Mechanical Properties of Methane Hydrate-Bearing Interlayered Sediments

The complex distribution of gas hydrate in sediments makes understanding the mechanical properties of hydrate-bearing sediments a challenging task. The mechanical behaviors of hydrate-bearing interlayered sediments are still poorly known. A series of triaxial shearing tests were conducted to investigate the strength parameters and deformation properties of methane hydrate-bearing interlayered sediments at the effective pressure of 1 MPa. The results indicate that the stress-strain curves of hydrate-bearing interlayered sediments are significantly different from that of hydrate-bearing sediments. The peak strength, Young's modulus, initial yielding modulus, and failure mode are deeply affected by the methane hydrate distribution. The failure behaviors and mechanism of strain softening and hardening patterns of the interlayered specimens are more complicated than those of the integrated specimens. This study compares the different mechanical behaviors between integrated and interlayered specimens containing gas hydrate, which can serve as a reference for the prediction and analysis of the deformation behaviors of natural gas hydrate reservoirs.     

雷州半岛高桥红树林沉积物中砷的分布

采用五态连续提取法(SEP)对雷州半岛高桥红树林群落内外不同深度的沉积物砷含量进行测定.结果表明,高桥红树林湿地0~60cm深处沉积物中除Al-结合态砷和Ca-结合态砷含量低,难以检出外,交换态砷、残渣态砷、Fe-结合态砷皆可检出,沉积物砷积累以残渣态砷和 Fe-结合态砷为主,总砷测定含量为7.34±0.39~10.32±0.48 mg/kg,其中以20~40cm深处沉积物总砷测含量最多;不同深度沉积物砷含量中林内与林区外裸滩呈现不同的分布规律,林外裸滩-林缘-林内的表土总砷含量的分布呈波浪式分布,以林缘为最高,总砷达9.97±1.29 mg/kg,林内显著大于林外裸滩(p值<0.05),林内沉积物对砷的吸附强度较林外裸滩高     

Atmospheric methane over the past 2000 years from a sub-tropical ice core,central Himalayas

A high-resolution 2000-year methane record has been constructed from an ice core recovered at 7200 m a.s.l. on the Dasuopu Glacier in the central Himalayas. This sub-tropical methane record reveals an increasing trend in the concentration of methane during the industrial era that is similar to observations from polar regions. However, we also observed the differences in the atmospheric methane mixing ratio between this monsoon record and those from polar regions during pre-industrial times. In the time interval 0-1850 A.D., the average methane concentration in the Dasuopu ice core was 782±40 ppbv and the maximum temporal variation exceeded 200 ppbv. The difference gradient of methane concentration in Dasuopu ice core with Greenland and Antarctica cores are 66±40 ppbv and 107±40 ppbv, respectively. This suggests that the tropical latitudes might have acted as a major global methane source in pre- industrial times. In addition, the temporal fluctuation of the pre-industrial methane records suggests that monsoon evolution incorporated with high methane emission from south Asia might be responsible for the relatively high methane concentration observed in the Dasuopu ice core around A.D. 800 and A.D. 1600. These results provide a rough understanding of the contribution of tropical methane source to the global methane budget and also the relationship between atmospheric methane and climate change.     

Microplastic pollution and enrichment of distinct microbiota in sediment of mangrove in Zhujiang River estuary,China

The microbial communities colonized on microplastics (MPs) have attracted widespread attention. However, few studies focused on the MPs impacts on mangrove ecosystems, particularly on bacterial communities. We investigated the MPs pollution in mangrove of Zhujiang (Pearl) River estuary (ZRE). To study the potential risk posed by MPs to the mangrove ecosystems, the differences in bacterial communities, functions, and complexity between MPs and sediment samples were reported for the first time. Microplastics (2 991±1 586 items/kg dry weight (dw)) in sediment were mainly fibers and polyethylene, mostly transparent, and in size less than 0.5 mm. Bacterial communities and functions significantly differed from MPs in mangrove sediment. Compared with sediment, MPs significantly enriched members of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, as well as the bacteria associated with plastic-degrading and human diseases on their surface, suggesting that microbial communities on MPs may promote MPs degradation and the spread of diseases, posing potential risk to mangrove ecosystems and human health. Although bacteria on MPs exhibited a lower diversity, the co-occurrence network analysis indicated that network of bacteria colonized on MPs was bigger and more complex than those of mangrove sediment, illustrating that MPs can act as a distinct habitat in this special ecosystem. This study provides a new perspective for increasing our understanding of microplastic pollution in mangrove ecosystems.

     

Distribution of general aerobic heterotrophic bacteria in sediment core taken from the Canadian basin and the Chukchi Sea

The occurrence percentage and abundance of General Aerobic Hetero- trophic Bacteria （GAB） were determined by using the method of MPN for 182 sub- samples from 10 sediment cores taken from the Canadian basin and the Chukchi Sea at two different culturing temperatures. The results showed that the general occurrence percentage of GAB was quite high, average abundanees of GAB at cultured temperatares of 4℃ and 25℃ were 4.46 ×10^7 and 5.47×10^7 cells·g^-1（wt）, respectively. The highest abundance of GAB occurred at 20 -22 cm section in the sediment. GAB abundances changed among the section of sediments, but there is a trend ： the a-bundances at the middle or lower sections were lower than those at upper section. Cultivation at 25℃ could improve the occurrence percentage and abundances of GAB, which suggests that the increasing of temperature may change the living circum-stances of GAB. The differences of GAB among the latitudes areas indicated that occurrence percentage and abundances of GAB in middle latitude areas were higher than those in the higher or lower latitude areas, and were more obvious at 4℃ than those at 25℃. The GAB abundances in sediment under the shallower water seemed to be low- er than those in sediments under the deeper water and this status was more obvious at 25℃ than that at 4℃.     

Quantification of methane fluxes from hydrocarbon seeps to the ocean and atmosphere: Development of an <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> and online gas flux measuring system

Natural hydrocarbon seeps in the marine environment are important contributors to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Such gases include methane, which plays a significant role in global carbon cycling and climate change. To accurately quantify the methane flux from hydrocarbon seeps on the seafloor, a specialized in situ and online gas flux measuring (GFM) device was designed to obtain high-resolution time course gas fluxes using the process of equal volume exchange. The device consists of a 1.0-m diameter, 0.9-m tall, inverted conical tent and a GFM instrument that contains a solenoid valve, level transducer, and gas collection chamber. Rising gas bubbles from seeps were measured by laboratory-calibrated GFM instruments attached to the top of the tent. According to the experimental data, the optimal anti-shake time interval was 5 s. The measurement range of the device was 0–15 L min^?1, and the relative error was ± 1.0%. The device was initially deployed at an active seep site in the Lingtou Promontory seep field in South China Sea. The amount of gas released from a single gas vent was 30.5 m³ during the measurement period, and the gas flow rate ranged from 22 to 72 L h^?1, depending on tidal period, and was strongly negatively correlated with water depth. The measurement results strongly suggest that oceanic tides and swells had a significant forcing effect on gas flux. Low flow rates were associated with high tides and vice versa. The changes in gas volume escaping from the seafloor seeps could be attributed to the hydrostatic pressure induced by water depth. Our findings suggest that in the marine environment, especially in the shallow shelf area, sea level variation may play an important role in controlling methane release into the ocean. Such releases probably also affect atmospheric methane levels.     

The Effect of Bioturbation Activity of the Ark Clam Scapharca subcrenata on the Fluxes of Nutrient Exchange at the Sediment–Water Interface

Filter-feeding shellfish are common benthos and significantly affect the biogeochemical cycle in the shallow coastal ecosystems.Ark clam Scapharca subcrenata is one of the widely cultured bivalve species in many coastal areas owing to its tremendous economic value.However,there is little information regarding the effects of the bioturbation of S.subcrenata on the fluxes of nutrient exchange in the sediment-water interface(SWI).In this regard,S.subcrenata was sampled during October 2016 to determine the effects of its bioturbation activity on the nutrient exchange flux of the SWI.The results showed that the biological activity of S.subcrenata could increase the diffusion depth and the rate of the nutrients exchange in the sediments.The bioturbation of S.subcrenata could allow the nutrients to permeate into the surface sediments at 6-10cm and increase the release rate of nutrients at the SWI.The releasing fluxes of DIN and PO43−-P in the culture area were found to be around three times higher than that in the non-cultured region.The culture of S.subcrenata has been proved to be an important contributor to nutrient exchange across the SWI in the farming area of Haizhou Bay.Nutrients exchange in the SWI contributes a part of 86%DIN,71%PO43−-P and 18%SiO32−-Si for the aquaculture farm.     

Difference in organic carbon contents and distributions in particle-size fractions between soil and sediment on the Southern Loess Plateau,China

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of long-term cultivation and water erosion on the soil organic carbon （OC） in particle-size fractions. The study site is located at Nihegou Watershed in the Southern Loess Plateau, China. The soil at this site is loess with loose and silty structure, and contains macropores. The results showed that the OC concentrations in sediments and in the particle-size fractions of sediments were higher than those in soils and in the particle-size fractions of soils. The OC concentration was highest in the clay particles and was lowest in the sand particles. Clay particles possessed higher OC enrichment ability than silt and sand particles. The proportions of OC in the silt fractions of soil and sediment were the highest （mean value of 53.87% and 58.48%, respectively）, and the total proportion of OC in the clay and silt fractions accounted for 96% and 98% of the total OC in the soil and sediment, respectively. The loss of OC was highest in silt particles, with an average value of 0.16 Mg ha^-1 y^-1, and was lowest in the sand （0.003 Mg ha^-1 y^-l）. This result suggests that the fine particle-size fraction in the removed sediment may be an important indicator to assess soil OC losses.     

Research Progress of Seafloor Pockmarks in Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Classification

Seafloor pockmarks are important indicators of submarine methane seepages and slope instabilities.In order to promote the understanding of submarine pockmarks and their relationship with sediment instabilities and climate changes,here we summarize the research results of pockmarks in the spatio-temporal distributions and shaping factors.Most of pockmarks occur along active or passive continental margins during the last 25 kyr B.P..Circular and ellipse are the most common forms of pockmarks,whereas pockmarks in a special crescent or elongated shape are indicators of slope instabilities,and ring-shape pockmarks are endemic to the gas hydrate zones.Further researches should be focused on the trigger mechanism of climate changes based on the pockmarks in the high latitudes formed during the deglaciation periods,and the role of gas hydrates in the seafloor evolution should be elucidated.In addition,the feature of pockmarks at their early stage(e.g.,developing gas chimneys and gas driving sedimentary doming)and the relations between pockmarks and mass movements,mud diapirs could be further studied to clarify the influences of rapid methane release from submarine sediments on the atmospheric carbon contents.     

Characterization of microbial communities in sediments of the South Yellow Sea

Illumina sequencing and quantitative PCR(qPCR) based on the 16 S ribosomal RNA(rRNA) gene were conducted to characterize the vertical distribution of bacterial and archaeal communities in the sediments of two sites from the South Yellow Sea. Both bacterial and archaeal communities showed a clear stratified distribution with sediment depth. The microbial communities in the upper layers were distinct from those in the deeper layers; the relative abundances of sequences of Thaumarchaeota, Gammaproteobacteria, and Actinobacteria were higher in the upper than in the deeper sediments, whereas the sequences of Bathyarchaeia, Lokiarchaeota, Euryarchaeota, Chloroflexi, and Deltaproteobacteria were relatively more abundant in the deeper sediments. Sediment depth and total organic carbon(TOC) can significantly influence both the bacterial and archaeal communities. Furthermore, bacterial and archaeal groups potentially involved in nitrogen, sulfur, and methane metabolism were detected in both sites. In our study, both ammonia-oxidizing bacteria( Nitrospira) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea( Candidatus Nitrosopumilus) were responsible for ammonia oxidization. Additionally, sulfur-reducing bacteria SEEP-SRB1 forming consortia with anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea ANME-2 a-2 b were capable of anaerobic methane oxidation(AOM) in the 3400-02 sediment samples.     

Uptake and recovery of soil nitrogen by bryophytes and vascular plants in an alpine meadow

Due to their particular physiology and life history traits, bryophytes are critical in regulating biogeochemical cycles and functions in alpine ecosystem. Hence, it is crucial to investigate their nutrient utilization strategies in comparison with vascular plants and understand their responses to the variation of growing season caused by climate change. Firstly, this study testified whether or not bryophytes can absorb nitrogen(N) directly from soil through spiking three chemical forms of 15N stable isotope tracer. Secondly, with stronger ability of carbohydrates assimilation and photosynthesis, it is supposed that N utilization efficiency of vascular plants is significantly higher than that of bryophytes. However, the recovery of soil N by bryophytes can still compete with vascular plants due to their greater phytomass. Thirdly, resource acquisition may be varied from the change of growing season, during which N pulse can be manipulated with 15N tracer addition at different time. Both of bryophytes and vascular plants contain more N in a longer growing season, and prefer inorganic over organic N. Bryophytes assimilate more NH4+ than NO3– and amino acid, which can be indicated from the greater shoot excess 15N of bryophytes. However, vascular plants prefer to absorb NO3– for their developed root systems and vascular tissue. Concerning the uptake of three forms N by bryophytes, there is significant difference between two manipulated lengths of growing season. Furthermore, the capacity of bryophytes to tolerate N-pollution may be lower than currently appreciated, which indicates the effect of climate change on asynchronous variation of soil N pools with plant requirements.     

Fractal characterization of sediment particle-size distribution in the water-level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir,China

The combined effect of periodic water impoundment and seasonal natural flood events has created a 30 m high water-level fluctuation zone(WLFZ) around the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR), China, forming a unique eco-landscape. Siltation, eutrophication, enrichment of heavy metals, and methane emissions in the WLFZ have been widely associated with sediment and soil particles generated from the upstream catchment or upland slopes. However, little attention has been paid to the complexity of sediment particle-size distributions in the WLFZ. In the present study, core samples(from a 345 cm thick sediment core from the base of the WLFZ), slope transect surface samples(across/up a WLFZ slope), and along-river/longitudinal surface samples(from the reservoir reaches) were collected. Laser granulometry and a volume-based fractal model were used to reveal the characteristics of sediment particle-size distributions. Results indicate that the alternation of coarse and fine particles in the sedimentary core profile is represented as a fluctuation of low and high values of fractal dimension(D), ranging from 2.59 to 2.77. On the WLFZ slope transect, surface sediment particles coarsen with increasing elevation, sand content increases from 3.3% to 78.5%, and D decreases from 2.76 to 2.53. Longitudinally, surface sediments demonstrate a downstream-fining trend, and D increases gradually downstream. D is significantly positively correlated with the fine particle content. We conclude that D is a useful measure for evaluating sediment particle-size distribution.     

Simultaneous quantification of greenhouse gas and nitric oxide emissions from subtropical conventional vegetable systems: a 2-site field case study in Sichuan Basin

Quantification of greenhouse gases[nitrous oxide(N₂O)and methane(CH₄)]and nitric oxide(NO)emissions from subtropical conventional vegetable systems through multi-site field measurements are needed to obtain accurate regional and global estimates.N2 O,NO and CH4 emissions from subtropical conventional vegetable systems were simultaneously measured at two different sites with hilly topography in the Sichuan basin,southwest China by using the static chamber gas chromatography technique.Results showed that annual soil N₂O and NO fluxes for the treatment receiving N fertilizer ranged from 6.34-7.71 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1 and 0.69-0.85 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1,respectively,while decreased soil CH4 uptakes by 26.4%as compared with no N fertilizer addition across our two sites of experiment.Overall,the average direct N2 O and NO emission factor(EFd)were 0.71%and 0.12%,respectively,which were both lower than the available EFd for subtropical conventional vegetable systems.This finding indicates that current regional and global estimates of N₂O and NO emissions from vegetable fields are likely overestimated.Background N₂O emissions(3.42-3.62 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1)from the subtropical conventional vegetable systems were relatively high as compared with available field measurements worldwide,suggesting that background N₂O emissions cannot be ignored for regional estimate of N₂O emissions in subtropical region.Nevertheless,the significantly intra-and inter-annual variations in N₂O,CH₄ and NO emissions were also observed in the present study,which could be explained by temporal variations of environmental variables(i.e.soil temperature and moisture).The differences in N₂O and NO EFd and CH₄emissions between various vegetable systems in particular under subtropical conditions should be taken into account when compiling regional or global inventories and proposing mitigation practices.     

海南东寨港红树林湿地沉积物氮形态空间分布特征及影响因素

沉积物中氮的赋存形态直接影响其参与生物地球化学循环的进程、途径和贡献大小,探究沉积物中不同氮形态的环境地球化学行为对研究氮的地球化学循环具有重要意义。以海南东寨港红树林湿地沉积物为研究对象,分别采集表层沉积物和柱状沉积物,采用分级浸提法提取不同形态的可转化态氮进行空间分布特征及影响因素分析。结果表明:研究区沉积物中总氮(TN)质量分数在1 149.0~1 690.6 mg/kg之间,总可转化态氮(TTN)的质量分数在464.6~647.5 mg/kg之间,二者均呈现出从上游至入海口逐渐降低的空间分布特征;4种可转化态氮中强氧化剂浸取态氮(SOEF-N)与TTN呈显著正相关,也是最主要的氮形态存在形式。通过沉积物C/N比值分析可知,研究区有机质主要来自污染物的大量排入,东寨港红树林柱状沉积物中TN与含水率、TOC呈极显著的正相关关系,表明氮与有机质具有相似的来源。      

A Multilayer Study of pCO2 in the Surface Waters of the Yellow and South China Seas in Spring and the Sea-Air Carbon Dioxide Flux

A multilayer study of pCO2 for the Yellow and South China Seas in the surface waters was conducted based on data from four cruises sponsored by the China SOLAS Project in 2005 and 2006, including data for the surface microlayer (SML), sub- surface layer (SSL) and surface layer (SL). The carbon fluxes across the air-sea interface were calculated. The results showed that the pCO2 values in the surface waters of the study area decreased in the following order: pCO2 SML pCO2 SSL pCO2 SL. The highest val- ues were found in March for all SML, SSL and SL, followed by those in April, and the lowest were in May. The pCO2 values had a significant positive correlation with temperature or salinity. While there was no relationship between pCO2 and longitude, there was a significant negative correlation between it and latitude, i.e., 'high latitude low pCO2'. By using four calculation models, the carbon dioxide fluxes ( FCO2 ) in spring in the Yellow and South China Seas, which were found to act as a 'sink' of atmospheric CO2, were preliminarily estimated on the basis of the pCO2 data in the SML to be -7.00×106t C and -22.35×106t C, respectively. It is suggested that the FCO2 calculated on the basis of pCO2 data in the SML is more reliable than that calculated on the basis of those in the SL.     

Coatal salt marshes and mangrove swamps in China

Based on plant specimen data, sediment samples, photos, and sketches from 45 coastal crosssections, and materials from two recent countrywide comprehensive investigations on Chinese coasts and islands, this paper deals with China’s vegetative tidal-flats: salt marshes and mangrove swamps. There are now 141700 acres of salt marshes and 51000 acres of mangrove swamps which together cover about 30% of the mud-coast area of the country and distribute between 18°N (Southern Hainan Island) and 41 °N (Liaodong Bay). Over the past 45 years, about 1750000 acres of salt marshes and 49400 acres of mangrove swamps have been reclaimed. The 2.0×10⁹ tons of fine sediments input by rivers into the Chinese seas form extensive tidal flats, the soil basis of coastal helophytes. Different climates result in the diversity of vegetation. The 3∼8 m tidal range favors intertidal zone development. Of over 20 plant species in the salt marshes, nativeSuaeda salsa, Phragmites australis, Aeluropus littoralis, Zoysia maerostachys, Imperata cylindrica and introducedSpartina anglica are the most extensive in distribution. Of the 41 mangrove swamps species,Kandelia candel, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Excoecaria agallocha andAvicennia marina are much wider in latitudinal distribution than the others. Developing stages of marshes originally relevant to the evolution of tidal flats are given out. The roles of pioneer plants in decreasing flood water energy and increasing accretion rate in the Changjiang River delta are discussed. The project was supported by the NSFC (No. 49476281).     

The regional difference in engineering-control and tillage factors of Chinese Soil Loss Equation

Accurate assessment of soil erosion is an important prerequisite for controlling soil erosion.The engineering-control(E)and tillage(T)factors are the keys for Chinese Soil Loss Equation(CSLE)to accurately evaluate water erosion in China.Besides,the E and T factors can reflect the water and soil conservation effects of engineering-control and tillage practices.But in the current full coverage of soil erosion surveys in China(such as soil erosion dynamic monitoring),for the same practice,the E or T factors are assigned the same value across the country.We selected 469 E and T factors data based on runoff plots from 73 publications,and they came from six soil and water conservation regions.Correlation analysis,regression analysis,and nonparametric tests were used to determine the comparability of the data,and it was proved that the runoff plots dimensions are consistent with the local topography.The results of one-way ANOVA and nonparametric tests for E and T factors in different regions showed that the engineering-control practices have good soil and water conservation effects and weaken the regional differences of other environmental factors,so there were no significant differences in E factors between different regions.However,there were significant differences in T factors between different regions,and the geodetector was applied to explore the intrinsic driving force of the spatial distribution of T factors.The results of the geodetector showed that the dominant driving forces of the spatial distribution of different types of tillage practices were not completely the same.When using CSLE to calculate water erosion,the E factor of the same practice can be used uniformly throughout the country,and the T factor needs to be considered and selected according to regional differences.At the same time,when choosing tillage practices in each water and soil conservation region,practices with better sediment reduction benefits should also be selected according to the regional environmental conditions.     

MOLAR RATIOS OF C, N, P OF PARTICULATE MATTER AND THEIR VERTICAL FLUXES IN THE YELLOW SEA

The vertical fluxes and molar ratios of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus of suspended particulate matter in the Yellow Sea were studied based on the analysis of suspended particulate matter,sediments and sinking particles obtained by use of moored sediment traps. The POC ： PON ratios indicate that most of the particulate organic matter in the Yellow Sea water column comes from marine life rather than the continent. The vertical fluxes of SPM, POC, PON and POP in the Yellow Sea are much higher than those in other seas over the world, and present a typical pattern in shallow epicontinental seas. The estimated residence time of the bioactive elements showed that the speed of the biogeochemical process of materials in the Yellow Sea is much shorter than that in the open ocean as there was high primary productivity in this region.     

Seasonal and Interannual Variability of Bering Strait Throughflow from AO-FVCOM and Observation

A high-resolution Arctic Ocean-Finite Volume Community Ocean Model(AO-FVCOM) and observational current data from 14 mooring stations in Bering Strait and surrounding regions between 1990 and 2015 were used to study the seasonal and interannual variability of Bering Strait throughflow(BST). AO-FVCOM represented the BST with a climatological northward flux of 1.06 Sv, which was close to the observational mean of 0.94 ? 0.26 Sv. From the model results, the strongest volume flux was in summer, approximately 45% larger than that in winter. Interannual variability of BST was also indicated in the model results, and the maximum and minimum annual mean transports are in 2007 and 2012, respectively. AO-FVCOM showed larger differences from the observations in 2000, 2002, and 2015 than in other years, which may be related to the limitation of atmospheric forcing for the model. According to the driving mechanisms of BST, sea level difference(SLD) across the strait dominates the northward volume transport, and local wind is also important in forcing the seasonal variability of the BST and SLD patterns to change the BST indirectly.     

Diurnal variation of soil CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> efflux and its optimal measuring time-window of temperate meadow steppes in western Songnen Plain,China

In order to study the diurnal variation of soil CO_2 efflux from temperate meadow steppes in Northeast China, and determine the best time for observation, a field experiment was conducted with a LI-6400 soil CO_2 flux system under five typical plant communities(Suaeda glauca(Sg), Chloris virgata(Cv), Puccinellia distans(Pd), Leymus chinensis(Lc) and Phragmites australis(Pa)) and an alkali-spot land(As) at the meadow steppe of western Songnen Plain. The results showed that the diurnal variation of soil CO_2 efflux exhibited a single peak curve in the growing season. Diurnal maximum soil respiration(Rs) often appeared between 11:00 and 13:00, while the minimum occurred at 21:00–23:00 or before dawn. Air temperature near the soil surface(Ta) and soil temperature at 10 cm depth(T10) exerted dominant control on the diurnal variations of soil respiration. The time-windows 7:00–9:00 could be used as the optimal measuring time to represent the daily mean soil CO_2 efflux at the Cv, Pd, Lc and Pa sites. The daily mean soil CO_2 efflux was close to the soil CO_2 efflux from 15:00 to 17:00 and the mean of 2 individual soil CO_2 efflux from 15:00 to 19:00 at the As and Sg sites, respectively. During nocturnal hours, negative soil CO_2 fluxes(CO_2 downwards into the soil) were frequently observed at the As and Sg sites, the magnitude of the negative CO_2 fluxes were 0.10–1.55 μmol/(m~2·s) and 0.10–0.69 μmol/(m~2·s)at the two sites. The results implied that alkaline soils could absorb CO_2 under natural condition, which might have significant implications to the global carbon budget accounting.