bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and evaluation of a suite of isotope reference gases for methane in air
Authors: Sperlich P. , Uitslag N. A. M. , Richter J. M. , Rothe M. , Geilmann H. , van der Veen C. , Röckmann T. , Blunier T. , Brand W. A.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Measurements made by multiple analytical facilities can only be comparable if they are related to a unifying and traceable reference. However, reference materials that fulfil these fundamental requirements are unavailable for the analysis of isotope ratios in atmospheric methane, which led to misinterpretations of combined data sets in the past. We developed a method to produce a suite of standard gases that can be used to unify methane isotope ratio measurements of laboratories in the atmospheric monitoring community. We calibrated a suite of pure methane gases of different methanogenic origin against international referencing materials that define the VSMOW and VPDB isotope scales. The isotope ratios of our pure methane gases range between −320 and +40 ‰ for δ2H-CH4 and between −70 and −40 ‰ for δ13C-CH4, enveloping the isotope ratios of tropospheric methane (about −90 ‰ and −47 ‰ for δ2H-CH4 and δ13C-CH4, respectively). We estimate combined uncertainties for our δ2H and δ13C calibrations of <1.5 ‰ and <0.2 ‰, respectively. Aliquots of the calibrated pure methane gases have been diluted with methane-free air to atmospheric methane levels and filled into 5-L glass flasks. These synthetic gas mixtures comprise atmospheric oxygen/nitrogen ratios as well as appropriate argon, krypton and nitrous oxide mole fractions to prevent gas-specific measurement artefacts. The resulting synthetic atmospheric reference gases will be available to the atmospheric monitoring community. This will provide unifying isotope scale anchors for isotope ratio measurements of atmospheric methane so that data sets can be merged into a consistent global data frame.
A re-evaluated Canadian ozonesonde record: measurements of the vertical distribution of ozone over Canada from 1966 to 2013
Authors: Tarasick D. W. , Davies J. , Smit H. G. J. , Oltmans S. J.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. In Canada routine ozone soundings have been carried at Resolute Bay since 1966, making this record the longest in the world. Similar measurements started in the 1970s at three other sites, and the network was expanded in stages to 10 sites by 2003. This important record for understanding long-term changes in tropospheric and stratospheric ozone has been re-evaluated as part of the SPARC/IO3C/IGACO-O3/NDACC (SI2N) initiative. The Brewer–Mast sonde, used in the Canadian network until 1980, is different in construction from the electrochemical concentration cell (ECC) sonde, and the ECC sonde itself has also undergone a variety of minor design changes over the period 1980–2013. Corrections have been made for the estimated effects of these changes to produce a more homogeneous data set. The effect of the corrections is generally modest. However, the overall result is entirely positive: the comparison with co-located total ozone spectrometers is improved, in terms of both bias and standard deviation, and trends in the bias have been reduced or eliminated. An uncertainty analysis (including the additional uncertainty from the corrections, where appropriate) has also been conducted, and the altitude-dependent estimated uncertainty is included with each revised profile. The resulting time series show negative trends in the lower stratosphere of up to 5 % decade−1 for the period 1966–2013. Most of this decline occurred before 1997, and linear trends for the more recent period are generally not significant. The time series also show large variations from year to year. Some of these anomalies can be related to cold winters (in the Arctic stratosphere) or changes in the Brewer–Dobson circulation, which may thereby be influencing trends. In the troposphere, trends for the 48-year period are small and for the most part not significant. This suggests that ozone levels in the free troposphere over Canada have not changed significantly in nearly 50 years.
Real-time analysis of δ13C- and δD-CH4 in ambient air with laser spectroscopy: method development and first intercomparison results
Authors: Eyer S. , Tuzson B. , Popa M. E. , van der Veen C. , Röckmann T. , Rothe M. , Brand W. A. , Fisher R. , Lowry D. , Nisbet E. G. , Brennwald M. S. , Harris E. , Zellweger C. , Emmenegger L. , Fischer H. , Mohn J.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. In situ and simultaneous measurement of the three most abundant isotopologues of methane using mid-infrared laser absorption spectroscopy is demonstrated. A field-deployable, autonomous platform is realized by coupling a compact quantum cascade laser absorption spectrometer (QCLAS) to a preconcentration unit, called trace gas extractor (TREX). This unit enhances CH4 mole fractions by a factor of up to 500 above ambient levels and quantitatively separates interfering trace gases such as N2O and CO2. The analytical precision of the QCLAS isotope measurement on the preconcentrated (750 ppm, parts-per-million, µmole mole−1) methane is 0.1 and 0.5 ‰ for δ13C- and δD-CH4 at 10 min averaging time. Based on repeated measurements of compressed air during a 2-week intercomparison campaign, the repeatability of the TREX–QCLAS was determined to be 0.19 and 1.9 ‰ for δ13C and δD-CH4, respectively. In this intercomparison campaign the new in situ technique is compared to isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) based on glass flask and bag sampling and real time CH4 isotope analysis by two commercially available laser spectrometers. Both laser-based analyzers were limited to methane mole fraction and δ13C-CH4 analysis, and only one of them, a cavity ring down spectrometer, was capable to deliver meaningful data for the isotopic composition. After correcting for scale offsets, the average difference between TREX–QCLAS data and bag/flask sampling–IRMS values are within the extended WMO compatibility goals of 0.2 and 5 ‰ for δ13C- and δD-CH4, respectively. This also displays the potential to improve the interlaboratory compatibility based on the analysis of a reference air sample with accurately determined isotopic composition.
The development and evaluation of airborne in situ N2O and CH4 sampling using a quantum cascade laser absorption spectrometer (QCLAS)
Authors: Pitt J. R. , Le Breton M. , Allen G. , Percival C. J. , Gallagher M. W. , Bauguitte S. J.-B. , O'Shea S. J. , Muller J. B. A. , Zahniser M. S. , Pyle J. , Palmer P. I.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Spectroscopic measurements of atmospheric N2O and CH4 mole fractions were made on board the FAAM (Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements) large atmospheric research aircraft. We present details of the mid-infrared quantum cascade laser absorption spectrometer (QCLAS, Aerodyne Research Inc., USA) employed, including its configuration for airborne sampling, and evaluate its performance over 17 flights conducted during summer 2014. Two different methods of correcting for the influence of water vapour on the spectroscopic retrievals are compared and evaluated. A new in-flight calibration procedure to account for the observed sensitivity of the instrument to ambient pressure changes is described, and its impact on instrument performance is assessed. Test flight data linking this sensitivity to changes in cabin pressure are presented. Total 1σ uncertainties of 2.47 ppb for CH4 and 0.54 ppb for N2O are derived. We report a mean difference in 1 Hz CH4 mole fraction of 2.05 ppb (1σ =  5.85 ppb) between in-flight measurements made using the QCLAS and simultaneous measurements using a previously characterised Fast Greenhouse Gas Analyser (FGGA, Los Gatos Research, USA). Finally, a potential case study for the estimation of a regional N2O flux using a mass balance technique is identified, and the method for calculating such an estimate is outlined.
Modulation of surface meteorological parameters by extratropical planetary-scale Rossby waves
Authors: Niranjan Kumar K. , Phanikumar D. V. , Ouarda T. B. M. J. , Rajeevan M. , Naja M. , Shukla K. K.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. This study examines the link between upper-tropospheric planetary-scale Rossby waves and surface meteorological parameters based on the observations made in association with the Ganges Valley Aerosol Experiment (GVAX) campaign at an extratropical site at Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Nainital (29.45° N, 79.5° E) during November–December 2011. The spectral analysis of the tropospheric wind field from radiosonde measurements indicates a predominance power of around 8 days in the upper troposphere during the observational period. An analysis of the 200 hPa meridional wind (v200 hPa) anomalies from the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalysis shows distinct Rossby-wave-like structures over a high-altitude site in the central Himalayan region. Furthermore, the spectral analysis of global v200 hPa anomalies indicates the Rossby waves are characterized by zonal wave number 6. The amplification of the Rossby wave packets over the site leads to persistent subtropical jet stream (STJ) patterns, which further affects the surface weather conditions. The propagating Rossby waves in the upper troposphere along with the undulations in the STJ create convergence and divergence regions in the mid-troposphere. Therefore, the surface meteorological parameters such as the relative humidity, wind speeds, and temperature are synchronized with the phase of the propagating Rossby waves. Moreover, the present study finds important implications for medium-range forecasting through the upper-level Rossby waves over the study region.
Electron/positron measurements obtained with the Mars Science Laboratory Radiation Assessment Detector on the surface of Mars
Authors: Köhler J. , Wimmer-Schweingruber R. F. , Appel J. , Ehresmann B. , Zeitlin C. , Hassler D. M. , Reitz G. , Brinza D. E. , Böttcher S. , Böhm E. , Burmeister S. , Guo J. , Harri A.-M. , Kahanpää H. , Krauss J. , Lohf H. , Martin C. , Matthiä D. , Posner A. , Rafkin S.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD), on board the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity, measures the energetic charged and neutral particles and the radiation dose rate on the surface of Mars. Although charged and neutral particle spectra have been investigated in detail, the electron and positron spectra have not been investigated yet. The reason for that is that they are difficult to separate from each other and because of the technical challenges involved in extracting energy spectra from the raw data. We use GEANT4 to model the behavior of the RAD instrument for electron/positron measurements. We compare Planetocosmics predictions for different atmospheric pressures and different modulation parameters Φ with the obtained RAD electron/positron measurements. We find that the RAD electron/positron measurements agree well with the spectra predicted by Planetocosmics. Both RAD measurements and Planetocosmics simulation show a dependence of the electron/positron fluxes on both atmospheric pressure and solar modulation potential.
The geomagnetic cutoff rigidities at high latitudes for different solar wind and geomagnetic conditions
Authors: Chu W. , Qin G.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Studying the access of the cosmic rays (CRs) into the magnetosphere is important to understand the coupling between the magnetosphere and the solar wind. In this paper we numerically studied CRs' magnetospheric access with vertical geomagnetic cutoff rigidities using the method proposed by Smart and Shea (1999). By the study of CRs' vertical geomagnetic cutoff rigidities at high latitudes we obtain the CRs' window (CRW) whose boundary is determined when the vertical geomagnetic cutoff rigidities drop to a value lower than a threshold value. Furthermore, we studied the area of CRWs and found out they are sensitive to different parameters, such as the z component of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), the solar wind dynamic pressure, AE index, and Dst index. It was found that both the AE index and Dst index have a strong correlation with the area of CRWs during strong geomagnetic storms. However, during the medium storms, only AE index has a strong correlation with the area of CRWs, while Dst index has a much weaker correlation with the area of CRWs. This result on the CRW can be used for forecasting the variation of the cosmic rays during the geomagnetic storms.
Phototrophic pigment diversity and picophytoplankton in permafrost thaw lakes
Authors: Przytulska A. , Comte J. , Crevecoeur S. , Lovejoy C. , Laurion I. , Vincent W. F.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Permafrost thaw lakes (thermokarst lakes) are widely distributed across the northern landscape, and are known to be biogeochemically active sites that emit large amounts of carbon to the atmosphere as CH4 and CO2. However, the abundance and composition of the photosynthetic communities that fix CO2 have been little explored in this ecosystem type. In order to identify the major groups of phototrophic organisms and their controlling variables, we sampled 12 permafrost thaw lakes along a permafrost degradation gradient in northern Québec, Canada. Additional samples were taken from five rock-basin reference lakes in the region to determine if the thaw lakes differed in limnological properties and phototrophs. Phytoplankton community structure was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of their photoprotective and photosynthetic pigments, and autotrophic picoplankton concentrations were assessed by flow cytometry. One of the black-colored lakes located in a landscape of rapidly degrading palsas (permafrost mounds) was selected for high-throughput 18S rRNA sequencing to complement conclusions based on the pigment and cytometry analyses. The results showed that the limnological properties of the thaw lakes differed significantly from the reference lakes, and were more highly stratified. However, both waterbody types contained similarly diverse phytoplankton groups, with dominance of the pigment assemblages by fucoxanthin-containing taxa, as well as chlorophytes, cryptophytes and cyanobacteria. Chlorophyll a concentrations (Chl a) were correlated with total phosphorus (TP), and both were significantly higher in the thaw lakes (overall means of 3.3 µg Chl a L−1 and 34 µg TP L−1) relative to the reference lakes (2.0 µg Chl a L−1 and 8.2 µg TP L−1). Stepwise multiple regression of Chl a against the other algal pigments showed that it was largely a function of alloxanthin, fucoxanthin and Chl b (R2 =  0.85). The bottom waters of two of the thaw lakes also contained high concentrations of bacteriochlorophyll d, showing the presence of green photosynthetic sulphur bacteria. The molecular analyses indicated a relatively minor contribution of diatoms, while chrysophytes, dinoflagellates and chlorophytes were well represented; the heterotrophic eukaryote fraction was dominated by numerous ciliate taxa, and also included Heliozoa, Rhizaria, chytrids and flagellates. Autotrophic picoplankton occurred in biovolume concentrations up to 3.1  ×  105 µm3 picocyanobacteria  mL−1 and 1.9  × 106 µm3 picoeukaryotes mL−1, with large variations among lakes. Both groups of picophytoplankton were positively correlated with total phytoplankton abundance, as measured by Chl a; picocyanobacteria were inversely correlated with dissolved organic carbon, while picoeukaryotes were inversely correlated with conductivity. Despite their net heterotrophic character, subarctic thaw lakes are rich habitats for diverse phototrophic communities.
Concentration maxima of volatile organic iodine compounds in the bottom layer water and the cold, dense water over the Chukchi Sea in the western Arctic Ocean: a possibility of production related to the degradation of organic matter
Authors: Ooki A. , Kawasaki S. , Kuma K. , Nishino S. , Kikuchi T.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. We conducted a shipboard observation over the Chukchi Sea and the Canada Basin in the western Arctic Ocean in September and October 2012 to obtain vertical distributions of four volatile organic iodine compounds (VOIs) in seawater. The VOIs observed in this study were iodomethane (CH3I), iodoethane (C2H5I), diiodomethane (CH2I2), and chloroiodomethane (CH2ClI). Maximum concentrations of the four VOIs were found in the bottom layer water over the Chukchi Sea shelf, in which layer the maximum concentration of ammonium (NH4+) also occurred. A significant correlation was observed between C2H5I and NH4+ (correlation coefficient R = 0.93, P < 0.01, n = 64) and between CH3I and NH4+ (R= 0.77, P < 0.01, n =  64), suggesting that the production of these VOIs increased with the degradation of organic matter. Over the northern Chukchi Sea shelf–slope area, concentration maxima of CHI2, CH2ClI, and CH3I were found in the subsurface cold, dense water (CDW). A large nitrogen deficit (N deficit  =  NH4++ NO3−+ NO2−−16PO43−) occurred simultaneously in this water, suggesting the production of the three VOIs in the sediment or the bottom layer water over the shelf, probably in association with the degradation of organic matter. We conclude that VOI production over the Chukchi Sea shelf can be largely attributed to the degradation of organic matter that is produced in the highly productive shelf water. High concentrations of CH2ClI were also found in the Alaskan Coastal Water (ACW) from the Bering Strait to the surface of the northern Chukchi slope. The VOIs that originated at the Chukchi Sea shelf are expected to be laterally transported to the Arctic Ocean basin through the CDW and the surface ACW.
Insights into the transfer of silicon isotopes into the sediment record
Authors: Panizzo V. N. , Swann G. E. A. , Mackay A. W. , Vologina E. , Sturm M. , Pashley V. , Horstwood M. S. A.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. The first δ30Sidiatom data from lacustrine sediment traps are presented from Lake Baikal, Siberia. Data are compared with March surface water (upper 180 m) δ30SiDSi compositions for which a mean value of +2.28‰ ±  0.09 (95 % confidence) is derived. This value acts as the pre-diatom bloom baseline silicic acid isotopic composition of waters (δ30SiDSi initial). Open traps were deployed along the depth of the Lake Baikal south basin water column between 2012 and 2013. Diatom assemblages display a dominance ( > 85 %) of the spring/summer bloom species Synedra acus var radians, so that δ30Sidiatom compositions reflect predominantly spring/summer bloom utilisation. Diatoms were isolated from open traps and, in addition, from 3-monthly (sequencing) traps (May, July and August 2012) for δ30Sidiatom analyses. Mean δ30Sidiatom values for open traps are +1.23‰ ±  0.06 (at 95 % confidence and MSWD of 2.9, n = 10). Total dry mass sediment fluxes are highest in June 2012, which we attribute to the initial export of the dominant spring diatom bloom. We therefore argue that May δ30Sidiatom signatures (+0.67‰ ±  0.06, 2σ) when compared with mean upper water δ30SiDSi initial (e.g. pre-bloom) signatures can be used to provide a snapshot estimation of diatom uptake fractionation factors (ϵuptake) in Lake Baikal. A ϵuptake estimation of −1.61 ‰ is therefore derived, although we emphasise that synchronous monthly δ30SiDSi and δ30Sidiatom data would be needed to provide more robust estimations and therefore more rigorously test this, particularly when taking into consideration any progressive enrichment of the DSi pool as blooms persist. The near-constant δ30Sidiatom composition in open traps demonstrates the full preservation of the signal through the water column and thereby justifies the use and application of the technique in biogeochemical and palaeoenvironmental research. Data are finally compared with lake sediment core samples, collected from the south basin. Values of +1.30‰ ±  0.08 (2σ) and +1.43‰ ±  0.13 (2σ) were derived for cores BAIK13-1C (0.6–0.8 cm core depth) and at BAIK13-4F (0.2–0.4 cm core depth) respectively. Trap data highlight the absence of a fractionation factor associated with diatom dissolution (ϵdissolution) (particularly as Synedra acus var radians, the dominant taxa in the traps, is very susceptible to dissolution) down the water column and in the lake surface sediments, thus validating the application of δ30Sidiatom analyses in Lake Baikal and other freshwater systems, in palaeoreconstructions.
Detection and spatiotemporal analysis of methane ebullition on thermokarst lake ice using high-resolution optical aerial imagery
Authors: Lindgren P. R. , Grosse G. , Walter Anthony K. M. , Meyer F. J.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Thermokarst lakes are important emitters of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. However, accurate estimation of methane flux from thermokarst lakes is difficult due to their remoteness and observational challenges associated with the heterogeneous nature of ebullition. We used high-resolution (9–11 cm) snow-free aerial images of an interior Alaskan thermokarst lake acquired 2 and 4 days following freeze-up in 2011 and 2012, respectively, to detect and characterize methane ebullition seeps and to estimate whole-lake ebullition. Bubbles impeded by the lake ice sheet form distinct white patches as a function of bubbling when lake ice grows downward and around them, trapping the gas in the ice. Our aerial imagery thus captured a snapshot of bubbles trapped in lake ice during the ebullition events that occurred before the image acquisition. Image analysis showed that low-flux A- and B-type seeps are associated with low brightness patches and are statistically distinct from high-flux C-type and hotspot seeps associated with high brightness patches. Mean whole-lake ebullition based on optical image analysis in combination with bubble-trap flux measurements was estimated to be 174 ± 28 and 216 ± 33 mL gas m−2 d−1 for the years 2011 and 2012, respectively. A large number of seeps demonstrated spatiotemporal stability over our 2-year study period. A strong inverse exponential relationship (R2 >  =  0.79) was found between the percent of the surface area of lake ice covered with bubble patches and distance from the active thermokarst lake margin. Even though the narrow timing of optical image acquisition is a critical factor, with respect to both atmospheric pressure changes and snow/no-snow conditions during early lake freeze-up, our study shows that optical remote sensing is a powerful tool to map ebullition seeps on lake ice, to identify their relative strength of ebullition, and to assess their spatiotemporal variability.
Carbon storage in seagrass soils: long-term nutrient history exceeds the effects of near-term nutrient enrichment
Authors: Armitage A. R. , Fourqurean J. W.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. The carbon sequestration potential in coastal soils is linked to aboveground and belowground plant productivity and biomass, which in turn, is directly and indirectly influenced by nutrient input. We evaluated the influence of long-term and near-term nutrient input on aboveground and belowground carbon accumulation in seagrass beds, using a nutrient enrichment (nitrogen and phosphorus) experiment embedded within a naturally occurring, long-term gradient of phosphorus availability within Florida Bay (USA). We measured organic carbon stocks in soils and above- and belowground seagrass biomass after 17 months of experimental nutrient addition. At the nutrient-limited sites, phosphorus addition increased the carbon stock in aboveground seagrass biomass by more than 300 %; belowground seagrass carbon stock increased by 50–100 %. Soil carbon content slightly decreased ( ∼  10 %) in response to phosphorus addition. There was a strong but non-linear relationship between soil carbon and Thalassia testudinum leaf nitrogen : phosphorus (N : P) or belowground seagrass carbon stock. When seagrass leaf N : P exceeded an approximate threshold of 75 : 1, or when belowground seagrass carbon stock was less than 100 g m−2, there was less than 3 % organic carbon in the sediment. Despite the marked difference in soil carbon between phosphorus-limited and phosphorus-replete areas of Florida Bay, all areas of the bay had relatively high soil carbon stocks near or above the global median of 1.8 % organic carbon. The relatively high carbon content in the soils indicates that seagrass beds have extremely high carbon storage potential, even in nutrient-limited areas with low biomass or productivity.
The relative contributions of forest growth and areal expansion to forest biomass carbon
Authors: Li P. , Zhu J. , Hu H. , Guo Z. , Pan Y. , Birdsey R. , Fang J.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Forests play a leading role in regional and global terrestrial carbon (C) cycles. Changes in C sequestration within forests can be attributed to areal expansion (increase in forest area) and forest growth (increase in biomass density). Detailed assessment of the relative contributions of areal expansion and forest growth to C sinks is crucial to reveal the mechanisms that control forest C sinks and it is helpful for developing sustainable forest management policies in the face of climate change. Using the Forest Identity concept and forest inventory data, this study quantified the spatial and temporal changes in the relative contributions of forest areal expansion and increased biomass growth to China's forest biomass C sinks from 1977 to 2008. Over the last 30 years, the areal expansion of forests has been a larger contributor to C sinks than forest growth for planted forests in China (62.2 % vs. 37.8 %). However, for natural forests, forest growth has made a larger contribution than areal expansion (60.4 % vs. 39.6 %). For all forests (planted and natural forests), growth in area and density has contributed equally to the total C sinks of forest biomass in China (50.4 % vs. 49.6 %).The relative contribution of forest growth of planted forests showed an increasing trend from an initial 25.3 % to 61.0 % in the later period of 1998 to 2003, but for natural forests, the relative contributions were variable without clear trends, owing to the drastic changes in forest area and biomass density over the last 30 years. Our findings suggest that afforestation will continue to increase the C sink of China's forests in the future, subject to sustainable forest growth after the establishment of plantations.
Vegetation structure and fire weather influence variation in burn severity and fuel consumption during peatland wildfires
Authors: Davies G. M. , Domènech R. , Gray A. , Johnson P. C. D.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Temperate peatland wildfires are of significant environmental concern but information on their environmental effects is lacking. We assessed variation in burn severity and fuel consumption within and between wildfires that burnt British moorlands in 2011 and 2012. We adapted the composite burn index (pCBI) to provide semi-quantitative estimates of burn severity. Pre- and post-fire surface (shrubs and graminoids) and ground (litter, moss, duff) fuel loads associated with large wildfires were assessed using destructive sampling and analysed using a generalised linear mixed model (GLMM). Consumption during wildfires was compared with published estimates of consumption during prescribed burns. Burn severity and fuel consumption were related to fire weather, assessed using the Canadian Fire Weather Index System (FWI System), and pre-fire vegetation type. pCBI varied 1.6 fold between, and up to 1.7 fold within, wildfires. pCBI was higher where moisture codes of the FWI System indicated drier fuels. Spatial variation in pre- and post-fire fuel load accounted for a substantial proportion of the variance in fuel loads. Average surface fuel consumption was a linear function of pre-fire fuel load. Average ground fuel combustion completeness could be predicted by the Buildup Index. Carbon release ranged between 0.36 and 1.00 kg C m−2. The flammability of ground fuel layers may explain the higher C release-rates seen for wildfires in comparison to prescribed burns. Drier moorland community types appear to be at greater risk of severe burns than blanket-bog communities.
Economic strategies of plant absorptive roots vary with root diameter
Authors: Kong D. L. , Wang J. J. , Kardol P. , Wu H. F. , Zeng H. , Deng X. B. , Deng Y.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Plant roots typically vary along a dominant ecological axis, the root economics spectrum, depicting a tradeoff between resource acquisition and conservation. For absorptive roots, which are mainly responsible for resource acquisition, we hypothesized that root economic strategies differ with increasing root diameter. To test this hypothesis, we used seven plant species (a fern, a conifer, and five angiosperms from south China) for which we separated absorptive roots into two categories: thin roots (thickness of root cortex plus epidermis < 247 µm) and thick roots. For each category, we analyzed a range of root traits related to resource acquisition and conservation, including root tissue density, different carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) fractions (i.e., extractive, acid-soluble, and acid-insoluble fractions) as well as root anatomical traits. The results showed significant relationships among root traits indicating an acquisition-conservation tradeoff for thin absorptive roots while no such trait relationships were found for thick absorptive roots. Similar results were found when reanalyzing data of a previous study including 96 plant species. The contrasting economic strategies between thin and thick absorptive roots, as revealed here, may provide a new perspective on our understanding of the root economics spectrum.
Environmental controls on the increasing GPP of terrestrial vegetation across northern Eurasia
Authors: Dass P. , Rawlins M. A. , Kimball J. S. , Kim Y.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Terrestrial ecosystems of northern Eurasia are demonstrating an increasing gross primary productivity (GPP), yet few studies have provided definitive attribution for the changes. While prior studies point to increasing temperatures as the principle environmental control, influences from moisture and other factors are less clear. We assess how changes in temperature, precipitation, cloudiness, and forest fires individually contribute to changes in GPP derived from satellite data across northern Eurasia using a light-use- efficiency-based model, for the period 1982–2010. We find that annual satellite-derived GPP is most sensitive to the temperature, precipitation and cloudiness of summer, which is the peak of the growing season and also the period of the year when the GPP trend is maximum. Considering the regional median, the summer temperature explains as much as 37.7 % of the variation in annual GPP, while precipitation and cloudiness explain 20.7 and 19.3 %. Warming over the period analysed, even without a sustained increase in precipitation, led to a significant positive impact on GPP for 61.7 % of the region. However, a significant negative impact on GPP was also found, for 2.4 % of the region, primarily the dryer grasslands in the south-west of the study area. For this region, precipitation positively correlates with GPP, as does cloudiness. This shows that the south-western part of northern Eurasia is relatively more vulnerable to drought than other areas. While our results further advance the notion that air temperature is the dominant environmental control for recent GPP increases across northern Eurasia, the role of precipitation and cloudiness can not be ignored.
Fossil invertebrates records in cave sediments and paleoenvironmental assessments – a study of four cave sites from Romanian Carpathians
Authors: Moldovan O. T. , Constantin S. , Panaiotu C. , Roban R. D. , Frenzel P. , Miko L.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Fossil invertebrates from cave sediments have been recently described as a potential new proxy for paleoenvironment and used in cross-correlations with alternate proxy records from cave deposits. Here we present the results of a fossil invertebrates study in four caves from two climatically different regions of the Romanian Carpathians, to complement paleoenvironmental data previously reported. Oribatid mites and ostracods are the most common invertebrates in the studied cave sediments. Some of the identified taxa are new to science, and most of them are indicative for either warm and/or cold stages or dry and/or wetter oscillations. In two caves the fossil invertebrates records indicate rapid climate oscillations during times known for a relatively stable climate. By corroborating the fossil invertebrates' record with the information given by magnetic properties and sediment structures, complementary data on past vegetation, temperatures and hydraulic regimes could be gathered. This paper analyzes the potential of fossil invertebrate records as a paleoenvironmental proxy, potential problems and pitfalls.
Sources, cycling and export of nitrogen on the Greenland Ice Sheet
Authors: Wadham J. L. , Hawkings J. , Telling J. , Chandler D. , Alcock J. , Lawson E. , Kaur P. , Bagshaw E. A. , Tranter M. , Tedstone A. , Nienow P.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Fjord and continental shelf environments in the Polar Regions are host to some of the planet’s most productive ecosystems, and support economically important fisheries. Their productivity, however, is often critically dependent upon nutrient supply from up-stream terrestrial environments delivered via river systems. One of the most extensive glacially-fed coastal ecosystems is that bordering the Greenland Ice Sheet. The future primary productivity of this marine ecosystem, however, is uncertain. A potential increase in primary productivity driven by reduced sea ice extent and associated increased light levels may be curtailed by insufficient nutrient supply, and specifically nitrogen. Research on small valley glaciers indicates that glaciers are important sources of nitrogen to downstream environments. However, no data exists from ice sheet systems such as Greenland. Time series of nitrogen concentrations in runoff are documented from a large Greenland glacier, demonstrating seasonally elevated fluxes to the ocean. Fluxes are highest in mid-summer, when nitrogen limitation is commonly reported in coastal waters. It is estimated that approximately half of the glacially-exported nitrogen is sourced from microbial activity within glacial sediments at the surface and bed of the ice sheet, doubling nitrogen fluxes in runoff. Summer dissolved inorganic nitrogen fluxes from the Greenland Ice Sheet (30–40 Gg) are a similar order of magnitude to those from a large Arctic river (40 Gg, Holmes et al., 2012). Nitrogen yields from the ice sheet (100–160 kg TDN km−2 a−1), however, are approximately double those from Arctic riverine catchments. We assert that this ice sheet nitrogen subsidy to Arctic coastal ecosystems may be important for understanding coastal biodiversity, productivity and fisheries, and should be considered in future biogeochemical modelling studies of coastal marine productivity in the Arctic regions.
Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus additions on nitrous oxide emission in a nitrogen-rich and two nitrogen-limited tropical forests
Authors: Zheng M. H. , Zhang T. , Liu L. , Zhu W. X. , Zhang W. , Mo J.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Nitrogen (N) deposition is generally considered to increase soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission in N-rich forests. In many tropical forests, however, elevated N deposition has caused soil N enrichment and further phosphorus (P) deficiency, and the interaction of N and P to control soil N2O emission remains poorly understood, particularly in forests with different soil N status. In this study, we examined the effects of N and P additions on soil N2O emission in an N-rich old-growth forest and two N-limited younger forests (a mixed and a pine forest) in southern China, to test the following hypotheses: (1) soil N2O emission is the highest in old-growth forest due to the N-rich soil; (2) N addition increases N2O emission more in the old-growth forest than in the two younger forests; (3) P addition decreases N O emission more in the old-growth forest than in the two younger forests; and (4) P addition alleviates the stimulation of N2O emission by N addition. The following four treatments were established in each forest: Control, N addition (150 kg N ha–1 yr–1), P addition (150 kg P ha–1 yr–1), and NP addition (150 kg N ha–1 yr–1 plus 150 kg P ha–1 yr–1). From February 2007 to October 2009, monthly quantification of soil N2O emission was performed using static chamber and gas chromatography techniques. Mean N2O emission was shown to be significantly higher in the old-growth forest (13.86 ± 0.71 μg N2O-N m–2 h–1) than in the mixed (9.86 ± 0.38 μg N2O-N m–2 h–1) or pine (10.83 ± 0.52 μg N) forests, with no significant difference between the latter two. N addition significantly increased N2O emission in the old-growth forest but not in the two younger forests. However, both P- and NP-addition had no significant effect on N2O emission in all three forests, suggesting that P addition alleviated the stimulation of N2O emission by N addition in the old-growth forest. Although P fertilization may alleviate the stimulated effects of atmospheric N deposition on N O emission in N-rich forests, we suggest future investigations to definitively assess this management strategy and the importance of P in regulating N cycles from regional to global scales.
Controls of longitudinal variation in δ13C-DIC in rivers: A global meta-analysis
Authors: Roach K. A. , Rodríguez M. A. , Paradis Y. , Cabana G.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. We conducted a literature survey to investigate controls and spatial and temporal patterns of δ13C-DIC and deviations between δ13C-DIC and the δ13C signature of DIC at isotopic equilibrium with the atmosphere (Δδ13C-DIC) in streams and rivers throughout the world. We used generalized additive mixed models to relate Δδ13C-DIC and δ13C-DIC in lotic ecosystems to ecological variables including elevation, Strahler order, and partial pressure of dissolved CO2 (pCO2), and to examin e seasonal shifts in Δδ13C-DIC and δ13C-DIC over a range in latitude. Elevation, Strahler order, and DIC concentrations explained a large fraction of the variation in Δδ13C-DIC, and these variables plus pH and pCO2 explained much of the variation in δ13C-DIC. Seasonal fluctuations in δ13C-DIC were most apparent in rivers located in temperate regions with seasonal snow cover. Small streams tended to have lower δ13C-DIC values than large rivers. Overall, our analysis indicates that processes that add CO2 to the water column, including groundwater inputs, decomposition, and respiration, should have a greater influence on δ13C-DIC than processes that remove CO2. Both physical (gas exchange with the atmosphere, weathering, ice cover) and biolog ical (respiration in regions with high C4 grass abundance, photosynthesis by cyanobacteria) processes appear to control δ13C-DIC in streams and rivers, but the relative importance of these processes shifts from upstream to downstream.
Biomass burning fuel consumption dynamics in the (sub)tropics assessed from satellite
Authors: Andela N. , van der Werf G. R. , Kaiser J. W. , van Leeuwen T. T. , Wooster M. J. , Lehmann C. E. R.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Landscape fires occur on a large scale in (sub)tropical savannas and grasslands, affecting ecosystem dynamics, regional air quality and concentrations of atmospheric trace gasses. Fuel consumption per unit of area burned is an important but poorly constrained parameter in fire emission modelling. We combined satellite-derived burned area with fire radiative power (FRP) data to derive fuel consumption estimates for land cover types with low tree cover in South America, SubSaharan Africa, and Australia. We developed a new approach to estimate fuel consumption, based on FRP data from the polar orbiting MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the geostationary Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) in combination with MODIS burned area estimates. The fuel consumption estimates based on the geostationary and polar orbiting instruments showed good agreement in terms of spatial patterns, but absolute fuel consumption estimates remained more uncertain. Fuel consumption varies considerably in space and time, complicating the comparison of various approaches and using field measurements to constrain our results. Spatial patterns in fuel consumption could be partly explained by vegetation productivity and fire return periods. In South America, most fires occurred in savannas with relatively long fire return periods, resulting in comparatively high fuel consumption as opposed to the more frequently burning savannas in Sub-Saharan Africa. Strikingly, we found the infrequently burning interior of Australia having higher fuel consumption than the more productive but frequently burning savannas in northern Australia. Vegetation type also played an important role in explaining the distribution of fuel consumption, both by affecting fuel build up rates and fire return periods. Hummock grasslands, which were responsible for a large share of Australian biomass burning, showed larger fuel build up rates than equally productive grasslands in Africa, although this effect might have been partially driven by the presence of grazers in Africa. Finally, land management in the form of deforestation and agriculture also considerably affected fuel consumption regionally. We conclude that combining FRP and burned area estimates, calibrated against field measurements, is a promising approach in deriving quantitative estimates of fuel consumption. Satellite derived fuel consumption estimates may both challenge our current understanding of spatiotemporal fuel consumption dynamics and serve as reference datasets to improve biogeochemical modelling approaches. Future field studies especially designed to validate satellite-based products, or airborne remote sensing, may further improve confidence in the absolute fuel consumption estimates which are quickly becoming the weakest link in fire emissions estimates.
Continuous CO2/CH4/CO measurements (2012-2014) at Beromünster tall tower station in Switzerland
Authors: Satar E. , Berhanu T. A. , Brunner D. , Henne S. , Leuenberger M.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. The understanding of the continental carbon budget is essential to predict future climate change. In order to quantify CO2 and CH4 fluxes at the regional scale, a measurement system was installed at the former radio tower in Beromünster as a part of the Swiss greenhouse gas monitoring network (CarboCount CH). We have been measuring the mixing ratios of CO2, CH4 and CO on this tower with sample inlets at 12.5, 44.6, 71.5, 131.6 and 212.5 m above ground level using a cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) analyzer. The first two-year (December 2012-December 2014) continuous atmospheric record was analyzed for seasonal and diurnal variations and inter-species correlations. In addition, storage fluxes were calculated from the hourly profiles along the tower. The atmospheric growth rates from 2013 to 2014 determined from this two-year dataset were 1.78 ppm yr-1, 9.66 ppb yr-1 and -1.27 ppb yr-1 for CO2, CH4 and CO, respectively. After detrending, clear seasonal cycles were detected for CO2 and CO, whereas CH4 showed a stable baseline suggesting a net balance between sources and sinks over the course of the year. CO and CO2 were strongly correlated (r2 > 0.75) in winter (DJF), but almost uncorrelated in summer. In winter, anthropogenic emissions dominate the biospheric CO2 fluxes and the variations in mixing ratios are large due to reduced vertical mixing. The diurnal variations of all species showed distinct cycles in spring and summer, with the lo west sampling level showing the most pronounced diurnal amplitudes. The storage flux estimates exhibited reasonable diurnal shapes for CO2, but underestimated the strength of the surface sinks during daytime. This seems plausible, keeping in mind that we were only able to calculate the storage fluxes along the profile of the tower but not the flux into or out of this profile, since no Eddy covariance flux measurements were taken at the top of the tower.
Can mud (silt and clay) concentration be used to predict soil organic carbon content within seagrass ecosystems?
Authors: Serrano O. , Lavery P. S. , Duarte C. M. , Kendrick G. A. , Calafat A. , York P. , Steven A. , Macreadie P.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. The emerging field of blue carbon science is seeking cost-effective ways to estimate the organic carbon content of soils that are bound by coastal vegetated ecosystems. Organic carbon (Corg) content in terrestrial soils and marine sediments has been correlated with mud content (i.e. silt and clay), however, empirical tests of this theory are lacking for coastal vegetated ecosystems. Here, we compiled data (n = 1345) on the relationship between Corg and mud (i.e. silt and clay, particle sizes <63 μm) contents in seagrass ecosystems (79 cores) and adjacent bare sediments (21 cores) to address whether mud can be used to predict soil Corg content. We also combined these data with the δ13C signatures of the soil Corg to understand the sources of Corg stores. The results showed that mud is positively correlated with soil Corg content only when the contribution of seagrass-derived Corg to the sedimentary Corg pool is relatively low, such as in small and fast growing meadows of the genera Zostera, Halodule and Halophila, and in bare sediments adjacent to seagrass ecosystems. In large and long-living seagrass meadows of the genera Posidonia and Amphibolis there was a lack of, or poor relationship between mud and soil Corg content, related to a higher contribution of seagrass-derived Corg to the sedimentary Corg pool in these meadows. The relative high soil Corg contents with relatively low mud contents (i.e. mud-Corg saturation) together with significant allochthonous inputs of terrestrial organic matter could overall disrupt the correlation expected between soil Corg and mud contents. This study shows that mud (i.e. silt and clay content) is not a universal proxy for blue carbon content in seagrass ecosystems, and therefore should not be applied generally across all seagrass habitats. Mud content can only be used as a proxy to estimate soil Corg content for scaling up purposes when opportunistic and/or low biomass seagrass species (i.e. Zostera, Halodule and Halophila) are present (explaining 34 to 91% of variability), and in bare sediments (explaining 78% of the variability).
Sedimentary response to sea ice and atmospheric variability over the instrumental period off Adélie Land, East Antarctica
Authors: Campagne P. , Crosta X. , Schmidt S. , Houssais M. N. , Ther O. , Massé G.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Diatoms account for a large proportion of primary productivity in Antarctic coastal and continental shelf zones. Diatoms, which have been used for a long time to infer past sea-surface conditions in the Southern Ocean, have recently been associated with diatom specific biomarkers (HBI). Our study is of the few sedimentary research projects on diatom ecology and associated biomarkers in the Antarctic seasonal sea ice zone. To date, the Adélie Land marginal ice zone has received little attention, despite evidence for the presence of high-resolution laminated sediment accumulation, allowing for finer climate reconstructions and sedimentary process studies. Here we provide a sequence of seasonally to annually laminated diatomaceous sediment from the DTCI2010 interface core retrieved on the continental shelf off Adélie Land, covering the 1970–2010 CE period. Investigations through statistical analyses of diatom communities, diatom specific biomarkers and major element abundances document the relationships between these proxies at an unprecedented resolution. Additionally, comparison of sedimentary records to meteorological data monitored by automatic weather station and satellite derived sea ice concentrations help to refine the relationships between our proxies and environmental conditions over the last decades. Our results suggest a coupled interaction of the atmospheric and sea surface variability on sea ice seasonality, which acts as the proximal forcing of siliceous productivity at that scale.