Rayleigh distillation and the depth profile of C/C ratios of soil organic carbon from soils of disparate texture in Iron Range National Park, Far North Queensland, Australia

A depth- and particle size-specific analysis of soil organic carbon (SOC) and its isotopic composition was undertaken to investigate the effects of soil texture (or particle size) on the depth profile of stable carbon isotopic composition of SOC (δ¹³C_SOC) in two tropical soils. Depth-specific samples from two soil profiles of markedly different texture (coarse grained and fine grained) were separated into particle size classes and analyzed for the (mass/mass) concentration of SOC (C) and δ¹³C_SOC. Within 1 m of the soil surface, δ¹³C_SOC in the coarse-textured soil increases by 1.3 to 1.6‰, while δ¹³C_SOC from the fine-textured soil increase by as much as 3.8 to 5.5‰. This increasing depth trend in the coarse-textured soil is approximately linear with respect to normalized C, while the increase in the fine-textured soil follows a logarithmic function with respect to normalized C. A model of Rayleigh distillation describing isotope fractionation during decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) accounts for the depth profile of δ¹³C_SOC in the fine-textured soil, but does not account for the depth profile observed in the coarse-textured soil despite their similar climate, vegetation, and topographic position. These results suggest that kinetic fractionation during humification of SOM leads to preferential accumulation of ¹³C in association with fine mineral particles, or aggregates of fine mineral particles in fine-textured soils. In contrast, the coarse-textured soil shows very little applicability of the Rayleigh distillation model. Rather, the depth profile of δ¹³C_SOC in the coarse-textured soil can be accounted for by mixing of soil carbon with different isotopic ratios.     

The dynamics of organic matter in soil size and density fractions traced by stable carbon isotopes

1IntroductionSoilorganicmatter (SOM)isakeysourceofnutrientsforplantgrowth ,itisessentialforthemaintenanceofsoilstructureanditcontributestotheabilityofsoiltoretainnutrientsandwater.AnimprovedunderstandingofSOMdynamicsiscentraltothedevelopmentofmoreenvironmentallysoundandsustainablepracticesofagriculturalmanagement (Collinsetal.,2 0 0 0 ) .Avarietyofcon ceptualmethodshavebeenusedtodescribetheprocessesofSOMaccumulationandturnover (Jen kinsonandRayner,1 977;Duxburyetal.1 989;Partonetal.,1 99…     

Stable carbon isotope characteristics of different plant species and surface soil in arid regions

The stable carbon isotope composition in surface soil organic matter (δ¹³Csoil) contains integrative information on the carbon isotope composition of the standing terrestrial plants (δ¹³Cleaf). In order to obtain valuable vegetation information from the δ¹³C of terrestrial sediment, it is necessary to understand the relationship between the δ¹³C value in modern surface soil and the standing vegetation. In this paper, we studied the δ¹³C value in modern surface soil organic matter and standing vegetation in arid areas in China, Australia and the United States. The isotopic discrepancy between δ¹³Csoil and δ¹³Cleaf of the standing dominant vegetation was examined in those different arid regions. The results show that the δ¹³Csoil values were consistently enriched compared to the δ¹³Cleaf. The δ¹³Cleaf values were positively correlated with δ¹³Csoil, which suggests that the interference of microorganisms and hydrophytes on the isotopic composition of surface soil organic matter during soil organic matter formation could be ignored in arid regions. The averaged discrepancy between δ¹³Csoil and δ¹³Cleaf is about 1.71%in Tamarix L. in the Tarim Basin in China, 1.50% in Eucalytus near Orange in Australia and 1.22% in Artemisia in Saratoga in the United States, which are different from the results of other studies. The results indicate that the discrepancies in the δ¹³C value between surface soil organic matter and standing vegetation were highly influenced by the differences in geophysical location and the dominant species of the studied ecosystems. We suggest that caution should be taken when organic matter δ¹³C in terrestrial sediment is used to extract paleovegetation information (C₃/C₄ vegetation composition), as the δ¹³C in soil organic matter is not only determined by the ratio of C₃/C₄ species, but also profoundly affected by climate change induced variation in the δ¹³C in dominant species.     

Geochemical characteristics and organic carbon sources within the upper reaches of the Xi River,southwest China during high flow

Carbon (POC, DOC) and carbon isotopes (δ¹³C) within two headwater tributaries to the Xi River Basin, southwest China were analyzed to document the geochemical characteristics and sources of organic carbon (C) within basins characterized by a monsoonal climate and karst landforms. δ¹³ C _POC value and C/N ratio data indicate that suspended soil organic carbon (SOC) was an important source of POC in both the Nanpan and Beipan rivers (i.e., the studied tributaries). However, differences in C sources exist between the Nanpan and Beipan River Basins. Higher terrestrial plants supplied a portion of the POC within the Beipan River. In contrast, the Nanpan River was characterized by an inverse correlation between POC and DOC, and a positive relationship between the δ¹³C values. These trends indicate that DOC within the Nanpan River was partly derived from the degradation of soil C within the water column. In addition, the interception of C by hydrological projects (e.g., dams) positioned along the Nanpan River led to higher DOC/POC ratios. In contrast, within the Beipan River δ¹³C _DOC values range from ?20 to ?25.2 ‰ and are consistent with ratios associated with soil C, suggesting that leaching of C from catchment soil was the dominant source of DOC. Organic C in tributaries to the Beipan River may also have been derived from intense upland soil erosion, a process that resulted in the lowest DOC/POC ratios. The collected data indicate that land-use changes have potentially influenced regional- to local-scale organic C budgets within subtropical basins subjected to karstification.     

Stable carbon isotopic composition of soil organic matter in the karst areas of Southwest China

This study dealt with the distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon （SOC） and the variation of stable carbon isotopic composition （δ^13C values） with depth in six soil profiles, including two soil types and three vegetation forms in the karst areas of Southwest China. The δ^13C values of plant-dominant species, leaf litter and soils were measured using the sealed-tube high-temperature combustion method. Soil organic carbon contents of the limestone soil profiles are all above 11.4 g/kg, with the highest value of 71.1 g/kg in the surface soil. However, the contents vary between 2.9 g/kg and 46.0 g/kg in three yellow soil profiles. The difference between the maximum and minimum δ^13C values of soil organic matter （SOM） changes from 2.2‰ to 2.9‰ for the three yellow soil profiles. But it changes from 0.8‰ to 1.6‰ for the limestone soil profiles. The contrast research indicated that there existed significant difference in vertical pattems of organic carbon and δ^13C values of SOM between yellow soil and limestone soil. This difference may reflect site-specific factors, such as soil type, vegetation form, soil pH value, and clay content, etc., which control the contents of different organic components comprising SOM and soil carbon turnover rates in the profiles. The vertical variation patterns of stable carbon isotope in SOM have a distinct regional character in the karst areas.     

The Variation of Soil Organic Matter in a Forest-Cultivation Sequence Traced by Stable Carbon Isotopes

On the basis of different photosynthetic pathways.there is an obvious difference in δ^13C values between C3 and C4 plants,In terms of this characteristic,we analyzed the organic carbon content (forestlands:1.81%-16.00%;farmland:0.45%-2.22%) and δ^13C values(forestlands:-23.86‰--27.12‰;farmland:-19.66‰--23.26‰)of three profile-soil samples either in farmland or in forestland near the Maolan Karst virgin forest,where there were developed plant C3 plants previously and now are C4 plants.Results showed that the deforestation has accelerated the decomposition rate of soil organic matter and reduced the proportion of active components in soil organic matter and thus soil fertility.     

Transmission of <Emphasis Type="Italic">δ</Emphasis><Superscript>13</Superscript>C signals and its paleoclimatic implications in Liangfeng Cave system of Guizhou Province,SW China

A series of samples, including vegetation, soil organic matter, soil waters, spring, bedrock, pool water, drip waters (upper-drip waters and ground-drip waters) and their corresponding speleothems were collected at Liangfeng Cave (LFC) system of Guizhou Province, southwest of China, respectively, from 2003 to 2004 year, then their stable carbon isotopes were measured and analyzed. Results reveal that vegetation is C₃ type in LFC system; cave overlying δ ¹³C signals, including values and variations, could be transmitted to drip water (speleothem); speleothem δ ¹³C mainly shows a biogenic δ ¹³C value character (soil CO₂ from plant respiration and decay); and there are remarkable seasonal variations of δ ¹³C values for drip water TDIC (speleothem), which are lighter at least 2.0‰ in the rainy seasons than in the dry ones. So, it could be feasible to reconstruct high-resolution changes of paleoecology and paleoclimate by using speleothem δ ¹³C values.     

Hydrochemistry of the Amur River: Weathering in a Northern Temperate Basin

We report the dissolved major element, organic carbon, and δ¹³C_DOC, δ¹³C_POC, δD, δ¹⁸O, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr composition of 19 summer samples from the Amur River. The Amur transported 2.6 Tg C/year of total organic carbon to the Sea of Okhotsk. The physical weathering rate (PWR) based on suspended particulate material was 13 (1.4–14) tons/(km² year), and the chemical weathering rate based on total dissolved solids was 7 (4.3–46) tons/(km² year). We further quantified the sources of the dissolved cations using an inverse model: rain accounted for 2 (0.6–5)%, evaporite 3 (0.7–7)%, carbonate 51 (29–74)%, and silicate 45 (25–64)%. The silicate weathering rate (SWR) in the Amur basin was 23 (15–98) × 10³ mol/(km² year) or 0.67 (0.40–2.81) tons/(km² year), comparable to those of the Siberian rivers and the Mackenzie at higher latitudes. The SWR of the Amur was negatively correlated with elevation and relief, and positively correlated with runoff.     

The application of δ13C and C/N ratios as indicators of organic carbon sources and paleoenvironmental change of the mangrove ecosystem from Ba Lat Estuary, Red River, Vietnam

In this study, two sediment cores (~70 cm) were collected from separate mangrove forests straddling the Ba Lat Estuary, Red River of northern Vietnam, to examine the origins of sedimentary organic carbon (SOC) and reconstruct the paleoenvironment. In addition, mangrove leaves and particulate organic matter were collected and measured for δ¹³C to trace the origins of SOC. The cores were analyzed by high-resolution sections for δ¹³C, TOC, C/N ratios, sediment grain size, water content, and porosity, with values of δ¹³C, TOC, and C/N ratios ranging from −28.19 to −22.5‰, 2.14–30.94 mg/g, and 10.29–18.32, respectively. The δ¹³C and TOC relationship indicated that there were some small residual effects of diagenetic processes on TOC and δ¹³C values in mangrove sediments. However, the shifts of δ¹³C and C/N ratios from the bottom to the surface sediment of the cores explained the change in organic matter sources, with values of C/N > 12 and δ¹³C < −25‰, and C/N < 12 and δ¹³C > −25‰ indicated terrestrial (e.g., mangrove litter) and marine phytoplankton sources, respectively. The covarying δ¹³C, C/N ratios, and sediment grain sizes during the past 100 years in sediment cores showed that the paleoenvironment may be reconstructed into three environments (subtidal, tidal flat, and intertidal mangrove). General trends in δ¹³C and C/N followed a gradual increase in the C/N ratio and a concomitant decrease in δ¹³C from the subtidal, through to tidal flat, and to the intertidal mangrove. δ¹³C and C/N ratios are therefore effective in measuring the continuum of environmental change in mangrove ecosystem.     

Comparison of soil organic carbon content,hydraulic conductivity,and particle size fractions between a grassland and a nearby black pine plantation of 40 years in two surface depths

In highlands of semiarid Turkey, ecosystems have been significantly transformed through human actions, and today changes are taking place very rapidly, causing harmful consequences such as soil degradation. This paper examines two neighboring land use types in Indagi Mountain Pass, Cankiri, Turkey, to determine effects of the conversion of Blackpine (Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. pallasiana) plantation from grassland 40 years ago on soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil erodibility (USLE-K). For this purpose, a total of 302 disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were taken at irregular intervals from two sites and from two soil depths of 0–10 cm (D₁) and 10–20 cm (D₂). In terms of SOC, conversion did not make any statistical difference between grassland and plantation; however, there were statistically significant differences with soil depth within each land use, and SOC contents significantly decreased with the soil depth (P < 0.05) and mostly accumulated in D₁. SOC values were 2.4 and 1.8% for grassland and 2.8 and 1.6% for plantation, respectively, at D₁ and D₂. USLE-K values also statistically differed significantly with the land use, and in contrast to the statistics of SOC, there was no change in USLE-K with the soil depth. Since USLE-K was estimated using SOC, hydraulic conductivity (HC) and soil textural composition––sand (S), silt (Si), and clay (C) contents of soils––as well as SOC did not change with the land use, we ascribed the changes of USLE-K with the land uses to the differences in the HC as strongly affected by the interactions between SOC and contents of S, Si, and C. On an average, the soil of the grassland (USLE-K = 0.161 t ha h ha⁻¹ MJ⁻¹ mm⁻¹) was more erodible than those of the plantation (USLE-K = 0.126 t ha h ha⁻¹ MJ⁻¹ mm⁻¹). Additionally, topographic factors, such as aspect and slope, were statistically effective on spatial distribution of the USLE-K and SOC.     

Transformations of organic carbon and its impact on lead weathering in shooting range soils

Five soil samples collected from shooting ranges in 1998 were stored under a closed condition for 5 years. In addition to SEM and XRD investigations, the total organic carbon content (TOC), inorganic carbon content (TIC), δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O of carbonates and δ¹³C of plant remains were analyzed. The concentrations of total carbon contents, the sum of TOC and TIC, remained the same within the 5 years storage, whereas the TOC and TIC contents decreased and increased, respectively. The TIC increase is associated with a decreased TOC, suggesting a conversion of organic carbon into inorganic carbon. Such a conversion is evidenced by the presence of primary lead carbonates and carbon isotopic composition of lead carbonates. It can be concluded that soil organic matters play an important role in the process of bullets weathering and controls migration of the elevated lead in the soil.     

Temporal variability in sources of dissolved organic carbon in the lower Mississippi river

Here we report on the temporal changes in the composition of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) collected in the tidal freshwater region of the lower Mississippi River. Lignin-phenols, bulk stable carbon isotopes, compound-specific isotope analyses (CSIA) and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry were used to examine the composition of high molecular weight dissolved organic matter (HMW DOM) at one station in the lower river over 6 different flow regimes in 1998 and 1999. It was estimated that the annual input of DOC delivered to the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River was of 3.1 × 10⁻³ Pg, which represents 1.2% of the total global input of DOC from rivers to the ocean. Average DOC and HMW DOC were 489 ±163 and 115 ± 47 μM, respectively. ¹³C-NMR spectra revealed considerably more aliphatic structures than aromatic carbons in HMW DOC. Lignin phenols were significantly ¹³C-depleted with respect to bulk HMW DOM indicating that C₄ grass inputs to the HMW DOM were not significant. It is speculated that C₄ organic matter in the river is not being converted (via microbial decay) to HMW DOM as readily as C₃ organic matter is, because of the association of C₄ organic matter with finer sediments. The predominantly aliphatic ¹³C NMR signature of HMW DOM suggests that autochthonous production in the river may be more important as a source of DOC than previously thought. Increases in nutrient loading and decreases in the suspended load (because of dams) in the Mississippi River, as well as other large rivers around the world, has resulted in significant changes in the sources and overall cycling of riverine DOC.     

Study on Modern Plant C－13 in Western China and Its Significance

Organic carbon isotopic composition(δ^13C) is one of the important proxies in paleoenvironment studies.In this paper modern plant δ^13C in the arid areas of China and Tibetan Plateau is studied.It is found that most terrestrial plant species in western China are C3 plants with δ^13C values ranging from -32.6‰ to -23.2‰ and only few species are C4 plants with δ^13C values from -16.8‰ to -13.3‰.The δ^13C is closely related to precipitation (or humidity),i.e., light δ^13C is related to high precipitation(or humid climate),while heavy δ^13C to low precipitation (or dry climate),but there is almost no relation between plant δ^13C and temperature.Submerged plants have δ^13C values ranging from -22.0‰ to -12.7‰,like C4 plants,while merged plants have δ^13C values ranging from -28.1‰ to -24.5‰，like C3 C4 plants,while marged plants have δ^13C values ranging from -28.1‰ to -24.5‰,like C3 plants.It can then be concluded that organic δ^13C variations in terrestrial sediments such as loeas and soil in western China can indicate precipitation changes,but those in lake sediments can reflect organic sources and the productivity of different types of aquatic plants.     

Stable Carbon Isotope Biogeochemistry and Anthropogenic Impacts on Karst Ground Water, Zunyi, Southwest China

Natural and anthropogenic impacts on karst ground water, Zunyi, Southwest China, are discussed using the stable isotope composition of dissolved inorganic carbon and particulate organic carbon, together with carbon species contents and water chemistry. The waters can be mainly characterized as HCO₃–Ca type, HCO₃ · SO₄–Ca type, or HCO₃ · SO₄–Ca · Mg type, according to mass balance considerations. It is found that the average δ¹³C_DIC values of ground waters are higher in winter (low-flow season) than in summer (high-flow season). Lower contents of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and lower values of δ¹³C_DIC in summer than in winter, indicate that local rain events in summer and a longer residence time of water in winter play an important role in the evolution of ground water carbon in karst flow systems; therefore, soil CO₂ makes a larger contribution to the DIC in summer than in winter. The range of δ¹³C_DIC values indicate that dissolved inorganic carbon is mainly controlled by the rate of carbonate dissolution. The concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and particulate organic carbon in most ground water samples are lower than 2.0 mg C L⁻¹ and 0.5 mg C L⁻¹, respectively, but some waters have slightly higher contents of organic carbon. The waters with high organic carbon contents are generally located in the urban area where lower δ¹³C_DIC values suggest that urbanization has had an effect on the ground water biogeochemistry and might threaten the water quality.     

Genesis of organic and carbonate carbon in sediments of the North and Middle Caspian basins inferred from the isotope data

Isotopic compositions of organic (δ¹³C-C_org) and carbonate (δ¹³C-C_carb) carbon were analyzed in the particulate matter (hereafter, particulates) and sediments from the North and Middle Caspian basins. Isotopic composition of C_org was used for assessing proportions of the allochthonous and autochthonous organic matter in the particulates. Difference between the δ¹³C-C_org values in surface sediments and particulates is explained by the aerobic and anaerobic diagenetic transformations. Isotopic composition of C_org in sediments may be used as a tool for reconstructing the Quaternary transgressive-regressive history of the Caspian Sea.     

Relationships between carbon isotope evolution and variation of microbes during the Permian–Triassic transition at Meishan Section, South China

This paper investigates kerogen carbon isotopes, the difference between carbonate and kerogen carbon isotopes (Δ¹³C_carb-kero = δ ¹³C_carb − δ ¹³C_kero) and the difference between carbonate and n-C₁₉ alkane compound-specific carbon isotopes (Δ¹³C_carb-n-C19 = δ ¹³C_carb − δ ¹³C _n-C19) during the Permian–Triassic transition at Meishan, South China. The results show that kerogen carbon isotopes underwent both gradual and sharp shifts in beds 23–25 and 26–29, respectively. The differences between carbonate and organic carbon isotopes, both the Δ¹³C_carb-kero and Δ¹³C_carb-n-C19, which are mainly affected by CO₂-fixing enzyme and pCO₂, oscillated frequently during the Permian–Triassic transition. Both the variations of Δ¹³C_carb-n-C19 and Δ¹³C_carb-kero coupled with the alternation between cyanobacteria and green sulfur bacteria indicated by biomarkers. The episodic low values of Δ¹³C_carb-n-C19 corresponded to episodic blooms of green sulfur bacteria, while the episodic high values of Δ¹³C_carb-n-C19 corresponded to episodic blooms of cyanobacteria. The relationships between the variation of carbon isotopes and biota show that the microbes which flourished after the extinction of macroorganism affected the carbon isotope fractionation greatly. Combining the carbon isotope compositions and the pattern of size variation of the conodont Neogondolella, this paper supposes that anoxia of the photic zone at bed 24 was episodic and it would be caused by the degradation of terrigenous organic matters by sulfate reducing bacteria in the upper water column. Considered together with results from previous research, the high resolution variation of the biogeochemistry presents the sequence of the important geo-events during the Permian–Triassic crisis.     

Stable carbon and oxygen isotopic study of carbonate along a loess/paleosol section in Lantian County, Shaanxi Province, on the southeastern edge of the Chinese Loess Plateau

Studies of carbonate carbon isotope of loess/paleosol (δ¹³C_carb) in the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) have shown δ¹³C_carb less negative in loess and more negative in paleosol, which is opposite to that of bulk organic matter. Although some mechanisms have been proposed to explain this inconsistency, few studies have been conducted to investigate how carbonate migration could affect the reliability of utilizing δ¹³C_carb as an effective indicator. Here, a loess/paleosol profile with a nodule horizon intercalated in the loess layer, located on the southeastern edge of the CLP, was investigated to understand the influence of carbonate eluviation and reprecipitation on δ¹³C_carb along the section. The mean grain size and magnetic susceptibility generally conform to the field observed loess/paleosol stratigraphy. However, carbonate content shows distinct differences in the two sides of the nodule horizon, clearly indicating eluviation along the section. The variation of carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of soil carbonate (δ¹³C_SC and δ¹⁸O_SC) and nodule carbonate (δ¹³C_NC and δ¹⁸O_NC) along the profile does not present a clearly meaningful picture. Generally, δ¹³C_SC and δ¹⁸O_SC have a similar change trend along the profile and are positively correlated, but there is no apparent relationship between δ¹³C_NC and δ¹⁸O_NC. More importantly, δ¹⁸O_NC values fall in the range of δ¹⁸O_SC, whereas δ¹³C_NC values are much more positive than δ¹³C_SC. Detailed analyses of the data indicate migration of carbonate along the profile, which is an important factor that determines that loess/paleosol δ¹³C_carb could not be employed as a high-resolution paleovegetational and paleoenvironmental indicator in the CLP, at least on or below the glacial/interglacial scales.     

The relation of seasonal pattern in stable carbon compositions to meteorological variables in the leaves of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sabina</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">przewalskii</Emphasis> Kom. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sabina chinensis</Emphasis> (Lin.) Ant.

The seasonal variation of foliar δ¹³C values in Sabina przewalskii Kom. and Sabina chinensis (Lin.) Ant. was measured. The relationships between foliar δ¹³C values and branch δ¹³C values as well as environmental factors (monthly total precipitation, monthly average air temperature, monthly average soil temperature, monthly total solar duration, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, vapor pressure, wind speed and potential evaporation) were investigated. The results showed that the foliar δ¹³C values were negatively correlated with air pressure, and positively correlated with air temperature, precipitation, vapor pressure, potential evaporation, solar duration, wind speed and soil temperature. No significant relationship between δ¹³C values and relative humidity was detected. This demonstrates that the foliar δ¹³C of Sabina is a successful empirical indictor of these meteorological factors within the usual range of C₃ whole-leaf δ¹³C values. Furthermore, the δ¹³C signature of leaf tissue is similar to that of wood tissue and the responses of δ¹³C values in S. przewalskii Kom. to environmental factors are also relatively stronger than that of S. chinensis (Lin.) Ant. These results provided strong evidence that it is feasible to extract climatic information from tree-ring δ¹³C series and S. przewalskii Kom. is a dendroclimatologically promising tree species.     

Dissolved organic carbon and methane in a regional confined aquifer,southern Ontario,Canada: Carbon isotope evidence for associated subsurface sources

Information regarding the origin, composition and transport of natural dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in groundwater is necessary to understand the transport of metals and organic pollutants, as well as for the use of¹⁴C in DOC as an isotopic groundwater dating method. Previous research in several groundwater systems has suggested soil organic C is the predominant source of high molecular weight DOC to the subsurface. Through the use of stable isotopes,¹⁴C and geochemical analyses, this study shows that significant concentrations of DOC and CH₄ in a regional confined aquifer can be generated in situ from subsurface sedimentary organic sources. The DOC and CH₄ produced is a combined result of degradation of buried peats and bacterial action, resulting in high DOC concentrations and strongly methanogenic conditions in the aquifer. The DOC and CH₄ comprise, on average, nearly 50% of the total dissolved C pool in the central part of the aquifer. Methanogenic conditions complicate isotopic groundwater dating by the conventional dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) method. Estimates of isotopic groundwater residence time using DOC¹⁴C data are proposed by the application of¹⁴C isotope and mass balance corrections.     

Variation characteristics of CO2 in a newly-excavated soil profile,Chinese Loess Plateau: Excavation-induced ancient soil organic carbon decomposition

Soils of the Chinese Loess Plateau(CLP)contain substantial amounts of soil inorganic carbon(SIC),as well as recent and ancient soil organic carbon(SOC).With the advent of the Anthropocene,human perturbation,including excavation,has increased soil CO₂ emission from the huge loess carbon pool.This study aims to determine the potential of loess CO₂ emission induced by excavation.Soil CO₂ were continuously monitored for seven years on a newly-excavated profile in the central CLP and the stable C isotope compositions of soil CO₂ and SOC were used to identify their sources.The results showed that the soil CO₂ concentrations ranged from 830μL·L^-1 to 11190μL·L^-1 with an annually reducing trend after excavation,indicating that the human excavation can induce CO₂ production in loess profile.Theδ¹³ C of CO₂ ranged from–21.27‰to–19.22‰(mean:–20.11‰),with positive deviation from top to bottom.The range of δ¹³CSOC was–24.0‰to–21.1‰with an average of–23.1‰.Theδ¹³ C-CO₂ in this study has a positive relationship with the reversed CO₂ concentration,and it is calculated that 80.22%of the soil CO₂ in this profile is from the microbial decomposition of SOC and 19.78%from the degasification during carbonate precipitation.We conclude that the human excavation can significantly enhance the decomposition of the ancient OC in loess during the first two years after perturbation,producing and releasing soil CO₂ to atmosphere.