Trophic Interaction in a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Portunus rituberculatus</Emphasis> Polyculture Ecosystem Based on Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Analysis

Trophic interaction among various biomass groups in a swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus polyculture pond was investigated using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. The polycultured animal species also included white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei, short-necked clam Ruditapes philippinarum, and redlip mullet Liza haematochila. The mean δ¹³C value for all the biomass groups in polyculture ecosystem ranged from ?25.61‰ to ?16.60‰, and the mean δ¹⁵N value ranged from 6.80‰ to 13.09‰. Significant difference in the δ¹³C value was found between particulate organic matter (POM) and sediment organic matter (SOM) (P < 0.05), indicating that these two organic matter pools have different material sources. Assuming that a ¹³C-enrichment factor of 1.00‰ and a ¹⁵N-enrichment factor of 2.70‰ existed between consumer and prey, diets of the four cultured animals were estimated using a stable isotope mixing model. The estimated model results indicated that P. trituberculatus mainly feed on Aloidis laevis; L. vannamei mainly feed on shrimp feed; while A. laevis, R. philippinarum and L. haematochelia mainly feed on POM. Shrimp feed was also an important food source of R. philippinarum and L. haematochelia. The diets of P. trituberculatus, L. vannamei, R. philippinarum, and L. haematochila showed complementary effects in this polyculture ecosystem. Our finding indicated that the polyculture of these four organisms with suitable farming density could make an effective use of most of the food sources, which can make a highly efficient polyculture ecosystem.     

Stable Isotopes in Precipitation and Atmospheric Moisture of Pailugou Catchment in Northwestern China′s Qilian Mountains

Hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in precipitation have been widely used as effective traces to investigate hydrological processes such as evaporation and atmospheric moisture source. This study analyzed δD and δ~(18)O of precipitation in continuous event-based samples at three stations of Pailugou Catchment from November 2012 to December 2013. The δ~(18)O and δD values ranged from-32.32‰ to +3.23‰ and from-254.46‰ to +12.11‰, respectively. Results show that the δ~(18)O displayed a distinct seasonal variation, with enriched values occurring in summer and relatively depleted values in winter, respectively. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the δ~(18)O and δD values and local surface air temperature at all the three stations. The nearest Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation(GNIP) station(Zhangye), compared to the Meteoric Water Lines for this study, showed the obvious local evaporation effects with lower intercept and slope. Additionally, d-excess(δD- 8δ~(18)O) parameter in precipitation exhibited an anti-phase seasonal variability with the δ~(18)O. The 96-h back trajectories for each precipitation event using Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory(HYSPLIT) model indicated a dominant effect of westerly air masses in summer and the integrated influence of westerly and polar air masses in winter.     

Spatial variation of stable isotopes in different waters during melt season in the Laohugou Glacial Catchment,Shule River basin

To evaluate isotopic tracers at natural abundances by providing basic isotope data of the hydrological investigations and assessing the impacts of different factors on the water cycle, a total of 197 water samples were collected from the Laohugou Glacial catchment in the Shule River basin northwestern China during the 2013 ablation seasons and analyzed their H- and O-isotope composition. The results showed that the isotopic composition of precipitation in the Qilianshan Station in the Laohugou Glacial catchment was remarkable variability. Correspondingly, a higher slope of δ~(18)O-δD diagram, with an average of 8.74, is obtained based on the precipitation samples collected on the Glacier No.12, mainly attributed to the lower temperature on the glacier surface. Because of percolation and elution, the isotopic composition at the bottom of the firn is nearly steady. The δ~(18)O /altitude gradients for precipitation and melt water were -0.37‰/100 m and -0.34‰/100 m, respectively. Exposed to the air and influenced by strong ablation and evaporation, the isotopic values and the δ~(18)O vs δD diagram of the glacial surface ice show no altitudinal effect, indicating that glacier ice has the similar origins with the firn. The variation of isotopic composition in the melt water, varying from -10.7‰ to -16.9‰(δ~(18)O) and from -61.1‰ to -122.1‰(δD) indicates the recharging of snowmelt and glacial ice melt water produced at different altitudes. With a mean value of -13.3‰ for δ~(18)O and -89.7‰ for δD, the isotopic composition of the stream water is much closer to the melt water, indicating that stream water is mainly recharged by the ablation water. Our results of the stable isotopic compositions in natural water in the Laohugou Glacial catchment indicate the fractionations and the smoothing fluctuations of the stable isotopes during evaporation, infiltration and mixture.     

Origins of terrestrial organic matter in surface sediments of the East China Sea shelf

Terrestrial organic matter(TOM) is an important component of marine sedimentary OM, and revealing the origins and transport mechanisms of TOM to the East China Sea(ECS) is important for understanding regional carbon cycle. A novel approach combining molecular proxies and compound-specific carbon isotopes is used to quantitatively constrain the origins and transport mechanisms of TOM in surface sediments from the ECS shelf. The content of terrestrial biomarkers of(C_(27)+C_(29)+C_(31)) n-alkanes(52 to 580 ng g~(-1)) revealed a seaward decreasing trend, the δ~(13)CTOC values(-20.6‰ to-22.7‰) were more negative near the coast, and the TMBR(terrestrial and marine biomarker ratio) values(0.06 to 0.40) also revealed a seaward decreasing trend. These proxies all indicated more TOM(up to 48%) deposition in the coastal areas. The Alkane Index, the ratio of C_(29)/(C_(29)+C_(31)) n-alkanes indicated a higher proportion of grass vegetation in the coastal area; While the δ13C values of C_(29) n-alkane(-_(29).3‰ to-33.8‰) indicated that terrestrial plant in the sediments of the ECS shelf were mainly derived from C_3 plants. Cluster analysis afforded detailed estimates of different-sourced TOM contributions and transport mechanisms. TOM in the Zhejiang-Fujian coastal area was mostly delivered by the Changjiang River, and characterized by higher %TOM(up to 48%), higher %C_3 plant OM(68%-85%) and higher grass plant OM(56%-61%); TOM in the mid-shelf area was mostly transported by aerosols, and characterized by low %TOM(less than 17%), slightly lower C_3 plant OM(56%-72%) and lower grass plant OM(49%-55%).     

Seasonal changes in food uptake by the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus in a farm pond: Evidence from C and N stable isotopes

This study investigated the seasonal changes in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stable isotope values of several typical food sources of Apostichopus japonicus in a farm pond, including particulate organic matter (POM), macroalgae, benthic microalgae and animals such as nematode and copepod. The stable isotope technique was used to quantify relative contributions of various sources to the food uptake by A. japonicus. The results showed that significant changes occurred in the C and N stable isotope values of sea cucumber food sources due to the seasonality of micro-or macroalgae prosperity and the fluctuation of environmental conditions. The sea cucumber A. japonicus exhibited corresponding alterations in feeding strategy in response to the changes in food conditions. Calculation with a stable isotope mixing model showed that macroalgae was the principal food source for A. japonicus throughout the 1-yr investigation, with the relative contribution averaging 28.1% - 63.2%. The relative contributions of other food sources such as copepod and nematode, POM, benthic microalgae to the total food uptake by sea cucumber averaged 22.6% - 39.1%, 6.3% - 22.2%, 2.8% - 6.5%, and 2.8% - 4.2%, respectively. Together these results indicated that the seasonal changes in food sources led to the obvious temporal differences in the relative contribution of various food sources utilized by A. japonicus. Such findings provide the basic scientific information for improving the aquaculture techniques of A. japonicus, particularly for optimizing the food environment of A. japonicus culture in farm ponds.     

Trophic ecology of sharks in the mid-east Pacific ocean inferred from stable isotopes

As apex predators, sharks are of ecological and conservation importance in marine ecosystems. In this study, trophic positions of sharks were estimated using stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen for five representative species caught by the Chinese longline fleet in the mid-east Pacific, i.e., the blue shark(Prionace glauca), the bigeye thresher shark(Alopias superciliosus), the silky shark(Carcharhinus falciformis), the scalloped hammerhead(Sphyrna lewini), and the oceanic whitetip shark(Carcharhinus longimanus). Of these species, oceanic whitetip shark has the lowest trophic level and mean δ15N value(3.9 and 14.93‰± 0.84‰), whereas bigeye thresher shark has the highest level/values(4.5 and 17.02‰± 1.21‰, respectively). The bigeye thresher shark has significantly higher δ15N value than other shark species, indicating its higher trophic position. The blue shark and oceanic whitetip shark has significantly higher δ13C values than bigeye thresher shark, silky shark and scalloped hammerhead, possibly due to different diets and/or living habitats. The stable isotope data and stomach content data are highly consistent, suggesting that stable isotope analysis supplements traditional feeding ecology study of sharks, and thus contributes to understanding their trophic linkage.     

凡纳滨对虾不同生长阶段食物组成结构的研究

利用稳定同位素碳比率δ13C作为天然示踪物,对高位养殖池生态系统中人工饲料和天然饵料提供的能源物质对养殖凡纳滨对虾生长的贡献比率进行研究。结果表明:虾体的δ13C值受食物δ13C值的影响,由于其摄食饵料的δ13C值逐渐减小,虾体的δ13C值也逐渐降低,逐渐接近于最后人工饲料的δ13C值,试验虾体的δ13C值由养殖开始时的-19.52‰±0.09‰变为实验结束时的-21.74‰±0.17‰;对虾的食性在10d左右时发生转变,34d左右时人工饲料和浮游动物对虾体的能量贡献基本相同,养殖结束时对虾生长能量的97.29%±0.98%来源于人工饲料。     

Spatial differentiation in stable isotope compositions of surface waters and its environmental significance in the Issyk-Kul Lake region of Central Asia

Stable isotope values of oxygen(~(18)O) and hydrogen(~(2)H) of surface waters were used to study the origin and environmental significances in the Issyk-Kul basin of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia, which is the most important intermountain basin in the modern Tien Shan orogen. This study is the first analysis of hydrochemical spatial differentiation in the stable isotopes of surface waters in this watershed.75 samples were collected from rivers, springs, lakes,rain and snow during the rainy season in July and August of 2016. Stable isotopes of ~(18)O and ~(2)H were studied for all samples, and cation ratios(Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca) were also determined for lake water samples.Stable isotope values from precipitation scattered around the Local Meteoric Water Line(determined from Urumqi Station of the global network of isotopes in precipitation(GNIP)), together with values of the Deuterium excess parameter(d) from 15.3‰ to30.5‰, with an average of 19.8‰, indicating that the moisture sources are primarily from regions with low relative humidity. The δ~(18)O and δ~(2)H values were significantly different between the river and lake samples, indicating that regional evaporation caused the isotopic enrichment of lake water. Geospatial autocorrelation, measured by Moran's I coefficient,indicated weak spatial autocorrelation within stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in the surface waters of the studied area, which is primarily an effect of climate during the water chemistry evolution. The cation ratios Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca in lake water samples were not correlated with the concentration of total dissolved solids, but did show correlation with stable isotopic values, which is significant for paleoenvironmental reconstruction.     

The influence of salinity on toxicological effects of arsenic in digestive gland of clam Ruditapes philippinarum using metabolomics

Ruditapes philippinarum,a clam that thrives in intertidal zones of various salinities,is a useful biomonitor to marine contaminants.We investigated the influence of dilution to 75% and 50% of normal seawater salinity(31.1) on the responses of the digestive gland of R.philippinarum to arsenic exposure(20 μg/L),using nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)-based metabolomics.After acute arsenic exposure for 48 h,salinity-dependent differential metabolic responses were detected.In normal seawater,arsenic exposure increased the concentrations of branched-chain amino acids,and of threonine,proline,phosphocholine and adenosine,and it decreased the levels of alanine,hypotaurine,glucose,glycogen and ATP in the digestive glands.Differential changes in metabolic biomarkers observed at lower salinity(～23.3) included elevation of succinate,taurine and ATP,and depletion of branched-chain amino acids,threonine and glutamine.Unique effects of arsenic at the lowest salinity(～15.6) included down-regulation of glutamate,succinate and ADP,and up-regulation of phosphocholine.We conclude that salinity influences the metabolic responses of this clam to arsenic.     

豫北林州地区鼓山阶底部碳同位素组成及演化趋势

碳同位素地层学是寒武系地层划分与对比的重要手段。通过对豫北驴驮沟剖面碳酸盐岩地层进行碳同位素分析发现,驴驮沟剖面寒武系鼓山阶(Drumian)底界附近的碳酸盐岩的δ13C值分布于3.1‰~-1.7‰之间,δ18O值分布于-3.9‰~-9.4‰之间。δ13C、δ18O之前的非协变关系指示碳同位素组成比较稳定。鼓山阶底界附近δ13C表现为负漂移演化趋势,漂移幅度为3.0‰,最低值为-1.7‰,出现在三叶虫Proasaphiscus首现位置15 m之下。出现负漂移的位置和负漂移的幅度与华南湘西王村剖面、美国犹他州Drum Mountains等剖面的鼓山阶底部的负漂Drum carbon isotope excursion(DICE)一致,表明DICE负漂移具有洲际对比意义,可作为寒武系鼓山阶划分和对比的工具。负漂移峰值处岩性为位于青灰色页岩之间的薄层灰岩夹层,超覆于鲕粒灰岩之上,因此,寒武系鼓山阶底部附近的DICE负漂移对应于苗岭世早期的海侵时期。      

Stable isotopes in aquatic food web of an artificial lagoon in the Hangzhou Bay, China

Stable isotope values, δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N, were determined for four primary producers and 19 dominant consumers in a small artificial lagoon located in Hangzhou Bay. Based on these results the major pathways for energy flow and trophic structure of the artificial lagoon ecosystem were characterized. The mean δ¹³C values for the 19 consumers ranged from −22.99‰ to −14.24‰. Apart from so-iny mullet Liza haematocheila, the other 18 consumers had intermediate δ¹³C values between those of epibenthic microalgae and particulate organic matter (POM). The results of a multiple source linear mixing model (IsoSource model) indicated that 50% or more of the organic carbon in the tissues of most consumers was derived from epibenthic microalgae. This indicated that these primary producers were the main food source fueling the lagoon food web. The mean δ¹⁵N values for the 19 consumers varied between 4.93‰ and 12.97‰ and indicated four trophic levels in the lagoon. Four macroinvertebrates and zooplankton represented the primary consumers, whilst the other 14 consumers occupied the secondary and tertiary consumer levels. The 19 consumers were divided into three trophic guilds (detritivores/suspension feeders, omnivores and carnivores).     

Use of antioxidant enzymes of clam <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ruditapes philippinarum</Emphasis> as biomarker to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution

The typical organic pollutant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) anthracene was selected as a contaminant to investigate its effects on the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the clam Ruditapes philippinarum. The results show that SOD, CAT and GSH-Px had diff erent induction and inhibition reactions to anthracene stress, and that three diff erent organs in R. philippinarum (visceral mass, muscle tissue and mantle) had diff erent sensitivities to anthracene stress. This study suggest that SOD activities of the visceral mass, CAT activitities of the mantle and the visceral mass, and GSH-Px activity of the muscle tissue could be used as sensitive indicators of anthracene stress in R. philippinarum.     

Accumulation of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals in clams （Ruditapes philippinarum） in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Accumulation and distributions of aliphatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals were measured in tissues of the clam Ruditapes philippinarum collected from 5 sites in Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, China. The concentrations of total aliphatic hydrocarbon and PAHs ranged from 570 to 2 574 ng/gdw (gram dry weight) and from 276 to 939 ng/gdw, in the most and least polluted sites, respectively. The bio-accumulation of hydrocarbons and PAHs in the clams appeared to be selective. Aliphatic hydrocarbons were predominantly represented by short chain (<nC₂₃) n-alkanes, suggesting that petroleum hydrocarbons were likely the major contamination source. The selective uptake of 3 and 4 ring PAHs, such as naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene, by the clams was probably related to the physiological and bio-kinetic processes that were energetically favorable for uptake of compounds with fewer rings. Accumulation of the metals Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Hg, and As in the clam tissues also showed high variability, ranging from 0.043 to 87 μg/gdw. Among the 7 detected metals, Zn, Cd, Cu, and As had a particularly high potential of accumulation in R. philippinarum. In general, a positive correlation was found between the tissue concentrations and sediment concentrations of hydrocarbons and of some metals. Our study suggests that moderate contamination with polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and low to moderate contamination with metals, currently exists for clam R. philippinarum in Jiaozhou Bay, in comparison with other regional studies. A long-term monitoring program is certainly needed for assessment of the potential ecological influence and toxicity of these contaminants of R. philippinarum in Jiaozhou Bay.     

江汉平原高砷地下水稳定碳同位素特征及其指示意义

溶解性有机碳（DOC）是地下水中砷释放过程的关键因素,为查明江汉平原高砷地下水稳定碳同位素特征,识别有机质的降解过程对砷富集的影响,采用稳定碳同位素分析测试技术并结合地下水化学特征,对江汉平原典型砷中毒病区的浅层地下水进行了区域采样分析。结果表明:浅层承压水的砷质量浓度为0.23~2 621 μg/L。地表水较地下水具有更负的δ13C_DOC、δ13C_DIC值。地下水中溶解性无机碳（DIC）的δ13C_DIC值在-11.9‰~-3.99‰之间,溶解性有机碳的δ13C_DOC值在-28.5‰~-19.6‰之间。地下水的δ13C_DIC-δ13C_DOC差值与ρ（As）呈一定负相关关系,表明微生物作用下有机质的降解促进了As的富集。δ13C_DIC-δ13C_DOC差值与δ13C_DIC和ρ（DOC）均具有较显著的正相关关系,表明地下水中有机质的氧化分解是导致δ13C_DIC贫化的重要过程,微生物作用下溶解性有机质的降解是地下水中无机碳的重要来源。此外,江汉平原少数高砷地下水呈现较大的δ13C_DIC值,推断江汉平原高砷含水层强还原环境下可能存在的产甲烷过程导致了明显的碳同位素分馏。      

滇东南洒西钨铍矿床成矿流体来源和演化: 来自流体包裹体和H-O同位素证据

洒西钨铍矿床位于滇东南老君山钨锡多金属成矿区。确定早期似层状矿体和晚期脉状矿体的流体性质、来源和演化过程, 并对其流体地球化学和同位素进行约束, 可以有效探讨洒西钨铍矿床成矿机制, 为老君山矿集区下一步找矿工作提供理论思考。洒西钨铍矿床脉状矿体的形成经历了硅酸盐阶段、氧化物-硫化物阶段和碳酸盐-萤石阶段, 白钨矿和绿柱石主要形成于前两阶段。对洒西钨铍矿床脉状矿体不同阶段石英中的流体包裹体进行了岩相学特征、显微测温、激光拉曼光谱分析等研究, 并对早期似层状矿体和晚期脉状矿体矿石中石英的氢-氧同位素组成进行了测试。结果表明: 该矿床内脉状矿体的流体包裹体主要有富液相包裹体、富气相包裹体和含子矿物多相包裹体3种类型。流体包裹体的气相成分以H₂O主, 含少量还原性气体如C₂H₂等, 液相成分也以H₂O为主。从硅酸盐阶段到碳酸盐-萤石阶段, 包裹体的均一温度和盐度(NaCl_eq)峰值范围分别为240~360℃、2.35%~13.81%;220~310℃、4.03%~9.86%和190~270℃、2.41%~6.88%。从硅酸盐阶段到碳酸盐-萤石阶段, 成矿流体的温度呈现降低趋势, 盐度也呈降低趋势。成矿流体总体上属中-高温度、低盐度、贫CO₂、含部分还原性气体的NaCl-H₂O流体体系。早期似层状矿体石英样品δD_V-SMOW值变化范围小, 为-102.8‰~-99.0‰, δ18O_V-SMOW值为11.7‰~13.0‰, δ18O_H2O值为3.16‰~6.46‰; 晚期脉状矿体氧化物-硫化物阶段石英样品δD_V-SMOW值变化范围较大, 为-99.6‰~-69.5‰, δ18O_V-SMOW值为11.2‰~14.1‰, δ18O_H2O值为3.08‰~6.73‰。综合表明成矿流体主要是岩浆水, 混合有少量大气降水或有机水, 流体可能发生了沸腾作用, 加之温度的降低, 导致晚期脉状矿体氧化物-硫化物阶段主要成矿物质的沉淀。洒西钨铍矿床属于中高温热液矿床。      

Leaf stable carbon isotope composition in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea schrenkiana</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">tianschanica</Emphasis> in relation to leaf physiological and morphological characteristics along an altitudinal gradient

To understand the effects of leaf physiological and morphological characteristics on δ ¹³C of alpine trees, we examined leaf δ ¹³C value, LA, SD, LNC, LPC, LKC, Chla+b, LDMC, LMA and N_area in one-year-old needles of Picea schrenkiana var. tianschanica at ten points along an altitudinal gradient from 1420 m to 2300 m a.s.l. on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in northwest China. Our results indicated that all the leaf traits differed significantly among sampling sites along the altitudinal gradient (P<0.001). LA, SD, LPC, LKC increased linearly with increasing elevation, whereas leaf δ ¹³C, LNC, Chla+b, LDMC, LMA and N_area varied non-linearly with changes in altitude. Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that four controlled physiological and morphological characteristics influenced the variation of δ ¹³C. Among these four controlled factors, LKC was the most profound physiological factor that affected δ ¹³C values, LA was the secondary morphological factor, SD was the third morphological factor, LNC was the last physiological factor. This suggested that leaf δ ¹³C was directly controlled by physiological and morphological adjustments with changing environmental conditions due to the elevation.     

Characterization of angiotensin-І converting enzyme inhibiting peptide from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Venerupis philippinarum</Emphasis> with nano-liquid chromatography in combination with orbitrap mass spectrum detection and molecular docking

The complexity and diversity of peptide mixture from protein hydrolysates make their characterization difficult. In this study, a method combining nano LC-MS/MS with molecular docking was applied to identifying and characterizing a peptide with angiotensin-? converting enzyme (ACE-I) inhibiting activity from Venerupis philippinarum hydrolysate. Firstly, ethanol supernatant of V. philippinarum hydrolysate was separated into active fractions with chromatographic methods such as ion-exchange chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography in combination. Then seven peptides from active fraction were identified according to the searching result of the MS/MS spectra against protein databases. Peptides were synthesized and subjected to ACE-I-inhibition assay. The peptide NTLTLIDTGIGMTK showed the highest potency with an IC50 of 5.75 μmol L^?1. The molecular docking analysis showed that the ACE-I inhibiting peptide NTLTLIDTGIGMTK bond with residues Glu123, Glu403, Arg522, Glu376, Gln281 and Asn285 of ACE-I. Therefore, active peptides could be identified with the present method rather than the traditional purification and identification strategies. It may also be feasible to identify other food-derived peptides which target other enzymes and receptors with the method developed in this study.     

Altitudinal trends in δ<Superscript>13</Superscript>C value,stomatal density and nitrogen content of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus tabuliformis</Emphasis> needles on the southern slope of the middle Qinling Mountains,China

In this study, a coniferous tree species (Pinus tabuliformis Carr.) was investigated at a moderate-altitude mountainous terrain on the southern slope of the middle Qinling Mountains (QLM) to detect the trends in carbon isotope ratio (δ¹³C), leaf nitrogen content (LNC) and stomatal density (SD) with altitude variation in north-subtropical humid mountain climate zone of China. The results showed that LNC and SD both significantly increased linearly along the altitudinal gradient ranging from 1000 to 2200 m, whereas leaf δ¹³C exhibited a significantly negative correlation with the altitude. Such a correlation pattern differs obviously from that obtained in offshore low-altitude humid environment or inland high-altitude semi-arid environment, suggesting that the pattern of increasing δ¹³C with the altitude cannot be generalized. The negative correlation between δ¹³C and altitude might be attributed mainly to the strengthening of carbon isotope fractionation in plants caused by increasing precipitation with altitude. Furthermore, there was a remarkable negative correlation between leaf δ¹³C and LNC. One possible reason was that increasing precipitation that operates to increase isotopic discrimination with altitude overtook the LNC in determining the sign of leaf δ¹³C. The significant negative correlation between leaf δ¹³C and SD over altitudes was also found in the present study, indicating that increases in SD with altitude would reduce, rather than enhance plant δ¹³C values.     

Sea surface temperature and salinity reconstruction based on stable isotopes and Mg/Ca of planktonic foraminifera in the western Pacific Warm Pool during the last 155 ka

Changes in sea surface temperature(SST), seawater oxygen isotope(δ 18 O sw), and local salinity proxy(δ 18 O sw-ss) in the past 155 ka were studied using a sediment core(MD06-3052) from the northern edge of the western Pacifi c Warm Pool(WPWP), within the fl ow path of the bifurcation of the North Equatorial Current. Our records reveal a lead-lag relationship between paired Mg/Ca-SST and δ 18 O during Termination II and the last interglacial period. Similarity in SST between our site and the Antarctic temperature proxy and in CO 2 profi le showed a close connection between the WPWP and the Antarctic. Values of δ 18 O sw exhibited very similar variations to those of mean ocean δ 18 O sw, owing to the past sea-level changes on glacial-interglacial timescale. Calculated values of δ 18 O sw-ss refl ect a more saline condition during high local summer insolation(SI) periods. Such correspondence between δ 18 O sw-ss and local SI in the WPWP may refl ect complex interaction between ENSO and monsoon, which was stimulated by changes in solar irradiance and their infl uence on the local hydrologic cycle. This then caused a striking reorganization of atmospheric circulation over the WPWP.     

Stable isotopes in precipitation in Xilin River Basin, northern China and their implications

Under the increasing pressure of water shortage and steppe degradation,information on the hydrological cycle in steppe region in Inner Mongolia,China is urgently needed.An intensive investigation of the temporal variations ofδD andδ1 8O in precipitation was conducted in 2007-2008 in the Xilin River Basin,Inner Mongolia in the northern China.TheδD andδ1 8O values for 54 precipitation samples range from+1.1‰to-34.7‰and-3.0‰to -269‰,respectively.This wide range indicates that stable isotopes in precipitation are primarily controlled by different condensation mechanisms as a function of air temperature and varying sources of vapor.The relationship between δD andδ1 8 O defined a well constrained line given by δD =7.89 δ18O+9.5,which is nearly identical to the Meteoric Water Line in the northern China.The temperature effect is clearly displayed in this area.The results of backward tra- jectory of each precipitation day show that the vapor of the precipitation in cold season(October to March)mainly originates from the west while the moisture source is more complicated in warm season(April to September).A light precipitation amount effect existes at the precipitation event scale in this area.The vapor source of precipitation with higher d-excesses are mainly from the west wind or neighboring inland area and precipitation with lower d-excesses from a monsoon source from the southeastern China.