bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelling LAI at a regional scale with ISBA-A-gs: comparison with satellite-derived LAI over southwestern France
Authors: Brut A. , Rüdiger C. , Lafont S. , Roujean J.-L. , Calvet J.-C. , Jarlan L. , Gibelin A.-L. , Albergel C. , Le Moigne P. , Soussana J.-F. , Klumpp K.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. A CO2-responsive land surface model (the ISBA-A-gs model of Météo-France) is used to simulate photosynthesis and Leaf Area Index (LAI) in southwestern France for a 3-year period (2001–2003). A domain of about 170 000 km2 is covered at a spatial resolution of 8 km. The capability of ISBA-A-gs to reproduce the seasonal and the inter-annual variability of LAI at a regional scale, is assessed with two satellite-derived LAI products. One originates from the CYCLOPES programme using SPOT/VEGETATION data, and the second is based on MODIS data. The comparison reveals discrepancies between the two satellite LAI estimates and between satellite and simulated LAI values, both in their intensity and in the timing of the leaf onset. The model simulates higher LAI values for the C3 crops and coniferous trees than the satellite observations, which may be due to a saturation effect within the satellite signal. The simulated leaf onset presents a significant delay for mountainous grasslands. In-situ observations at a mid-altitude grassland site show that the generic temperature response of photosynthesis used in the model is not appropriate for plants adapted to the cold climatic conditions of the mountainous areas. This study demonstrates the potential of LAI remote sensing products for identifying and locating models' shortcomings at a regional scale.
Perturbation experiments to investigate the impact of ocean acidification: approaches and software tools
Authors: Gattuso J.-P. , Lavigne H.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Although future changes in the seawater carbonate chemistry are well constrained, their impact on marine organisms and ecosystems remains poorly known. The biological response to ocean acidification is a recent field of research as most purposeful experiments have only been carried out in the late 1990s. The potentially dire consequences of ocean acidification attract scientists and students with a limited knowledge of the carbonate chemistry and its experimental manipulation. Hence, some guidelines on carbonate chemistry manipulations may be helpful for the growing ocean acidification community to maintain comparability. Perturbation experiments are one of the key approaches used to investigate the biological response to elevated pCO2. They are based on measurements of physiological or metabolic processes in organisms and communities exposed to seawater with normal or altered carbonate chemistry. Seawater chemistry can be manipulated in different ways depending on the facilities available and on the question being addressed. The goal of this paper is (1) to examine the benefits and drawbacks of various manipulation techniques and (2) to describe a new version of the R software package seacarb which includes new functions aimed at assisting the design of ocean acidification perturbation experiments. Three approaches closely mimic the on-going and future changes in the seawater carbonate chemistry: gas bubbling, addition of high-CO2 seawater as well as combined additions of acid and bicarbonate and/or carbonate.
Impact of atmospheric and terrestrial CO2 feedbacks on fertilization-induced marine carbon uptake
Authors: Oschlies A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The sensitivity of oceanic CO2 uptake to alterations in the marine biological carbon pump, such as brought about by natural or purposeful ocean fertilization, has repeatedly been investigated by studies employing numerical biogeochemical ocean models. It is shown here that the results of such ocean-centered studies are very sensitive to the assumption made about the response of the carbon reservoirs on the atmospheric side of the sea surface. Assumptions made include prescribed atmospheric pCO2, an interactive atmospheric CO2 pool exchanging carbon with the ocean but not with the terrestrial biosphere, and an interactive atmosphere that exchanges carbon with both oceanic and terrestrial carbon pools. The impact of these assumptions on simulated annual to millennial oceanic carbon uptake is investigated for a hypothetical increase in the C:N ratio of the biological pump and for an idealized enhancement of phytoplankton growth. Compared to simulations with interactive atmosphere, using prescribed atmospheric pCO2 overestimates the sensitivity of the oceanic CO2 uptake to changes in the biological pump, by about 2%, 25%, 100%, and >500% on annual, decadal, centennial, and millennial timescales, respectively. Adding an interactive terrestrial carbon pool to the atmosphere-ocean model system has a small effect on annual timescales, but increases the simulated fertilization-induced oceanic carbon uptake by about 4%, 50%, and 100% on decadal, centennial, and millennial timescales, respectively. On longer than decadal timescales, a substantial fraction of oceanic carbon uptake induced by natural or purposeful ocean fertilization may not come from the atmosphere but from the terrestrial biosphere.
Near-future levels of ocean acidification do not affect sperm motility and fertilization kinetics in the oyster Crassostrea gigas
Authors: Havenhand J. N. , Schlegel P.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. An increasing number of studies are now reporting the effects of ocean acidification on a broad range of marine species, processes and systems. Many of these are investigating the sensitive early life-history stages that several major reviews have highlighted as being potentially most susceptible to ocean acidification. Nonetheless there remain few investigations of the effects of ocean acidification on the very earliest, and critical, process of fertilization, and still fewer that have investigated levels of ocean acidification relevant for the coming century. Here we report the effects of near-future levels of ocean acidification (≈−0.35 pH unit change) on sperm swimming speed, sperm motility, and fertilization kinetics in a population of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas from western Sweden. We found no significant effect of ocean acidification – a result that was well supported by power analysis. Similar findings from Japan suggest that this may be a globally robust result, and we emphasise the need for experiments on multiple populations from throughout a species' range. We also discuss the importance of sound experimental design and power analysis in accurate interpretation of non-significant results.
Effects of increased pCO2 and temperature on trace element (Ag, Cd and Zn) bioaccumulation in the eggs of the common cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis
Authors: Lacoue-Labarthe T. , Martin S. , Oberhänsli F. , Teyssié J.-L. , Markich S. , Jeffree R. , Bustamante P.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Cephalopods play a key role in many marine trophic networks and constitute alternative fisheries resources, especially given the ongoing decline in finfish stocks. Along the European coast, the eggs of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis are characterized by an increasing permeability of the eggshell during development, which leads to selective accumulation of essential and non-essential elements in the embryo. Temperature and pH are two critical factors that affect the metabolism of marine organisms in the coastal shallow waters. In this study, we are testing the effects of pH and temperature through a crossed (3×2) laboratory experiment. Seawater pH showed a strong effect on the egg weight and non-significant impact on the hatchlings weight at the end of development implying egg swelling process and embryo growth disturbances. The lower pH of incubation seawater of eggs, the more the hatchlings accumulated 110m Ag in their tissues. The 109Cd CF decreased with increasing pH and 65Zn CF reached the maximal values pH 7.85, independent of temperature. Our results suggest that pH and temperature affected both the permeability properties of the eggshell and the embryo metabolism. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first studies on the ocean acidification and ocean warming consequences on the metal uptake in marine organisms, stimulating further interest to evaluate the likely ecotoxicological impact of the global change on the early-life stage of the cuttlefish.
Effects of pH on aquatic biodegradation processes
Authors: Krachler R. F. , Krachler R. , Stojanovic A. , Wielander B. , Herzig A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. To date, little is known about the pH-stimulated mineralization of organic matter in aquatic environments. In this study, we investigated biodegradation processes in alkaline waters. Study site is a large shallow soda lake in Central Europe (Neusiedler See/Ferto). The decomposition rate of plant litter was measured as a function of pH by incubating air-saturated lake-water samples in contact with Phragmites litter (leaves) from the littoral vegetation. All samples showed high decomposition rates (up to 32% mass loss within 35 days) and a characteristic two-step degradation mechanism. During the degradation process, the solid plant litter was dissolved forming humic colloids. Subsequently, the humic colloids were mineralized to CO2 in the water column. The decomposition rate was linearly related to pH. Increasing pH values accelerated significantly the leaching of humic colloids as well as the final degradation process. The observed two-step mechanism controls the wetland/lake/air carbon fluxes, since large quantities of humic colloids are currently produced in the reed belt, exported through wind-driven circulations and incorporated into the open lake foodweb. At present, the lake is rapidly shrinking due to peat deposition in the littoral zone, whereas it has been resistant to silting-up processes for thousands of years. In order to investigate the cause of this abrupt change, the chemical composition of the lake-water was measured during 1995–2007. A thorough analysis of these data revealed that major lake-water discharges through the lake's artificial outlet channel led to a decline in salinity and alkalinity. According to our estimates, the lake's original salinity and alkalinity was 70–90% higher compared to the present conditions, with the consequence of substantially lower pH values in the present lake. The observed pH dependence of reed litter biodegradation rates points to a causal connection between low pH values and accumulation of peat in the lake basin. Our results suggest that the pH stimulated remineralisation of organic matter plays a major role in maintaining the long-term integrity of saline lake/wetland systems.
Spatial distribution of the iron supply to phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean: a model study
Authors: Lancelot C. , de Montety A. , Goosse H. , Becquevort S. , Schoemann V. , Pasquer B. , Vancoppenolle M.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. An upgraded version of the biogeochemical model SWAMCO is coupled to the ocean-sea-ice model NEMO-LIM to explore processes governing the spatial distribution of the iron supply to phytoplankton in the Southern Ocean. The 3-D NEMO-LIM-SWAMCO model is implemented in the ocean domain south of latitude 30° S and runs are performed over September 1989–December 2000. Model scenarios include potential iron sources (atmospheric deposition, iceberg calving and continental sediments) as well as iron storage within sea ice, all formulated based on a literature review. When all these processes are included, the simulated iron profiles and phytoplankton bloom distributions show satisfactory agreement with observations. Analysis of simulations points to the key role played by continental sediments as a primary source for iron. Iceberg calving and melting contribute by up to 25% of Chl a simulated in areas under influence of icebergs while atmospheric deposition has little effect at high latitudes. Activating sea ice-ocean iron exchanges redistribute iron geographically. Stored in the ice during winter formation, iron is then transported due to ice motion and is released and made available to phytoplankton during summer melt, in the vicinity of the marginal ice zones. Transient iron storage and transport associated with sea ice dynamics stimulate summer phytoplankton blooming (up to 3 mg Chl a m−3) in the Weddell Sea and off East Antarctica but not in the Ross, Bellingshausen and Amundsen Seas. This contrasted feature results from the simulated variable content of iron in sea ice and release of melting ice showing higher ice-ocean iron fluxes in the continental shelves of the Weddell and Ross Seas than in the Eastern Weddell Sea and the Bellingshausen-Amundsen Seas. This study confirms that iron sources and transport in the Southern Ocean likely provide important mechanisms in the geographical development of phytoplankton blooms and associated ecosystems.
Hydrodynamics and light climate structure alongshore phytoplankton blooms in spring
Authors: Brandt G. , Wirtz K. W.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Phytoplankton blooms are a recurring phenomenon that have significant impact on annual biogeochemistry and food-web dynamics in many aquatic ecosystems. The causes for their variability, which is high especially in coastal seas, remain poorly understood. We present an example for distinct differences in the spatio-temporal chlorophyll-a (CHL-a) distribution on an interannual scale, integrating high-frequency data from an autonomous measuring device (FerryBox), which operated on an alongshore route in the coastal North Sea. While in one year CHL-a was spatially homogeneous (2004), a bloom only developed in one part of the transect in the following spring period (2005). In this study, we use a one-dimensional Lagrangian particle tracking model, which operates along the mean current direction, combined with a NPZ-model to identify the mechanisms controlling interannual bloom variability on an alongshore transect. The model results clearly indicate that in 2004, the local light climate triggered phytoplankton growth, whereas in the following year, advective transport determined the spatial structure of the spring bloom. A pronounced eastward inflow event in 2005 imported a high CHL-a patch into the western half of the study area from the adjacent Southern Bight. It did, however, not last long enough to also spread the bloom into the eastern part, where high turbidity prevented local phytoplankton growth. The model identified two interacting mechanisms, light climate and hydrodynamics that control the alongshore dynamics. Especially the occurrence of a pronounced spring bloom despite unfavourable light conditions in 2005 underlines the need to carefully consider hydrodynamics to understand ecosystem functioning in coastal environments.
A dynamic climate and ecosystem state during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum – inferences from dinoflagellate cyst assemblages at the New Jersey Shelf
Authors: Sluijs A. , Brinkhuis H.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Late Paleocene and Early Eocene climates and ecosystems underwent significant change during several transient global warming phases, associated with rapidly increasing atmospheric carbon concentrations, of which the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; ~55.5 Ma) is best studied. While biotic response to the PETM as a whole (~170 kyrs) has been relatively well documented, variations during the PETM have been neglected. Here we present organic dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) distribution patterns across two stratigraphically expanded PETM sections from the New Jersey Shelf, "Bass River" and "Wilson Lake". Many previously studied sites show a uniform abundance of the thermophilous and presumably heterotrophic taxon Apectodinium that spans the entire carbon isotope excursion (CIE) of the PETM. In contrast, the New Jersey sections show large variations in abundances of many taxa during the PETM, including the new species Florentinia reichartii that we formally propose. We infer paleoecological preferences of taxa that show temporal abundance peaks, both qualitative and absolute quantitative, from empirical as well as statistical information, i.e., principle (PCA) and canonical correspondence analyses (CCA). In the CCAs, we combine the dinocyst data with previously published environmental proxy data from these locations, such as TEX86 paleothermometry, magnetic susceptibility and sedimentary size fraction. The combined information supports previous inferences that sea level rose during the PETM, but also indicates a (regional) increase in fresh-water runoff that started ~10 kyr after the onset of the CIE and perhaps precession-paced cycles in sea surface productivity. The highly variable dinocyst assemblages of the PETM contrast rather stable Upper Paleocene assemblages, which suggests that carbon input caused a dynamic climate state, at least regionally.
Carbon fixation prediction during a bloom of Emiliania huxleyi is highly sensitive to the assumed regulation mechanism
Authors: Bernard O. , Sciandra A. , Rabouille S.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Large scale precipitation of calcium carbonate in the oceans by coccolithophorids plays an important role in carbon sequestration. However, there is a controversy on the effect of an increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration on both calcification and photosynthesis of coccolithophorids. Indeed recent experiments, performed under nitrogen limitation, revealed that the associated fluxes may be slowed down, while other authors claim the reverse. We designed models to account for various scenarii of calcification and photosynthesis regulation in chemostat cultures of Emiliania huxleyi, based on different hypotheses on the regulation mechanism. These models consider that either carbon dioxide, bicarbonate, carbonate or calcite saturation state (Ω) is the regulating factor. All were calibrated to predict the same carbon fixation rate in nowadays pCO2, but they turn out to respond differently to an increase in CO2 concentration. Thus, using the four possible models, we simulated a large bloom of Emiliania huxleyi. It results that models assuming a regulation by CO32− or Ω predicted much higher carbon fluxes. The response when considering a doubled pCO2 was different and models controlled by CO2 or HCO3 − led to increased carbon fluxes. In addition, the variability between the various scenarii proved to be in the same order of magnitude than the response to pCO2 increase. These sharp discrepancies reveal the consequences of model assumptions on the simulation outcome.
Mountain birch – potentially large source of sesquiterpenes into high latitude atmosphere
Authors: Haapanala S. , Ekberg A. , Hakola H. , Tarvainen V. , Rinne J. , Hellén H. , Arneth A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from mountain birches were measured in Abisko, northern Sweden. Mountain birches make up majority of the tree biomass in Scandinavian high latitudes, area subject to significant climate warming. The measurements were carried out in two growing seasons. The emissions of a branch from four individual trees were measured in June–August 2006 and one of them again in July 2007. The measurements were conducted using a dynamic flow through chamber covered with Teflon film. The studied mountain birches were found to emit substantial amounts of linalool, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The monoterpene emission was dominated by sabinene. The magnitude and composition of sesquiterpene emission changed dramatically between the years. For example, the average α-farnesene emission in 2006 was almost 2000 ng gdw−1 h−1 while in 2007 the emission of α-farnesene was negligible. Also the emissions of other sesquiterpenes decreased in 2007 to a fraction of that in 2006. One possible explanation for the change in emissions is the herbivory damage that occurred in the area in 2004. Herbivory is known to enhance the emissions of sesquiterpenes, especially those of α-farnesene, and the effect may last several years.
Forest Floor Carbon Exchange of a Boreal Black Spruce Forest in Eastern Canada
Authors: Bergeron O. , Margolis H. A. , Coursolle C.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. This study reports continuous automated measurements of forest floor carbon (C) exchange over feathermoss, lichen, and sphagnum micro-sites in a black spruce forest in eastern North America during snow-free periods over three years. The response of soil respiration (Rs-auto) and forest floor photosynthesis (Pff) to environmental factors was determined. The seasonal contributions of scaled up Rs-auto adjusted for spatial representativeness (Rs-adj) and Pff (Pff-eco) relative to that of total ecosystem respiration (Re) and photosynthesis (Peco), respectively, were also quantified. Shallow soil temperature explained 67–86% of the variation in Rs-auto for all ground cover types, while deeper soil temperatures were related to Rs-auto only for the feathermoss micro-sites. Base respiration was consistently lower under feathermoss, intermediate under sphagnum, and higher under lichen during all three years. The Rs-adj/Re ratio increased from spring through autumn and ranged from 0.85 to 0.87 annually for the snow-free period. The Rs-adj/Re ratio was negatively correlated with the difference between air and shallow soil temperature and this correlation was more pronounced in autumn than summer and spring. Maximum photosynthetic capacity of the forest floor (Pffmax) saturated at low irradiance levels (~200 μmol m−2 s−1) and decreased with increasing air temperature and vapor pressure deficit for all three ground cover types, suggesting that Pff was more limited by desiccation than by light availability. Pffmax was lowest for sphagnum, intermediate for feathermoss, and highest for lichen for two of the three years. Pff normalized for light peaked at air temperatures of 5–8°C, suggesting that this is the optimal temperature range for Pff. The Pff-eco/Peco ratio varied seasonally from 13 to 24% and reached a minimum in mid-summer when both air temperature and Peco were at their maximum. On an annual basis, Pff-eco accounted for 17–18% of Peco depending on the year and the snow-free season totals of Pff-adj were 23–24% that of Rs-adj.
Statistical validation of a 3-D bio-physical model of the western North Atlantic
Authors: Lehmann M. K. , Fennel K. , He R.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. High-resolution, physical-biological models of coastal and shelf regions typically use a single functional phytoplankton group, which limits their ability to represent ecological gradients (e.g. highly productive shelf systems adjacent to oligotrophic regions), as these are dominated by different functional phytoplankton groups. We implemented a size-structured ecosystem model in a high-resolution, regional circulation model of the northeast North American shelf and adjacent deep ocean in order to assess whether the added functional complexity of two functional phytoplankton groups improves the model's ability to represent surface chlorophyll concentrations along an ecological gradient encompassing five distinct regions. We used satellite-derived SST and sea-surface chlorophyll for our model assessment, as these allow investigation of spatial variability and temporal variations from monthly to interannual, and analyzed three complimentary statistical measures of model-data agreement: model bias, root-mean-squared error and model efficiency (or skill). All three measures were integrated for the whole domain, for distinct subregions and were calculated in a spatially explicit manner. Comparison with a previously published simulation that used a model with a single phytoplankton functional group indicates that the inclusion of an additional phytoplankton group representing picoplankton markedly improves the model's skill.
Short-term changes in particulate fluxes measured by drifting sediment traps during end summer oligotrophic regime in the NW Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Marty J. C. , Goutx M. , Guigue C. , Leblond N. , Raimbault P.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Short-term changes in the flux of particulate matter were determined in the central north western Mediterranean Sea (near DYFAMED site) using drifting sediment traps at 200 m depth in the course of the DYNAPROC 2 cruise (14 September–17 October, 2004). In this period of marked water column stratification, POC fluxes varied by an order of magnitude, in the range of 0.03–0.29 mg C m−2 h−1 over the month and showed very rapid and high variations. Particulate carbon export represented less than 5% of integrated primary production, suggesting that phytoplankton production was essentially sustained by internal recycling of organic matter and retained within the photic zone. While PON and POP fluxes paralleled one another, the elemental ratios POC/PON and POC/POP, varied widely over short-term periods. Values were always higher than the conventional Redfield ratio indicating that the settling material was in part degraded. This was confirmed by the very low chlorophyll-a flux recorded in the traps (mean 0.017 μg m−2 h−1), the high phaeopigment and free lipid concentrations of the settling material, which all together indicated that the organic matter reaching 200 m depth was reworked (by grazing, fecal pellets production, degradation, . . .) and that algal sinking made a small contribution to the downward flux. Over time, the relative abundance of individual lipid classes in organic matter (OM) changed from glycolipids-dominated to neutral (wax esters, triglycerides) and phospholipids-dominated, suggesting ecosystem maturation as well as rapid and continual exchanges between dissolved, suspended and sinking pools. Our most striking result was documenting the rapid change in fluxes of the various measured parameters. In the situation encountered here, with dominant regenerated production, the effect of wind events was a decrease of fluxes (probably through reduction of grazing). But fluxes increased as soon as calm conditions settle.
Distribution of calcifying and silicifying phytoplankton in relation to environmental and biogeochemical parameters during the late stages of the 2005 North East Atlantic Spring Bloom
Authors: Leblanc K. , Hare C. E. , Feng Y. , Berg G. M. , DiTullio G. R. , Neeley A. , Benner I. , Sprengel C. , Beck A. , Sanudo-Wilhelmy S. A. , Passow U. , Klinck K. , Rowe J. M. , Wilhelm S. W. , Brown C. W. , Hutchins D. A.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The late stage of the North East Atlantic (NEA) spring bloom was investigated during June 2005 along a transect section from 45 to 66° N between 15 and 20° W in order to characterize the contribution of siliceous and calcareous phytoplankton groups and describe their distribution in relation to environmental factors. We measured several biogeochemical parameters such as nutrients, surface trace metals, algal pigments, biogenic silica (BSi), particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) or calcium carbonate, particulate organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (POC, PON and POP, respectively), as well as transparent exopolymer particles (TEP). Results were compared with other studies undertaken in this area since the JGOFS NABE program. Characteristics of the spring bloom generally agreed well with the accepted scenario for the development of the autotrophic community. The NEA seasonal diatom bloom was in the late stages when we sampled the area and diatoms were constrained to the northern part of our transect, over the Icelandic Basin (IB) and Icelandic Shelf (IS). Coccolithophores dominated the phytoplankton community, with a large distribution over the Rockall-Hatton Plateau (RHP) and IB. The Porcupine Abyssal Plain (PAP) region at the southern end of our transect was the region with the lowest biomass, as demonstrated by very low chl-a concentrations and a community dominated by picophytoplankton. Early depletion of dissolved silicic acid (DSi) and increased stratification of the surface layer most likely triggered the end of the diatom bloom, leading to coccolithophore dominance. The chronic Si deficiency observed in the NEA could be linked to moderate Fe limitation, which increases the efficiency of the Si pump. TEP closely mirrored the distribution of both biogenic silica at depth and prymnesiophytes in the surface layer suggesting the sedimentation of the diatom bloom in the form of aggregates, but the relative contribution of diatoms and coccolithophores to carbon export in this area still needs to be resolved.
Regional scale modelling of meteorology and CO2 for the Cabauw tall tower, The Netherlands
Authors: Tolk L. F. , Peters W. , Meesters A. G. C. A. , Groenendijk M. , Vermeulen A. T. , Steeneveld G. J. , Dolman A. J.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. We simulated meteorology and atmospheric CO2 transport over the Netherlands with the mesoscale model RAMS-Leaf3 coupled to the biospheric CO2 flux model 5PM. The results were compared with meteorological and CO2 observations, with particular attention to the tall tower of Cabauw. An analysis of the coupled exchange of energy, moisture and CO2 showed that the surface fluxes in the domain strongly influenced the atmospheric properties. The majority of the variability in the afternoon CO2 mixing ratio in the middle of the domain was determined by biospheric and fossil fuel CO2 fluxes in the limited area domain (640×640 km). Variation of the surface CO2 fluxes, reflecting the uncertainty of the parameters in the CO2 flux model 5PM, resulted in a range of simulated atmospheric CO2 mixing ratios of about 12 ppm in the well-mixed boundary layer. Additionally, we identified an uncertainty in the surface energy fluxes. The spread caused by this uncertainty in the simulated atmospheric vertical mixing caused a CO2 transport error of 1.7 ppm. This is an important source of uncertainty and should be accounted for to avoid biased estimates of the CO2 mixing ratio, but does not overwhelm the signal in the CO2 mixing ratio due to the spread in CO2 surface fluxes.
Optimization of the seasonal cycles of simulated CO2 flux by fitting simulated atmospheric CO2 to observed vertical profiles
Authors: Nakatsuka Y. , Maksyutov S.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. An inverse of a combination of atmospheric transport and flux models was used to optimize model parameters of the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA) terrestrial ecosystem model. The method employed in the present study is based on minimizing an appropriate cost function (i.e. the weighted differences between the simulated and observed seasonal cycles of CO2 concentrations). We tried to reduce impacts that the inaccuracy of a vertical mixing in a transport model has on the simulated amplitudes of seasonal cycles of carbon flux by using airborne observations of CO2 vertical profile aggregated to a partial column. Effect of the vertical mixing on optimized NEP was evaluated by carrying out 2 sets of inverse calculations: one with partial-column concentration data from 15 locations and another with near-surface CO2 concentration data from the same 15 locations. We found that the values of simulated growing season net flux (GSNF) and net primary productivity (NPP) are affected by the rate of vertical mixing in a transport model used in the optimization. Optimized GSNF and NPP are higher when optimized with partial column data as compared to the case with near-surface data only due to the weak vertical mixing in the transport model used in this study.
Measurements of soil respiration and simple models dependent on moisture and temperature for an Amazonian southwest tropical forest
Authors: Zanchi F. B. , da Rocha H. R. , de Freitas H. C. , Kruijt B. , Waterloo M. J. , Manzi A. O.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Soil respiration plays a significant role in the carbon cycle of Amazonian tropical forests, although in situ measurements have only been poorly reported and the dependence of soil moisture and soil temperature also weakly understood. This work investigates the temporal variability of soil respiration using field measurements, which also included soil moisture, soil temperature and litterfall, from April 2003 to January 2004, in a southwest Brazilian tropical rainforest near Ji-Paraná, Rondônia. The experimental design deployed five automatic (static, semi-opened) soil chambers connected to an infra-red CO2 gas analyzer. The mean half-hourly soil respiration showed a large scattering from 0.6 to 18.9 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 and the average was 8.0±3.4 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1. Soil respiration varied seasonally, being lower in the dry season and higher in the wet season, which generally responded positively to the variation of soil moisture and temperature year round. The peak was reached in the dry-to-wet season transition (September), this coincided with increasing sunlight, evapotranspiration and ecosystem productivity. Litterfall processes contributed to meet very favorable conditions for biomass decomposition in early wet season, especially the fresh litter on the forest floor accumulated during the dry season. We attempted to fit three models with the data: the exponential Q10 model, the Reichstein model, and the log-soil moisture model. The models do not contradict the scattering of observations, but poorly explain the variance of the half-hourly data, which is improved when the lag-time days averaging is longer. The observations suggested an optimum range of soil moisture, between 0.115
Fractionation of iron species and iron isotopes in the Baltic Sea euphotic zone
Authors: Gelting J. , Breitbarth E. , Stolpe B. , Hassellöv M. , Ingri J.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Measurements of the physiochemical speciation of Fe in the euphotic zone were performed at three different locations, over a well defined salinity gradient, during spring and summer in the Baltic Sea. The average of total Fe changed from 114 nM in the Bothnian Sea, 44 nM at Landsort Deep and 15 nM at Gotland Deep. Particulate Fe (PFe) was the dominating phase at all stations and on average accounted for 75–85% of the total Fe pool. At all three locations, a decrease in total Fe of 80–90% from initial measurements compared to the summer was found. A strong positive correlation between PFe and chl-a was observed. Hence, primary production strongly regulates cycling of suspended Fe. However, this relation is not dominated by active uptake of Fe in phytoplankton; instead this reflects cycling of phosphorus, growth of diatoms, and removal of PFe during phytoplankton sedimentation. The average colloidal iron fraction, CFe, showed decreasing concentrations along the salinity gradient; Bothnian Sea 15 nM; Landsort Deep 1 nM and Gotland Deep 0.5 nM. Field Flow Fractionation data indicate that the main colloidal carrier phase for Fe in the Baltic Sea is a carbon-rich fulvic acid associated compound, likely of riverine origin. The Fe isotope composition (δ56Fe) of the PFe showed constant positive values in the Bothnian Sea surface waters (+0.08 to +0.20‰). Enrichment of heavy Fe in the Bothnian Sea PFe is most likely associated to input of aggregated land derived Fe-oxyhydroxides and a rapid overturn of Fe(II). At the Landsort deep, the fractionation of PFe changed between −0.08‰ to +0.28‰. The negative values, in early spring, probably indicate exchange over the oxic-anoxic boundary at ~80 m depth.
The Arctic Ocean marine carbon cycle: evaluation of air-sea CO2 exchanges, ocean acidification impacts and potential feedbacks
Authors: Bates N. R. , Mathis J. T.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. At present, although seasonal sea-ice cover mitigates atmosphere-ocean gas exchange, the Arctic Ocean takes up carbon dioxide (CO2) on the order of −65 to −175 Tg C year−1, contributing 5–14% to the global balance of CO2 sinks and sources. Because of this, the Arctic Ocean is an important influence on the global carbon cycle, with the marine carbon cycle and atmosphere-ocean CO2 exchanges sensitive to Arctic Ocean and global climate change feedbacks. In the near-term, further sea-ice loss and increases in phytoplankton growth rates are expected to increase the uptake of CO2 by Arctic surface waters, although mitigated somewhat by surface warming in the Arctic. Thus, the capacity of the Arctic Ocean to uptake CO2 is expected to alter in response to environmental changes driven largely by climate. These changes are likely to continue to modify the physics, biogeochemistry, and ecology of the Arctic Ocean in ways that are not yet fully understood. In surface waters, sea-ice melt, river runoff, cooling and uptake of CO2 through air-sea gas exchange combine to decrease the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) mineral saturation states (Ω) of seawater that is counteracted by seasonal phytoplankton primary production (PP). Biological processes drive divergent trajectories for Ω in surface and subsurface waters of Arctic shelves with subsurface water experiencing undersaturation with respect to aragonite and calcite. Thus, in response to increased sea-ice loss, warming and enhanced phytoplankton PP, the benthic ecosystem of the Arctic shelves are expected to be negatively impacted by the biological amplification of ocean acidification. This in turn reduces the ability of many species to produce CaCO3 shells or tests with profound implications for Arctic marine ecosystems.
A case study of eddy covariance flux of N2O measured within forest ecosystems: quality control and flux error analysis
Authors: Mammarella I. , Werle P. , Pihlatie M. , Eugster W. , Haapanala S. , Kiese R. , Markkanen T. , Rannik Ü. , Vesala T.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Eddy covariance (EC) flux measurements of nitrous oxide obtained by using a 3-D sonic anemometer and a tunable diode laser gas analyzer for N2O were investigated. Two datasets (Sorø, Denmark and Kalevansuo, Finland) from different measurement campaigns including sub-canopy flux measurements of energy and carbon dioxide are discussed with a focus on selected quality control aspects and flux error analysis. Although fast response trace gas analyzers based on spectroscopic techniques are increasingly used in ecosystem research, their suitability for reliable estimates of eddy covariance fluxes is still limited, and some assumptions have to be made for filtering and processing data. The N2O concentration signal was frequently dominated by offset drifts (fringe effect), which can give an artificial extra contribution to the fluxes when the resulting concentration fluctuations are correlated with the fluctuations of the vertical wind velocity. Based on Allan variance analysis of the N2O signal, we found that a recursive running mean filter with a time constant equal to 50~s was suitable to damp the influence of the periodic drift. Although the net N2O fluxes over the whole campaign periods were quite small at both sites (~5 μg N m−2 h−1 for Kalevansuo and ~10 μg N m−2 h−1 for Sorø), the calculated sub-canopy EC fluxes were in good agreement with those estimated by automatic soil chambers. However EC N2O flux measurements show larger random uncertainty than the sensible heat fluxes, and classification according to statistical significance of single flux values indicates that downward N2O fluxes have larger random error.
Microbiotic crusts on soil, rock and plants: neglected major players in the global cycles of carbon and nitrogen?
Authors: Elbert W. , Weber B. , Büdel B. , Andreae M. O. , Pöschl U.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Microbiotic crusts consisting of bacteria, fungi, algae, lichens, and bryophytes colonize most terrestrial surfaces, and they are able to fix carbon and nitrogen from the atmosphere. Here we show that microbiotic crusts are likely to play major roles in the global biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nitrogen, and we suggest that they should be further characterized and taken into account in studies and models of the Earth system and climate. For the global annual net uptake of carbon by microbiotic crusts we present a first estimate of ~3.6 Pg a−1. This uptake corresponds to ~6% of the estimated global net carbon uptake by terrestrial vegetation (net primary production, NPP: ~60 Pg a−1), and it is of the same magnitude as the global annual carbon turnover due to biomass burning. The estimated rate of nitrogen fixation by microbiotic crusts (~45 Tg a−1) amounts to ~40% of the global estimate of biological nitrogen fixation (107 Tg a−1). With regard to Earth system dynamics and global change, the large contribution of microbiotic crusts to nitrogen fixation is likely to be important also for the sequestration of CO2 by terrestrial plants (CO2 fertilization), because the latter is constrained by the availability of fixed nitrogen.
Response of the temperate coral Cladocora caespitosa to mid- and long-term exposure to pCO2 and temperature levels projected in 2100
Authors: Rodolfo-Metalpa R. , Martin S. , Ferrier-Pagès C. , Gattuso J.-P.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Atmospheric CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) is expected to increase to 700 ppm or more by the end of the present century. Anthropogenic CO2 is absorbed by the oceans leading to decreases in pH and the CaCO3 saturation state (Ω) of the seawater. While pCO2 was shown to drastically decrease calcification rates in tropical, fast growing corals, here we show, using the Mediterranean symbiotic coral Cladocora caespitosa, that the conventional belief that an increase in pCO2, in the range predicted to 2100, reduces calcification rates may not be widespread in temperate corals. We found that the seasonal change in temperature was the predominant factor controlling the physiology and growth of C. caespitosa, while an increase in pCO2, alone or in combination with global warming, had no significant effect on photosynthesis, photosynthetic efficiency and calcification. This result differs from that obtained on reef-building corals, which exhibit lower rates of calcification at elevated pCO2. The lack of sensitivity of temperate corals to high-pCO2 levels might be due to its slow growth rates, which seem to be more dependent on temperature than on the saturation state of calcium carbonate in the range predicted for the end of the century.
Modeling the variability in annual carbon fluxes related to biological soil crusts in a Mediterranean shrubland
Authors: Wilske B. , Burgheimer J. , Maseyk K. , Karnieli A. , Zaady E. , Andreae M. O. , Yakir D. , Kesselmeier J.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. Biological soil crusts (BSC) constitute a spatially prominent part of the photosynthesizing vegetation in many dryland ecosystems. This study assesses the annual net carbon deposition related to BSC growth in a Mediterranean shrubland for the years 2001–2003 using a model developed to account for the nature of hydration in the poikilohydric life trait of the BSC. Data for BSC-related net CO2 fluxes were obtained from in-situ measurements at the International Long-term Ecological Research site Sayeret Shaked (ILTER-SSK) in the northern Negev Desert, Israel. The BSC was smooth to rugose, up to 15 mm thick and consisted mainly of mosses, cyanobacteria and cyano-lichens. In order to obtain annual estimates, BSC-related CO2 fluxes were correlated with climate records provided by the meteorological station of the Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Site network (TEMS) adjacent to SSK. The annual carbon deposition related to BSC growth was assessed from (1) an overall mean of net CO2 flux multiplied with annual activity periods of BSC based on precipitation records, and (2) from a simple precipitation-driven activity model (PdAM). This model combines an algorithm, previously developed to model gas exchange processes in vascular plants, with an empirical module that switches the algorithm on as soon as water is available to maintain activity of poikilohydric BSC. Based on a constant BSC area index of 0.6 m2 m−2 at ILTER-SSK, the final model suggests a large inter-annual variability in BSC-related net carbon deposition ranging from 7 to 51 kg ha−1 yr−1.
Regional and temporal patterns of litterfall in tropical South America
Authors: Chave J. , Navarrete D. , Almeida S. , Álvarez E. , Aragão L. E. O. C. , Bonal D. , Châtelet P. , Silva Espejo J. , Goret J.-Y. , von Hildebrand P. , Jiménez E. , Patiño S. , Peñuela M. C. , Phillips O. L. , Stevenson P. , Malhi Y.
Published: April 2010

Abstract. The production of aboveground soft tissue represents an important share of total net primary production in tropical rain forests. Here we draw from a large number of published and unpublished datasets (n=81 sites) to assess the determinants of litterfall variation across South American tropical forests. We show that across old-growth tropical rainforests, litterfall averages 8.61±1.91Mg/ha/yr. Secondary forests have a lower annual litterfall than old-growth tropical forests with a mean of 8.01±3.41 Mg/ha/yr. Annual litterfall shows no significant variation with total annual rainfall, either globally or within forest types. It does not vary consistently with soil type, except in the poorest soils (white sand soils), where litterfall is significantly lower than in other soil types (5.42±1.91Mg/ha/yr). Litterfall declines significantly with increasing N:P. We also study the determinants of litterfall seasonality, and find that it does not depend on annual rainfall or on soil type. However, litterfall seasonality is significantly positively correlated with rainfall seasonality. Finally, we assess how much carbon is stored in reproductive organs relative to photosynthetic organs. Mean leaf fall is 5.74±1.83 Mg/ha/yr (71% of total litterfall). Mean allocation into reproductive organs is 0.69±0.40Mg/ha/yr (9% of total litterfall). The investment into reproductive organs divided by leaf litterfall is negatively related to the N:P ratio, suggesting that on poor soils, the allocation to photosynthetic organs is prioritized over that to reproduction. Finally, we discuss the ecological and biogeochemical implications of these results.