闽江河口湿地典型植物群落及交错带植硅体碳分布特征研究

湿地既是"碳汇"也是"碳源",研究发现,碳可以被长久稳定地封存在植硅体内,不同植物的植硅体封存碳的能力有明显差异。选取闽江河口鳝鱼滩湿地芦苇群落、短叶茳芏群落、互花米草群落及交错带为研究对象,研究这3种植物植硅体碳(Phytolith-Occluded Carbon,简称PhytOC)含量和储量的空间变化特征和影响因素,探讨PhytOC含量在纯群落和交错带的差异,为研究植物竞争和碳循环过程提供依据。结果表明:受水文条件、植物生长和空间扩展等影响,闽江河口湿地植物PhytOC含量整体表现为近岸区高于近海区,PhytOC储量表现为纯群落高于交错带。PhytOC含量依次表现为芦苇纯群落(4.14 mg/g) > 交错带芦苇(3.67 mg/g) > 与芦苇交错的短叶茳芏(3.08 mg/g) > 互花米草纯群落(2.70 mg/g) > 与互花米草交错的短叶茳芏(1.96 mg/g) > 交错带互花米草(1.86 mg/g) > 短叶茳芏纯群落(1.75 mg/g)。短叶茳芏与芦苇相互扩展中短叶茳芏植物整体及各器官PhytOC含量均升高,而与互花米草相互扩展时短叶茳芏除了根系、茎以外各器官PhytOC含量均下降。3种植物各器官在交错带中PhytOC储量分配比明显不同于纯群落,根系PhytOC储量的分配比上升,提高了根系竞争力。芦苇、短叶茳芏、互花米草通过植硅体封存的碳储量分别占植物碳储量的0.27%、0.15%和0.07%,但植物间的扩展过程影响了植物的PhytOC储量,其中短叶茳芏与互花米草形成的交错带中短叶茳芏下降幅度最高(56.29%),互花米草下降幅度最低(26.15%)。由此可见,植物的空间扩展对植物PhytOC含量、储量以及在不同器官的分配比都有一定的影响,短叶茳芏在与芦苇和互花米草竞争时分别采取不同的PhytOC分配机制。     

Advances in Geochemical Study of Phytolith Occluded Carbon

Phytoliths, also called amorphous silica particles, have a great geochemical stability and could occlude a certain amount of organic carbon during the forming process. At present, phytolith-occluded carbon (PhytOC) is recognized as one of long-term stable carbon sequestration mechanisms and has significant influence on regulating global climate change. At the same time, PhytOC isotope research has great value for paleo-environment, paleo-climate reconstruction and other fields. Therefore, more scholars pay attention to the PhytOC geochemical research. Based on the current research status, we summarized the current state of understading about phytolith forming process, elemental composition, geochemical stability, PhytOC sink and PhytOC isotope application for paleo-environment reconstruction. We also summarized the main problems of geochemical research on phytolith and PhytOC, which will make great contribution to further research on phytolith geochemical research.