Nitrogen fixation driven by mesoscale eddies and the Kuroshio Current in the northern South China Sea and the East China Sea

N₂ fixation rates (NFR, in terms of N) in the northern South China Sea (nSCS) and the East China Sea (ECS) were measured using the acetylene reduction assay in summer and winter, 2009. NFR of the surface water ranged from 1.14 nmol/(L·d) to 10.40 nmol/(L·d) (average at (4.89±3.46) nmol/(L·d), n=11) in summer and 0.74 nmol/(L·d) to 29.45 nmol/(L·d) (average at (7.81±8.50) nmol/(L·d), n=15) in winter. Significant spatio-temporal heterogeneity emerged in our study: the anticyclonic eddies (AE) (P<0.01) and the Kuroshio Current (KC) (P<0.05) performed significantly higher NFR than that in the cyclonic eddies or no-eddy area (CEONE), indicating NFR was profoundly influenced by the physical process of the Kuroshio and mesoscale eddies. The depth-integrated N₂ fixation rates (INF, in terms of N) ranged from 52.4 μmol/(m2·d) to 905.2 μmol/(m2·d) (average at (428.9±305.5) μmol/(m2·d), n=15) in the winter. The contribution of surface NFR to primary production (PP) ranged from 1.7% to 18.5% in the summer, and the mean contribution of INF to new primary production (NPP) in the nSCS and ECS were estimated to be 11.0% and 36.7% in the winter. The contribution of INF to NPP (3.0%–93.9%) also decreased from oligotrophic sea toward the eutrophic waters affected by runoffs or the CEONE. Furthermore, we observed higher contributions compared to previous studies, revealing the vital roles of nitrogen fixation in sustaining the carbon pump of the nSCS and ECS.     

便携式Li-K分析仪的研制及其在锂辉石中锂的分析应用

我国锂钾主要矿产资源大多分布在西部偏远地区,其勘查找矿或综合利用迫切需要现场快速分析技术的支持。本文介绍了自行开发的便携式Li-K分析仪的主要性能及其在锂辉石中锂的分析应用。Li-K分析仪是一种基于大气压的液体阴极辉光放电光谱仪,以待测液体为放电阴极,实现了样品中Li、K等元素的原子化和激发。该仪器以光纤传导CCD光谱仪作为检测器,其波长范围为345~1015 nm,分辨率3 nm;以Li 670.78 nm和K 769.90 nm分析谱线,在仪器最佳工作条件下测定Li、K的精密度(RSD,n=14)均低于2%,检出限为0.03μg/m L,检测范围0.1~10μg/m L。研究表明,不同酸度和酸的类型对谱线强度影响较大,且存在显著的样品基体效应,标准曲线法分析锂辉石中Li的结果偏差高达267%;而标准加入法可克服基体效应的影响,获得与ICP-OES一致性较好的分析结果,为现场开展固体样品中Li的测定奠定了基础。     

Drivers of ecosystem and climate change in tropical West Africa over the past ∼540 000 years

A paucity of empirical non‐marine data means that uncertainty surrounds the impact of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems in tropical regions beyond the last glacial period. The sedimentary fill of the Bosumtwi impact crater (Ghana) provides the longest continuous Quaternary terrestrial archive of environmental change in West Africa, spanning the last ～1.08 million years. Here we explore the drivers of change in ecosystem and climate in tropical West Africa for the past ～540 000 years using pollen analysis and the nitrogen isotope composition of bulk organic matter preserved in sediments from Lake Bosumtwi. Variations in grass pollen abundance (0?99%) indicate transitions between grassland and forest. Coeval variations in the nitrogen isotopic composition of organic matter indicate that intervals of grassland expansion coincided with minimum lake levels and low regional moisture availability. The observed changes responded to orbitally paced global climate variations on both glacial–interglacial and shorter timescales. Importantly, the magnitude of ecosystem change revealed by our data exceeds that previously determined from marine records, demonstrating for the first time the high sensitivity of tropical lowland ecosystems to Quaternary climate change.

     

广西官村岩溶溪流中生物地球化学控制的DIC和NO3-昼夜变化研究

为了解岩溶区控制溪流中溶解无机碳(DIC)和NO_3~-昼夜变化的生物地球化学过程以及DIC和NO_3~-日变化量,于2014-07-22~2014-07-24期间,在广西壮族自治区融安县官村溪流中包括地下河出口(CK)和下游雷崖村(LY)设置两个监测点同时对水体物理化学参数以及C、N同位素(δ~(13) CDIC、δ~(15) N-NO_3~-和δ~(18) O-NO_3~-)展开了为期2d的高分辨率昼夜监测采样工作。结果发现CK点各物理化学参数没有表现出昼夜变化,但是LY点Ca2+、DIC以及PCO2表现出明显的昼夜变化规律,即白天下降夜间上升且与DO和pH表现出明显的负相关关系。相对于CK点,在白天水生光合生物光合作用导致LY点DIC下降的同时δ~(13) CDIC上升,而在夜间呼吸作用导致LY点DIC上升的同时δ~(13) CDIC下降且部分时间段要低于CK点δ~(13) CDIC值。溪流中的NH4+在监测期间基本上都在下降而NO_3~-离子在夜间和上午时间段都在上升,δ~(15) N-NO_3~-却表现出下降的趋势,且比较接近δ~(15) N-NO_3~-初始值,而NO_3~-离子在下午时间段出现下降的趋势。结果表明溪流中DIC昼夜变化主要受到水生植物的光合作用和呼吸作用控制,且通过质量平衡方程计算得知溪流中由于光合作用吸收无机碳而转为有机碳的量为0.94kgC/d,这部分有机碳可以形成相对长期稳定的自然C汇。溪流在夜间和上午时间段发生了N的硝化作用,增长量为2.08kgN/d,但在下午时间段(12:00~18:00)发生了N的同化作用,损失量为0.42kgN/d。溪流输出的NO_3~--N的量为1.66kgN/d,表明在富碳、富钙的岩溶溪流中,有利于水生光合生物的生长,促进N的同化作用的发生,从而减少溪流输出NO_3~--N的量,说明岩溶区溪流N的生物地球化学过程可能在昼夜尺度上改变水质。     

不同营养条件下铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)和小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)的生长竞争行为

蓝藻的暴发通常是藻类之间竞争的结果,了解环境中蓝藻与其它藻类的竞争特点和生存策略对揭示藻华暴发的机制及治理具有重要意义。本文以营养竞争为例,以铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)和小球藻(Chlorella vulgaris)为受试对象,通过测定细胞密度、胞内C、N、P、S四种主要元素含量以及培养基中总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)的消耗,研究不同营养等级(超富营养、富营养、中营养、贫营养)以及单独N、P限制下两种藻在单独培养和共生培养条件下的生长特征和竞争行为。结果表明:(1)在超富营养、富营养、中营养、贫营养条件时,单独培养下的两种藻生物量与营养丰富程度呈正相关;(2)共培养条件下,在高营养水平时铜绿微囊藻在竞争中占优势,低营养水平时小球藻具有竞争优势;(3)胞内C、N、P、S的测定发现,随着营养水平的下降,两种藻胞内N、P的百分含量逐渐减少,而C、S并未呈现显著变化;(4)N限制时,铜绿微囊藻的半饱和常数Ks及最大比增长率μmax均大于小球藻;P限制条件下铜绿微囊藻的半饱和常数Ks小于小球藻,而最大比增长率μmax大于小球藻。综合分析,同一营养条件下,铜绿微囊藻竞争优势的先决因子是N,小球藻是P。因此,从营养竞争与生物适应力角度考虑,降低水体中富余的N或适当提高P的浓度可让小球藻获得竞争优势,对限制单一物种的形成具有平衡作用,可作为防治藻华的潜在方法。     

元素分析仪-同位素比值质谱测量碳氮同位素比值最佳反应温度和进样量的确定

沉积有机质的碳氮稳定同位素值是进行古气候、古环境及生态系统研究不可或缺的主要研究手段,目前碳氮同位素主要利用元素分析仪-同位素比值质谱(EA-IRMS)系统来测定。EA-IRMS测定过程中的反应温度及样品进样量直接影响反应物在测试中的燃烧程度,从而影响测试数据的精度。本文利用EA-IRMS技术,以标准样品为参考,在不同转化温度下测试碳氮同位素值,研究保证测试精度的最佳反应温度条件;同时,通过分析不同含氮量样品的检测限,明确了样品含氮量与最低检测限之间的关系,确定了精确测定氮同位素值的最低进样量。结果表明:反应温度对测试精度有显著影响,在碳同位素测定时,将反应温度设定为900℃或以上时测试精度均能达到±0.2‰;氮同位素测定时,反应温度须设定为950℃时测试精度才能达到±0.3‰。实验得出样品含氮量与检测限之间的线性相关性为R2=0.873,开展氮同位素测定时可根据此关系来判断和控制进样量。     

元古宙真核藻类演化及环境控制因素

宜居地球、地外生命探索以及资源勘查等的需求使真核生物的早期溯源和演化趋势研究成为国际热点.根据已发现实体化石、分子化石和分子钟证据,将元古宙真核藻类演化划分为环境准备(2.45～1.70 Ga)、缓慢发展(1.70～0.80 Ga)、剧烈波动(0.80～0.64 Ga)、快速辐射(0.64～0.54 Ga)四个阶段.元古宙真核生物的出现、演化和辐射进程与地球氧化和极端气候事件(如冰期)的发生具耦合性,表现出早期生命与地球表层环境的协同演化.真核藻类在1.70～0.80 Ga期间的缓慢演化可能与长期较低的大气氧含量(约为现今水平的1％～10％PAL)有关.低的大气-海洋氧化程度不仅限制了真核藻类生存空间,也通过对氮、磷等营养元素的供应约束,限制了真核藻类初级生产力水平.因此,地球表层氧化可能是地球宜居演化,并孕育出真核生物等各种复杂生命的主要原因.从地球系统形成与演变的角度探索生物圈演化或能对生命的过去和未来给出更为可靠的答案.     

Confronting the nitrogen challenge: Options for governance and target setting

The release of excessive anthropogenic nitrogen contributes to global climate change, biodiversity loss, and the degradation of ecosystem services. Despite being an urgent global problem, the excess nitrogen is not governed globally. This paper considers possible governance options for dealing with excessive nitrogen through target setting, which is an approach commonly adopted to address global environmental problems. The articulation of the nitrogen problem and the numerous international institutions dealing with it, provide evidence of a nitrogen regime characterised by limited coordination and targets covering sources and impacts only partially. This calls for improving the nitrogen governance in the direction of more integrated approaches at the global scale. In this vein, the paper investigates two opposite governance options – here labelled as ‘holistic’ and ‘origin-based’ – and evaluates them for their capability to define solutions and targets for human-induced nitrogen. From the analysis, it emerges that origin-based solutions can be preferable to holistic solutions as they can be more specific and potentially have greater immediate results. Independent from which governance arrangement is chosen, what matters most is the speed at which an arrangement can deploy solutions to combat (fast-growing) nitrogen pollution.     

A dual-porosity model for nitrogen leaching from a watershed/Un modèle à double porosité pour le lessivage de l’azote d’un bassin versant

Abstract

Abstract The MASONW (MACRO + SOILN + Watershed) model describing nitrogen leaching in watersheds was developed and tested. The model is based on the MACRO and SOILN models. The dual-porosity model MACRO simulates water flow on the field scale. The SOILN model describes turnover and leaching of nitrogen. Two main features of a watershed have been added into these two models: (a) the existence of a river system, and (b) variable thickness of the aeration zone within a watershed. Good agreement between the output of the MASONW model and observed data for water discharge and nitrate concentrations were achieved in the Odense watershed (496 km²) in Denmark.     

Benthic nutrient fluxes along the Laurentian Channel: Impacts on the N budget of the St. Lawrence marine system

Water column concentrations and benthic fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and oxygen (DO) were measured in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Upper and Lower St. Lawrence Estuary (USLE and LSLE, respectively) to assess the nitrogen (N) budget in the St. Lawrence (SL) system, as well as to elucidate the impact of bottom water hypoxia on fixed-N removal in the LSLE. A severe nitrate deficit, with respect to ambient phosphate concentrations (N*∼−10 μmol L⁻¹), was observed within and in the vicinity of the hypoxic bottom water of the LSLE. Given that DO concentrations in the water column have remained above 50 μmol L⁻¹, nitrate reduction in suboxic sediments, rather than in the water column, is most likely responsible for the removal of fixed N from the SL system. Net nitrate fluxes into the sediments, derived from pore water nitrate concentration gradients, ranged from 190 μmol m⁻² d⁻¹ in the hypoxic western LSLE to 100 μmol m⁻² d⁻¹ in the Gulf. The average total benthic nitrate reduction rate for the Laurentian Channel (LC) is on the order of 690 μmol m⁻² d⁻¹, with coupled nitrification-nitrate reduction accounting for more than 70%. Using average nitrate reduction rates derived from the observed water column nitrate deficit, the annual fixed-N elimination within the three main channels of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and LSLE was estimated at 411 × 10⁶ t N, yielding an almost balanced N budget for the SL marine system.