of these terms. The model suggests that the net flux depends not only on the foliar (stomatal) compensation point but also that of leaf litter. SURFATM-NH3 represents a comprehensive approach to studying pollutant exchanges and its link with plant and soil functioning. It also provides a simplified generalised approach (SVAT model) applicable for atmospheric transport models.
Effects of an iron-light co-limitation on the elemental composition (Si, C, N) of the marine diatoms Thalassiosira oceanica and Ditylum brightwellii
Authors: Bucciarelli E. , Pondaven P. , Sarthou G.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. We examined the effect of iron (Fe) and Fe-light (Fe-L) co-limitation on cellular silica (BSi), carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in two marine diatom species, Thalassiosira oceanica and Ditylum brightwellii. We showed that C and N per cell tend to decrease with increasing Fe and Fe-L co-limitation (i.e. decreasing growth rate). We observed an increase (T. oceanica, Fe-L co-limitation), no change (T. oceanica, Fe limitation) and a decrease (D. brightwellii, Fe and Fe-L limitations) in BSi per cell with increasing degree of limitation. When comparing our results to literature data, we noted that the trend in C and N per cell for other Fe limited diatoms was similar to ours. However there was no global trend in BSi, which suggests interspecific differences. The relative variations in C:N, Si:C and Si:N versus the relative variation in specific growth rate (i.e. μ:μmax) followed the same patterns for both species under Fe and Fe-L co-limitation. The variations of C:N under Fe limitation reported in the literature for other diatoms are contrasted, which may thus be more related to growth conditions than to interspecific differences. Si:C and Si:N ratios increased by more than 2-fold between 100% and 40% of μmax. Under more severe limitation (Fe or Fe-L), these ratios tend to decrease. To asses the field significance of our results, we compared them to those of artificial Fe fertilisation experiments. This comparison showed that Si:N increased between 100% and ~40% of μmax, but decreased between 40% and 20% of μmax, and increased again below 20% of μmax. Between ~15% and 30% of μmax, Si:N was even lower than under non limiting conditions. These results may have important biogeochemical implications on the understanding and the modeling of the oceanic biogeochemical cycles, e.g. carbon export.
Estimating the storage of anthropogenic carbon in the subtropical Indian Ocean: a comparison of five different approaches
Authors: Álvarez M. , Lo Monaco C. , Tanhua T. , Yool A. , Oschlies A. , Bullister J. L. , Goyet C. , Metzl N. , Touratier F. , McDonagh E. , Bryden H. L.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The subtropical Indian Ocean along 32° S was for the first time simultaneously sampled in 2002 for inorganic carbon and transient tracers. The vertical distribution and inventory of anthropogenic carbon (CANT) from five different methods: four data-base methods (ΔC*, TrOCA, TTD and C0IPSL and a simulation from the OCCAM model are compared and discussed along with the observed CFC-12 and CCl4 distributions. In the surface layer, where carbon-based methods are uncertain, TTD and OCCAM yield the same result (7±0.2 mol C m−2), helping to specify the surface CANT inventory. Below the mixed-layer, the comparison suggests that CANT penetrates deeper and more uniformly into the Antarctic Intermediate Water layer limit than estimated from the ΔC* method. Additionally, significant CFC-12 and CCl4 values are detected in bottom waters, associated with Antarctic Bottom Water. In this layer, except for ΔC* and OCCAM, the other methods detect significant CANT values. Consequently, the lowest inventory is calculated using the ΔC* method (24±2 mol C m−2) or OCCAM (24.4±2.8 mol C m−2) while TrOCA, TTD, and C0IPSL lead to higher inventories (28.1±2.2, 28.9±2.3 and 30.8±2.5 mol C m−2, respectively). Overall and despite the uncertainties each method is evaluated using its relationship with tracers and the knowledge about water masses in the subtropical Indian Ocean. Along 32° S our best estimate for the mean CANT specific inventory is 28±2 mol C m−2. Comparison exercises for data-based CANT methods along with time-series or repeat sections analysis should help to identify strengths and caveats in the CANT methods and to better constrain model simulations.
Interpretation of benthic foraminiferal stable isotopes in subtidal estuarine environments
Authors: Diz P. , Jorissen F. J. , Reichart G. J. , Poulain C. , Dehairs F. , Leorri E. , Paulet Y.-M.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Here we present a novel approach for the interpretation of stable isotope signatures recorded in benthic foraminifera from subtidal estuarine environments. The stable isotopic composition (δ18O and δ13C) of living Ammonia tepida and Haynesina germanica is examined in four stations in the Auray River estuary (Gulf of Morbihan, France) sampled in two contrasting seasons, spring 2006 and winter 2007. Comparing benthic foraminiferal δ18O measurements with theoretical oxygen isotopic equilibrium values, calculated on the basis of water temperature and salinity measurements in the upper and lower estuary, i.e., T−S−δ18Oeq. diagrams, strongly suggests that foraminiferal faunas sampled at the four stations calcified during different periods of the year. This interpretation can be refined by using the benthic foraminiferal δ13C which is mainly determined by the mixing of sea and river water. In the upper estuary foraminifera mainly calcified in early spring and winter, whereas in the lower estuary calcification took mainly place in spring, summer and autumn. This new method provides insight into the complexity of estuarine benthic foraminiferal stable isotope records. In addition, it can also be used to obtain new information on preferred calcification periods of benthic foraminiferal taxa in different parts of the estuary.
Impact of cloudiness on net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide in different types of forest ecosystems in China
Authors: Zhang M. , Yu G.-R. , Zhang L.-M. , Sun X.-M. , Wen X.-F. , Han S.-J. , Yan J.-H.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Clouds can significantly affect carbon uptake of forest ecosystems by affecting incoming solar radiation on the ground, temperature and other environmental factors. In this study, we analyzed the effects of cloudiness on the net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide (NEE) of a temperate broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest at Changbaishan (CBS) and a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest at Dinghushan (DHS) of ChinaFLUX, based on the flux data obtained during June–August from 2003 to 2006. The results showed that the response of the NEE of forest ecosystem to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was different under clear sky and cloudy sky conditions, and this difference was not consistent between CBS and DHS. Compared with clear skies, light-saturated maximum photosynthetic rate (Pec,max) of CBS during mid-growing season (from June to August) was respectively enhanced by 34%, 25%, 4% and 11% on cloudy skies in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006; however, Pec,max of DHS was higher under clear skies than under cloudy skies from 2004 to 2006. NEE of forests at CBS reached its maximum when the clearness index (kt) was between 0.4 and 0.6, and the NEE decreased obviously when kt exceeded 0.6. Compare with CBS, although NEE of forest at DHS tended to the maximum when kt varied between 0.4 and 0.6, the NEE did not decrease noticeably when kt exceeded 0.6. The results indicated that cloudy sky conditions were more beneficial to carbon uptake for the temperate forest ecosystem rather than for the subtropical forest ecosystem. This is due to the fact that the non-saturating light conditions and increase of diffuse radiation were more beneficial to photosynthesis, and the reduced temperature was more conducive to decreasing the ecosystem respiration in temperate forest ecosystems under cloudy sky conditions. This phenomenon is important to evaluate carbon uptake of temperate forests under climate change conditions.
Effect of carbonate ion concentration and irradiance on calcification in foraminifera
Authors: Lombard F. , da Rocha R. E. , Bijma J. , Gattuso J.-P.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The effect of carbonate ion concentration ([CO32−]) on calcification rates estimated from shell size and weight was investigated in the planktonic foraminifera Orbulina universa and Globigerinoides sacculifer. Experiments on G. sacculifer were conducted under two irradiance levels (35 and 335 μmol photons m−2 s−1). Calcification was ca. 30% lower under low light than under high light, irrespective of the [CO32−]. Both O. universa and G. sacculifer exhibited reduced final shell weight and calcification rate under low [CO32−]. At the [CO32−] expected for the end of the century, the calcification rates of these two species are projected to be 6 to 13% lower than at present conditions, while the final shell weights are reduced by 20 to 27% for O. universa and by 4 to 6% for G. sacculifer. These results indicate that ocean acidification would impact calcite production by foraminifera and may decrease the calcite flux contribution from these organisms.
Modeling dissolved oxygen dynamics and coastal hypoxia: a review
Authors: Peña M. A. , Katsev S. , Oguz T. , Gilbert D.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Hypoxia occurs in marine ecosystems throughout the world, influences biogeochemical cycles of elements and may have severe impacts on marine life. Hypoxia results from complex interactions between physical and biogeochemical processes, which can not be addressed by observations alone. In this paper, we review oxygen dynamical models that have been applied in studies of factors controlling coastal hypoxia and in predictions of future states. We also identify scientific issues that need further development and point out some of the major challenges. Over recent decades, substantial progress has been made in the development of oxygen dynamical models. Considerable progress has been made towards the parameterization of biogeochemical processes in the water column and sediments, such as the dynamic representation of nitrification-denitrification. Recent advances in three-dimensional coupled physical-ecological-biogeochemical models allow better representation of physical-biological interactions. Several types of modelling approaches, from simple to complex, have significantly contributed to improve our understanding of hypoxia. We discuss the applications of these models to the study of the effects of oxygen depletion on biogeochemical cycles, links between nutrient enrichment and hypoxia development, impacts of hypoxia on marine ecosystems and predictions of climate change responses. However, for some processes models are still crude. For example, current representations of organic matter transformations and remineralization are incomplete, as they are mostly based on empirical parameterizations at few locations. For most of these processes, the availability of validation data has been a limiting factor in model development. Another gap is that, in virtually all nutrient load models, efforts have focused on nutrient utilization and organic matter degradation, whereas three-dimensional mixing and advection have been less well represented. Explicit inclusion of physical and biogeochemical processes in models will help us answer several important questions, such as those about the causes of the observed worldwide increase in hypoxic conditions, and future changes in the intensity and spread of coastal hypoxia. At the same time, recent quantitative model intercomparison studies suggest that the predictive ability of our models may be adversely affected by their increasing complexity, unless the models are properly constrained by observations.
Increased ocean carbon export in the Sargasso Sea is countered by its enhanced mesopelagic attenuation
Authors: Lomas M. W. , Steinberg D. K. , Dickey T. , Carlson C. A. , Nelson N. B. , Condon R. H. , Bates N. R.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Photosynthetic CO2 uptake by oceanic phytoplankton and subsequent export of particulate organic carbon (POC) to the ocean interior comprises a globally significant biological carbon pump, controlled in part by the composition of the planktonic community. The strength and efficiency of this pump depends upon the balance of particle production in the euphotic zone and remineralization of those particles in the mesopelagic (defined here as depths between 150 and 300 m), but how these processes respond to climate-driven changes in the physical environment is not completely understood. In the Sargasso Sea, from 1996–2007, we have observed a decade-long >50% increase in euphotic zone integrated autotrophic biomass (estimated from chlorophyll TChl-a from the surface ocean, prokaryotic phytoplankton, primary production and shallow (150 m) POC export coinciding with a shift in the mean phase of the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) from consistently positive to neutral but variable. During this same period mesopelagic POC flux attenuation has doubled such that carbon sequestration below 300 m, the maximum winter/spring ventilation depth, has not changed. The increased mesopelagic POC attenuation appears mediated by changes in plankton community composition and metabolic activity in both the euphotic and mesopelagic zones which are counter to extant hypotheses regarding inter-relationships between phytoplankton community composition, productivity and carbon export, and have significant impacts on how the Sargasso Sea ecosystem, at least, is modeled. Moreover, these time-series observations suggest that processes in the euphotic zone and mesopelagic are tightly coupled and should be considered together in future research.
Surface layer similarity in the nocturnal boundary layer: the application of Hilbert-Huang transform
Authors: Hong J. , Kim J. , Ishikawa H. , Ma Y.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Turbulence statistics such as flux-variance relationship is critical information in measuring and modeling carbon, water, energy, and momentum exchanges at the biosphere-atmosphere interface. Using a recently proposed mathematical technique, the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT), this study highlights its possibility to quantify impacts of non-turbulent flows on turbulence statistics in the stable surface layer. The HHT is suitable for the analysis of non-stationary and intermittent data and thus very useful for better understanding of the interplay of the surface layer similarity with complex nocturnal environment. Our analysis showed that the HHT can successfully sift non-turbulent components and be used as a tool to estimate the relationships between turbulence statistics and atmospheric stability in complex environment such as nocturnal stable boundary layer.
Carbon input control over soil organic matter dynamics in a temperate grassland exposed to elevated CO2 and warming
Authors: Carrillo Y. , Pendall E. , Dijkstra F. A. , Morgan J. A. , Newcomb J. M.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Elevated CO2 generally increases soil C pools. However, greater available C concentrations can potentially stimulate soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition. The effects of climate warming on C storage can also be positive or negative. There is a high degree of uncertainty on the combined effects of climate warming and atmospheric CO2 increase on SOM dynamics and its potential feedbacks to climate change. Semi-arid systems are predicted to show strong ecosystem responses to both factors. Global change factors can have contrasting effects for different SOM pools, thus, to understand the mechanisms underlying the combined effects of multiple factors on soil C storage, effects on individual C pools and their kinetics should be evaluated. We assessed SOM dynamics by conducting long-term laboratory incubations of soils from PHACE (Prairie Heating and CO2 Enrichment experiment), an elevated CO2 and warming field experiment in semi-arid, native northern mixed grass prairie, Wyoming, USA. We measured total C mineralization and estimated the size of the labile pool and the decomposition rates of the labile and resistant SOM pools. To examine the role of plant inputs on SOM dynamics we measured aboveground biomass, root biomass, and soil dissolved organic C (DOC). Greater aboveground productivity under elevated CO2 translated into enlarged pools of readily available C (measured as total mineralized C, labile C pool and DOC). The effects of warming on the labile C only occurred in the first year of warming suggesting a transient effect of the microbial response to increased temperature. Experimental climate change affected the intrinsic decomposability of both the labile and resistant C pools. Positive relationships of the rate of decomposition of the resistant C with aboveground and belowground biomass and dissolved organic C suggested that plant inputs mediated the response by enhancing the degradability of the resistant C. Our results contribute to a growing body of literature suggesting that priming is a ubiquitous phenomenon that should be included in C cycle models.
Heterotrophic denitrification vs. autotrophic anammox – quantifying collateral effects on the oceanic carbon cycle
Authors: Koeve W. , Kähler P.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The conversion of fixed nitrogen to N2 in suboxic waters is estimated to contribute roughly a third to total oceanic losses of fixed nitrogen and is hence understood to be of major importance to global oceanic production and, therefore, to the role of the ocean as a sink of atmospheric CO2. At present heterotrophic denitrification and autotrophic anammox are considered the dominant sinks of fixed nitrogen. Recently, it has been suggested that the trophic nature of pelagic N2-production may have additional, "collateral" effects on the carbon cycle, where heterotrophic denitrification provides a shallow source of CO2 and autotrophic anammox a shallow sink. Here, we analyse the stoichiometries of nitrogen and associated carbon conversions in marine oxygen minimum zones (OMZ) focusing on heterotrophic denitrification, autotrophic anammox, and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to nitrite and ammonium in order to test this hypothesis quantitatively. For open ocean OMZs the combined effects of these processes turn out to be clearly heterotrophic, even with high shares of the autotrophic anammox reaction in total N2-production and including various combinations of dissimilatory processes which provide the substrates to anammox. In such systems, the degree of heterotrophy (ΔCO2:ΔN2), varying between 1.7 and 6, is a function of the efficiency of nitrogen conversion. On the contrary, in systems like the Black Sea, where suboxic N-conversions are supported by diffusive fluxes of NH4+ originating from neighbouring waters with sulphate reduction, much lower values of ΔCO2:ΔN2 can be found. However, accounting for concomitant diffusive fluxes of CO2, ratios approach higher values similar to those computed for open ocean OMZs. Based on our analysis, we question the significance of collateral effects concerning the trophic nature of suboxic N-conversions on the marine carbon cycle.
Methane oxidation in permeable sediments at hydrocarbon seeps in the Santa Barbara Channel, California
Authors: Treude T. , Ziebis W.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. A shallow-water area in the Santa Barbara Channel (California), known collectively as the Coal Oil Point seep field, is one the largest natural submarine oil and gas emission areas in the world. Both gas and oil are seeping constantly through a predominantly sandy seabed into the ocean. This study focused on the methanotrophic activity within the surface sediments (0–15 cm) of the permeable seabed in the so-called Brian Seep area at a water depth ~10 m. Detailed investigations of biogeochemical parameters in the sediment surrounding active gas vents indicated that methane seepage through the permeable seabed induces a convective transport of fluids within the surface sediment layer, which results in a deeper penetration of oxidants (oxygen, sulfate) into the sediment, as well as in a faster removal of potentially inhibiting reduced end products (e.g. hydrogen sulfide). Methanotrophic activity was often found close to the sediment-water interface, indicating the involvement of aerobic bacteria. However, biogeochemical data suggests that the majority of methane is consumed by anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) coupled to sulfate reduction below the surface layer (>15 cm), where sulfate is still available in high concentrations. This subsurface maximum of AOM activity in permeable sands is in contrast to known deep-sea seep habitats, where upward fluid advection through more fine-grained sediments leads to an accumulation of AOM activity within the top 10 cm of the sediments, because sulfate is rapidly depleted.
Autotrophic and heterotrophic metabolism of microbial planktonic communities in an oligotrophic coastal marine ecosystem: seasonal dynamics and episodic events
Authors: Bonilla-Findji O. , Gattuso J.-P. , Pizay M.-D. , Weinbauer M. G.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. A 18 month study was performed in the Bay of Villefranche to assess the episodic and seasonal variation of autotrophic and heterotrophic ecosystem processes. A typical spring bloom was encountered, where maximum of gross primary production (GPP) was followed by maxima of bacterial respiration (BR) and production (BP). The trophic balance (heterotrophy vs. autotrophy) of the system did not exhibit any seasonal trend although a strong intra-annual variability was observed. On average, the community tended to be net heterotrophic with a GPP threshold for a balanced metabolism of 2.8 μmol O2 l−1 d−1. Extended forest fires in summer 2003 and a local episodic upwelling in July 2003 likely supplied orthophosphate and nitrate into the system. These events were associated with an enhanced bacterioplankton production (up to 2.4-fold), respiration (up to 4.5-fold) and growth efficiency (up to 2.9-fold) but had no effect on GPP. A Sahara dust wet deposition event in February 2004 stimulated bacterial abundance, production and growth efficiency but not GPP. Our study suggests that short-term disturbances such as wind-driven upwelling, forest fires and Sahara dust depositions can have a significant but previously not sufficiently considered influence on phytoplankton- and bacterioplankton-mediated ecosystem functions and can modify or even mask the seasonal dynamics. The study also indicates that atmospheric deposition of nutrients and particles not only impacts phytoplankton but also bacterioplankton and could, at times, also shift systems stronger towards net heterotrophy.
Investigating the effect of historical treatments on wheat yield over multiple spatial frequencies
Authors: Milne A. E. , Castellanos M. T. , Cartagena M. C. , Tarquis A. M. , Lark R. M.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. In this study we use the maximum overlap discrete packet transform (MODWPT) to investigate the impact of historical fertirrigation treatments and cropping on wheat yield. Our objective was to identify the spatial frequencies at which such effects can be detected. Here we consider wheat yield data harvested in consecutive 0.5 m × 0.5 m-sections along the transect. Prior to the wheat crop, a split plot design experiment had been done to investigate the effect of different fertirrigation treatments on melon yield. The wheat transect crossed 9 of the subplots from the melon crop experiment. Each subplot had received a different level of applied nitrogen. The melons were grown at a 1.5 m spacing and will have removed a proportion of the available nitrogen, leaving a soil nitrogen residual. We expect soil properties, such as available nitrogen, to be spatially variable as they result from spatially variable factors operating over multiple orders of spatial frequency. In this example we have good reason to believe this: the applied nitrogen changed from subplot to subplot constituting a low frequency factor, and we expected the removal of nitrogen by the melon crop to be a localized effect in the neighbourhood of the plant therefore constituting a higher frequency factor. We chose to use the MODWPT in this analysis as it is ideally suited to the elucidation of multifrequency processes that are not necessarily stationary in the variance. We show that the applied nitrogen dominates the wheat yield response, and that there is a noticeable contribution to wheat yield variation at the frequency that corresponds to the melon cropping. However the correlation analysis suggests that the relationship between wheat yield and melon positioning is not as straightforward as we might expect and that other influences affect wheat yield variation at this frequency.
Denitrification in sediments as a major nitrogen sink in the Baltic Sea: an extrapolation using sediment characteristics
Authors: Deutsch B. , Forster S. , Wilhelm M. , Dippner J. W. , Voss M.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Rates of denitrification in sediments were measured with the isotope pairing technique at different sites in the southern and central Baltic Sea. They varied between 0.5 μmol m−2 h−1 in sands and 28.7 μmol m−2 h−1 in muddy sediments and showed a good correlation to the organic carbon contents of the surface sediments. N-removal rates via sedimentary denitrification were estimated for the entire Baltic Sea calculating sediment specific denitrification rates and interpolating them to the whole Baltic Sea area. Another approach was carried out by using the relationship between the organic carbon content and the rate of denitrification. For the entire Baltic Sea the N-removal by denitrification in sediments varied between 426–652 kt N a−1, which is around 48–73% of the external N inputs delivered via rivers, coastal point sources and atmospheric deposition. Moreover, an expansion of the anoxic bottom areas was considered under the assumption of a rising oxycline from 100 to 80 m water depth. This leads to an increase of the area with anoxic conditions and an overall decrease in sedimentary denitrification by 14%. Overall we can show here that this type of data extrapolation is a powerful tool to estimate the nitrogen losses for a whole coastal sea and may be applicable to other coastal regions and enclosed seas, too.