Decomposition of macrophytes in a shallow subtropical lake

Submerged macrophyte detritus is a major component of the organic matter entering shallow lakes. Plant litter decomposition is a complex process that is mediated by microorganisms and some invertebrates. However, the role that aquatic organisms play in the decomposition of macrophytes in shallow subtropical lakes is unclear. This study compared the decomposition rates of Potamogeton pectinatus and Chara zeylanica in a shallow lake (southern Brazil) and assessed the fungal biomass and the macroinvertebrate community associated with the detritus. Aliquots of both species were incubated in litter bags and placed in the lake. After 1, 7, 20, 40, 60, and 80 days of incubation, one set of litter bags was removed from the lake. In a laboratory, plant material was washed for the determination of decomposition rates, chemical characterisation, and quantification of microorganisms and invertebrates. After 80 days of incubation, there was no C. zeylanica detritus, with a decomposition that was four times faster than that of P. pectinatus. The chemical composition was also different between the two detritus, with P. pectinatus showing a higher concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, polyphenols, and carbon. The fungal biomass was similar between the two species. In total, 7502 invertebrates belonging to 27 taxa were sampled in this study. The composition and abundance of invertebrates was different between the two species. In conclusion, the chemical structure of the macrophyte species studied was important for the microorganisms’ and invertebrates’ colonisation. In addition, leaching had an important function in the initial degradation process.     

岩溶湿地表层水体CO2分压时空分布特征及其扩散通量

为揭示岩溶湿地表层水体二氧化碳分压(pCO₂)的时空分布规律及其扩散通量,以我国最大的岩溶湿地贵州威宁草海为研究对象,分别于2019年7月(丰水期)和12月(枯水期)通过网格布点法,系统采集草海表层湿地水体,测定水样理化指标和离子组成,利用PHREEQCI软件计算水体pCO₂,并基于Cole提出的气体扩散模型估算水-气界面二氧化碳(CO₂)的扩散通量.结果表明:草海湿地表层水体丰水期pCO₂的变化范围为0.44~645.65μatm,平均值为(55.94±124.73)μatm;枯水期变化范围为35.48~707.95μatm,平均值为(310.46±173.54)μatm;丰水期水体整体pCO₂低于枯水期,空间上两期水体均呈现东部区域及河流入湖口处pCO₂较高,而中西部区域pCO₂欠饱和的特征.水-气界面CO₂的扩散通量在丰水期变化范围为-43.27~27.16 mmol/(m²·d),平均值(-34.49±12.93)mmol/(m²·d),枯水期变化范围为-33.36~28.15 mmol/(m²·d),平均值(-8.02±15.85)mmol/(m²·d),与其他岩溶湖库相比,水生植物丰富的草海在两个极端水文期CO₂扩散通量相对较低,总体表现为大气CO₂的汇.     

Carbon dioxide partial pressure and its diffusion flux in karst surface aquatic ecosystems: a review

Carbon dioxide(CO₂) emissions from aquatic ecosystems are an important component of the karst carbon cycle process and also a key indicator for assessing the effect of karst carbon sinks. This paper reviewed the CO₂ partial pressure(pCO₂) and its diffusion flux(FCO₂) in karst surface aquatic ecosystems, mainly rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, and their influencing factors summarized the methods for monitoring CO₂ emissions in karst aquatic eco...     

Population dynamics of autotrophic picoplankton in relation to environmental factors in a productive lake

Spatial and seasonal fluctuations in autotrophic picoplankton (APP) abundance in a eutrophic, dimictic lake (Lake Aydat, France) were measured concurrently with a variety of environmental variables. Cell number ranged from 0.03 to 2.36×10⁶ cells·ml^–1 (highest concentrations were >5-fold higher than in oligotrophic lakes) and averaged 24 ± 7% of total picoplankton abundance (APP + heterotrophic bacteria). APP abundance (1) peaked in spring simultaneously with heterotrophic flagellate and ciliate densities, (2) decreased during the nitrogen-limited and summer stratification period, and (3) increased with fall turnover. In summer-autumn, the contribution of single-cell eukaryotic (up to 66%) and colonial prokaryotic (18%) forms to total abundance peaked in the bottom waters. Multivariate regression analyses suggest that >40% variance in APP number changes may be explained by ciliate abundance (at 0–4 m depth-range), heterotrophic flagellate number and oxygen concentration (5–9 m), and ciliate carbon biomass (10–14 m). The model accounting for changes in heterotrophic bacterial abundance (5–9 m) indicates chlorophylla concentration (r ²=58%) and ciliate abundance (r ²=34%) as dominant covariates. The data presented here suggest that micrograzers control APP abundance in Lake Aydat.     

Seasonal transformations and movements of iron in a productive English lake with deep-water anoxia

The seasonal and depth distributions of the concentrations of total and soluble iron in a seasonally anoxic lake basin are described for two years. Transport of iron is related to hydrodynamics and fluxes of iron both within and to and from the lake are calculated. The results enabled the construction of a schematic model for iron movement; it is critically dependent upon the many rate processes involved.     

Experimental determination of the solubility of carbon dioxide in molten basalt at low pressure

We report the first measurements of CO₂ solubility in molten basalt at pressures comparable to those at which submarine basalts erupt. A basalt from the Juan de Fuca ridge was equilibrated with CO₂-rich vapor at 1200°C, 100–1500 bar for up to four hours. After quenching, the glass was analyzed for dissolved carbonate ions by infrared spectroscopy. No forms of dissolved CO₂ other than carbonate were detected. CO₂ solubility is roughly a linear function of pressure at these low pressures. The experimentally determined solubility differs from previous estimates based on CO₂ concentrations of submarine glasses, on CO₂ solubilities in basaltic liquids at significantly higher pressures, and on CO₂ concentrations of glasses equilibrated with H₂OCO₂ vapor. Our results are compatible with those obtained previously at higher pressures on a molten Kilauea tholeiite only if there is a significant positive dependence of carbonate solubility on temperature.CO₂ contents of mid-ocean ridge glasses measured by infrared spectroscopy are generally higher than would be expected based on solubilities at the hydrostatic pressures for the water depths from which the glasses were recovered, but the lowest dissolved CO₂ contents agree with the experimentally determined solubilities. We propose that submarine glasses with low CO₂ contents were quenched from magmas that were able to degas because they rose slowly from depth. The common occurrence of glasses with dissolved CO₂ contents in excess of the experimentally determined solubility suggests they were quenched from magmas that ascended too rapidly to degas fully. In conjunction with our solubility data, the highest CO₂ contents allow minimum estimates of depths to magma chambers. Depths of 2.3 km beneath the ridge are indicated for the East Pacific Rise at 21°N, in agreement with geophysical constraints.     

Physical conditions driving the spatial and temporal variability in aquatic metabolism of a subtropical coastal lake

We investigated the importance of meteorological and lake physical conditions for temporal, horizontal and vertical differences in the concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) and water temperature, and the derived daily estimates of gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (R) and net ecosystem production (NEP). Our study was conducted in a subtropical and polymictic lake in Southern Brazil, during a spring–summer transition. Metabolic rates were determined from two sites using the open water oxygen technique. At the central deep site, oxygen sondes were deployed at three depths to assess patterns in vertical variability. During 10 days, an additional DO and temperature sonde was placed near the shoreline allowing us to compare metabolic differences in the surface layers between the central pelagic and littoral site. While GPP was similar, R was significantly higher at the shallower littoral site, causing NEP to be lower, although NEP was still positive. The littoral site had less diel changes in DO and higher daily variability in all metabolic rates. Variability in GPP and R at the littoral site was related to temperature, wind speed and rainfall suggesting that short-term variability in metabolic rates in shallow areas are sensitive to resuspension of sediments caused by a less stable water column. A clear vertical gradient was furthermore found for the metabolic rates at the central deep part of the lake, related to the light extinction, with highest GPP around 0.3 m and decreasing with depth, while respiration showed the inverse pattern. Below subsurface, respiration prevailed at 5.0 m depth and was uncoupled to primary production. Under conditions with high light and temperature, and low wind speeds, the mixing depth became shallower, in turn increasing the water column stability at the deep pelagic site, which resulted in higher mean light available and higher GPP in the water column. Our results confirm that deployment of sensors in different sites and depths allows for spatially, as well as temporally more representative estimates of lake metabolism.     

Methane levels in shallow subtropical lake sediments: Dependence on the trophic status of the lake and allochthonous input

The vertical sediment profiles (10 cm) of the margins of three shallow subtropical lakes (Rio Grande, Brazil) with different trophic states and surrounding areas were evaluated to identify the effects of the allochthonous input on the methane concentration in the sediment. Sediment cores were collected to quantify the organic matter content (OM) and total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP) and methane (CH₄) concentrations.The three lakes were distinguished according to the trophic status and classified as oligotrophic, dystrophic and eutrophic. The natural characteristics of the dystrophic and eutrophic lakes have been changed due to the allochthonous input of leaves and twigs (Eucalyptus sp.) and the excreta of birds, respectively. In the eutrophic lake, the allochthonous input contributed to high autochthonous production. The highest values of OM, TC, TN and TP were found in the superficial sediments of the dystrophic and eutrophic lakes. The accumulation of allochthonous organic matter in the littoral zone promoted changes in the vertical sediment profiles and contributed to increases in the CH₄ concentrations in the sediment.     

广东新丰江水库表层水体CO2分压及其影响因素

于2012年7月和2013年1月定点采集新丰江水库表层水样,测定水样的理化及生物学参数,计算水体中二氧化碳分压(p(CO_2))大小并分析其时空变化,探讨新丰江水库p(CO_2)的影响因素及其CO_2源/汇机制.结果表明:丰水期p(CO_2)变化范围为16~3545μatm,均值为999μatm,从水库上游到坝前p(CO_2)逐渐升高;枯水期p(CO_2)变化范围为399~1355μatm,均值为756μatm,从水库上游到坝前p(CO_2)呈下降趋势.丰水期p(CO_2)受温度影响较小,与营养盐(NO-3、DSi)浓度呈正相关,与叶绿素a(Chl.a)、溶解有机碳(DOC)浓度呈负相关,与溶解无机碳(DIC)浓度没有明显相关性;枯水期p(CO_2)受温度影响也较小,受碳酸盐体系的影响,与NO-3、DSi、Chl.a、DIC浓度呈正相关,与DOC浓度没有明显相关性.新丰江水库相对于大气来说是一个通量值偏低的CO_2源.     

Environmental records of carbon in recent lake sediments

Based on careful sampling and accurate analysis of recent sediments in Lake Chenghai, this paper discusses the staggered positive/negative correlation between organic carbon (OC) concentration and inorganic carbon (IC) concentration. The result indicates that temperature change, and its induced relative changes are the main factors affecting the relationship between IC concentration, δ¹³C of carbonate and OC concentration. When temperature and its induced photosynthesis strength change control autochthonous calcite precipitation, OC concentration is positively correlated with IC concentration and δ¹³C of carbonate. When temperature and its induced physical/chemical changes dominate, OC concentration displays negative correlation with IC concentration and δ¹³C of carbonate. IC concentration and δ¹³C of carbonate in sediments of Lake Chenghai are good proxies for climatic warm/cold changes.     

Earthquakes produce carbon dioxide in crustal faults

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microanalysis of pseudotachylytes (i.e. friction-induced melts produced by seismic slip) from the Nojima fault (Japan) reveals that earthquakes almost instantaneously expel 99 wt.% of the wall rock CO₂ content. Carbon is exsolved because it is supersaturated in the friction melts. By extrapolation to a crustal-scale fault rupture, large events such as the M7.2 Kobe earthquake (1995) may yield a total production of 1.8 to 3.4 × 10³ tons CO₂ within a few seconds. This extraordinary release of CO₂ can cause a flash fluid pressure increase in the fault plane, and therefore enhance earthquake slip or trigger aftershocks; it may also explain the anomalous discharge of carbon monitored in nearby fault springs after large earthquakes. Because carbon saturation in silicate melts is pressure-dependent, FTIR can be used as a new tool to constrain the maximum depth of pseudotachylyte formation in exhumed faults.     

The carbon dioxide system in the oceans

A model of the carbon dioxide system in nature is derived and is used to further our understanding of the factors which control this system in the oceans, the atmosphere, and the sediments.     

Dissolved organic carbon in a eutrophic lake; dynamics,biodegradability and origin

The seasonal and spatial changes in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in Lake Kasumigaura, a shallow, eutrophic lake, were analyzed and the lability of DOC was tested by long-term incubations. There was a nearly 1 mgCl^–1 downstream increase in refractory DOC in the lake; at the center it fluctuated little seasonally. The characteristic UV-absorbance: DOC ratios were determined for samples from the influent rivers (pedogenic: used interchangeably with allochthonous) and outdoor experimental ponds (autochthonous) during incubations. These ratios were then used to calculate the proportion of total measured lake water DOC in each of four components: pedogenic-refractory (PR), pedogenic-labile (PL), autochthonous-refractory (AR) and autochthonous-labile (AL). PR was uniform (around 1.5 mgCl^–1) or diminished very slightly over time. AR increased from nearly zero at the station closest to an influent river to 1 mgCl^–1 at the lake center. PL declined downstream from 0.3 mgCl^–1 to zero. AL was virtually constant at 0.8 mgCl^–1 except at the station closest to the influent river. The constancy of the UV-absorbance: DOC ratio during the biodegradation process was confirmed for Lake Kasumigaura; hence a two-component model (pedogenic-autochthonous) could be applied here without consideration of DOC lability. However, this assumption is not always met for other water bodies, and therefore it should be checked before applying a two-component model elsewhere.     

Changes in carbon and nutrient fluxes from headwaters to ocean in a mountainous temperate to subtropical basin

Water erosion provides major links in global cycles of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Although significant research on erosion mechanisms has been done, there is still little knowledge on C, N and P fluxes across landscapes to the ocean and their controlling factors in subtropical climates. A four‐year study quantifying and comparing particulate and dissolved C, N and P from multiple scales (microplot, plot, microcatchment, subcatchment, catchment, sub‐basin and basin) was performed in Thukela basin (≈30 000 km²), South Africa. The basin climate was largely subtropical‐humid [mean annual precipitation (MAP) > 980 mm yr^‐1], but temperate (MAP >2000 mm yr^‐1) on the highlands. Open grassland, cropland and bushland were the major land uses. On average, 65, 24 and 4 g m^‐2 yr^‐1 C, N and P were displaced from original topsoil positions, but only 0.33, 0.005 and 0.002 mg m^‐2 yr^‐1 were, respectively, exported to the ocean. The fluxes decreased by 95, 97 and 84%, respectively, from plot to microcatchment outlet; and decreased further in downstream direction by >99% from microcatchment to basin outlet. The hillslope (microplot to microcatchment) fluxes correlated strongly with rainfall parameters. Particulate contributions dominated hillslope fluxes at 73, 81 and 76% of total annual C, N and P, respectively. Although particulate C dominated in the microcatchment‐catchment reach (55%), N (54%) and P (69%) were dominated by dissolved forms. The lower basin zone was dominated by dissolved flux contributions at 93, 81 and 78% for C, N and P for the sub‐basin outlet. These results suggested spatially varying drivers of C, N and P losses from the landscape to the ocean, via the river network. Deposition was envisaged the dominant hillslope level loss process, which gradually gave way to mineralization and biotic uptake in the river network as flux contributions shifted from being predominantly particulate to dissolved forms. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamics of convective dissolution from a migrating current of carbon dioxide

During geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO₂), trapping of the buoyant CO₂ after injection is essential in order to minimize the risk of leakage into shallower formations through a fracture or abandoned well. Models for the subsurface behavior of the CO₂ are useful for the design, implementation, and long-term monitoring of injection sites, but traditional reservoir-simulation tools are currently unable to resolve the impact of small-scale trapping processes on fluid flow at the scale of a geologic basin. Here, we study the impact of solubility trapping from convective dissolution on the up-dip migration of a buoyant gravity current in a sloping aquifer. To do so, we conduct high-resolution numerical simulations of the gravity current that forms from a pair of miscible analogue fluids. Our simulations fully resolve the dense, sinking fingers that drive the convective dissolution process. We analyze the dynamics of the dissolution flux along the moving CO₂–brine interface, including its decay as dissolved buoyant fluid accumulates beneath the buoyant current. We show that the dynamics of the dissolution flux and the macroscopic features of the migrating current can be captured with an upscaled sharp-interface model.     

Low carbon storage of woody debris in a karst forest in southwestern China

The properties of woody debris(WD) vary across different forests under various soil conditions.Owing to the relatively shallow and low amounts of soils on karst terrains, it is necessary to determine the WD carbon inventory of karst forests. In this study, we recorded WD with a basal diameter for standing snags and the largeend diameter for fallen logs of ≥ 1 cm. The carbon density of WD in a secondary karst mixed evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved forest that had been clear-cut 55 years ago in southwestern China were inventoried in a 2 ha plot. Woody debris carbon density calculated using specific gravity and carbon concentration was 4.07 Mg C ha^-1. Woody debris with diameters ≥ 10 cm(coarse WD) constituted 53.8% of total carbon storage whereas WD < 10 cm in diameters(fine WD) accounted for more pieces of WD(89.9%).Lithocarpus confinis contributed the most WD carbon(26.5%). Intermediate decayed WD was relatively more abundant, but WD with final decay contributed the least to the total pieces of WD(6.7%). The contribution of WD to carbon storage of karst forest was low compared to other forests worldwide. Significant positive correlations were found between WD carbon and biodiversity(R^2= 0.035,p < 0.01) and elevation(R^2= 0.047, p < 0.01) and negative correlations was found in outcrop coverage(R^2= 0.034, p <0.01). Further studies are needed to elucidate the ecological functions of WD to better understand their roles in maintaining biodiversity, enhancing productivity, and controlling vegetation degradation in karst forest ecosystems.     

Hydrocarbons in a wilderness lake

The hydrocarbons found in Green Lake, Ontario, Canada, are believed to be of natural origin coming from plant and animal organisms.