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…     

Pyrolysis-combustion C dating of soil organic matter

Radiocarbon (¹⁴C) dating of total soil organic matter (SOM) often yields results inconsistent with the stratigraphic sequence. The onerous chemical extractions for SOM fractions do not always produce satisfactory ¹⁴C dates. In an effort to develop an alternative method, the pyrolysis-combustion technique was investigated to partition SOM into pyrolysis volatile (Py-V) and pyrolysis residue (Py-R) fractions. The Py-V fractions obtained from a thick glacigenic loess succession in Illinois yielded ¹⁴C dates much younger but more reasonable than the counterpart Py-R fractions for the soil residence time. Carbon isotopic composition (δ¹³C) was heavier in the Py-V fractions, suggesting a greater abundance of carbohydrate- and protein-related constituents, and δ¹³C was lighter in the Py-R fractions, suggesting more lignin- and lipid-related constituents. The combination of ¹⁴C dates and δ¹³C values indicates that the Py-V fractions are less biodegradation resistant and the Py-R fractions are more biodegradation resistant. The pyrolysis-combustion method provides a less cumbersome approach for ¹⁴C dating of SOM fractions. With further study, this method may become a useful tool for analyzing unlithified terrestrial sediments when macrofossils are absent.     

岩溶区土壤有机质空间变异性分析

采用GIS和地统计学研究土壤有机质（SOM）的空间分布、影响因素和预测是指导农业生产、环境治理和土壤碳储计量的重要手段。基于广西马山县北部岩溶区表层土壤 (0~20 cm)的441个SOM数据,建立普通克里格(OK)、回归克里格（RK）,以及结合辅助变量的地理加权回归克里格(GWRK)、残差均值（MM_OK）和中值（MC_OK）均一化克里格的5种模型,并比较其预测精度,旨在探讨岩溶区SOM制图中地统计学方法的适用性。结果表明：（1）SOM的变异系数为37.30%,属于中等空间变异;（2）岩溶区SOM空间变异受土地利用方式、土壤类型和地形因子等因素共同影响,SOM高值区分布在西北部、西部和东部等石灰土分布的岩溶区和水田,低值区位于北部红水河沿岸的冲积土地带;（3）RK、GWRK、MM_OK和 MC_OK对SOM解释能力均较优,可用于岩溶区SOM预测制图。结合辅助变量因子的GWRK预测模型能有效消除空间变异因素的影响,克服岩溶区SOM含量的空间非平稳性,从而提高SOM含量模型的稳定性和精度,同时MC_OK模型能提高预测的准确度。     

C and N NMR analysis of some fungal melanins in comparison with soil organic matter

A variety of fungal melanins with natural ¹⁵N abundance are characterized by solid-state ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR spectroscopy and are compared to solid-state ¹³C and ¹⁵N NMR spectra of organic matter from representative soils. In all solid-state ¹⁵N NMR spectra the peptide/amide region (−220 to −285 ppm) dominates with more than 70% of the total intensity. The region between −285 and −375 ppm, assigned to amino and ammonium groups, always contains more than half of the remaining intensity. The area in the region from −30 to −220 ppm, where aromatic heterocycles would show signals, makes up less than 10% of the total intensity. These findings call into question common structural models for melanins. The solid-state ¹³C NMR spectra, on the other hand, reveal large differences when the melanins are compared to each other, and to composts and soils. The concentration of the aromatic carbon varies from 5 to 40% in the melanin series. The ratio C_aro/N_tot and C_ali/N_tot were calculated, and confirm that nitrogen in these samples is bound in C_a-groups rather than in aromatic heterocyclic structures.     

Research on the carbon isotopic composition of organic matter from Lake Chenghai and Caohai Lake sediments

The carbon isotopic composition of organic matter from lake sediments has been extensively used to infer variations in productivity. In this paper, based on the study of the contents and δ13C values of organic matter in different types of lakes, it has been found that δ13C values of organic matter have different responses to lake productivity in different lakes. As to the lakes dominated by aqutic macrophytes such as Lake Caohai, organic matter becomes enriched in 13C with increasing productivity. As to the lakes dominated by aquatic algae such as Lake Chenghai, δ13C values of organic matter decrease with increasing productivity, and the degradation of aquatic algae is the main factor leading to the decrease of δ13C values of organic matter with increasing productivity. Therefore, we should be cautious to use the carbon isotopic composition of organic matter to deduce lake productivity.     

Isotopic and sedimentological clues to productivity change in Late Riphean Sea: A case study from two intracratonic basins of India

Enriched¹³C/¹²C ratios with δ¹³C ∼3%0 (w.r.t PDB) of two Late Riphean (∼ 700-610 Ma) intracratonic carbonate successions viz., Bhander Limestone of Vindhyan Basin and Raipur Limestone of Chattisgarh Basin suggest higher organic productivity during this period. This view is supported by sedimentological evidence of higher biohermal growth and consequent increase in depositional relief in the low gradient ramp settings inferred for these basins. Oxygen isotope analysis of these carbonates show distinct segregation between enriched deeper water carbonate mudstone and depleted shallow water stromatolite facies that received fresh water influx. This shows that facies-specific analyses can be useful in understanding the depositional setting of these sediments.     

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.     

Biogeochemical processes of incorporation, transformation and migration of organic matter at the marine water-sediment interface: Simulation by C labelled compounds

The study of biogeochemical processes at the water-sediment interface must be able to explain the relatively small content of organic carbon in the sediment, compared to the calculated carbon flux in the oceans. The input of an organic molecule at the marine sediment surface (Gulf of Lion, France) was simulated by the injection of a ¹⁴C labelled molecule in the water of a preserved interface. A glutamic acid [¹⁴C(U)] simulated marine organic matter, whereas a catechol [¹⁴C(U)] represented continental organic material. The separation by successive acid and basic extractions of the remaining initial compounds and the resulting products showed the relative importance of biological (respiration, assimilation) and geochemical (adsorption on argillaceous particles and condensation in geopolymers) processes occurring at the water-sediment interface. The evaluation was supported by the determination of the geochemical (humic substances), hydrological (conditions of temperature and degree of oxygénation) and sedimentological characteristics of the environment studied and by the estimation of the benthic activity.     

The Baykonurian glaciohorizon of the Late Vendian

Glacial deposits occurring close to the Vendian-Cambrian boundary were discovered long ago in several regions of Asia and West Africa. New data of recent years confirm earlier observation and specify age constraints of these deposits. In certain sections, glacial sediments rest on beds with the Upper Vendian fossils (Vendotaenia sp., Sabellidites remains, and microfossils). In the Hoggar Highland, they discordantly overlie magmatic rocks ca. 560 Ma old. In the East Sayan Mts., the Upper Vendian Cloudina sp. have been found in the diamictite matrix. In Central Asia and Northwest China, cap dolomites conformably overlying glacial deposits grade upward into the chert-phosphatic sediments containing fossils (Tarim region), which are characteristic of the Anabarites trisulcatus Zone in the Nemakit-Daldynian Stage. Fossils of this zone have been found directly above glacial deposits in the East Sayan. According to all these data, the respective Baykonurian glaciation, as it is termed in this work, either antedated the Nemakit-Daldynian Age or was concurrent to its commencement. The glaciation is correlative with a significant negative δ¹³C excursion of ?5 to ?10‰. Judging from recent paleotectonic reconstructions, the Baykonurian glaciation was not regional in rank and left records in both hemispheres of the Earth. This glaciation resumes the well-known succession of the great glaciation event in the terminal Late Precambrian, i.e., the Sturtian, Marinoan, and Gaskiers glaciations. Hence, one cannot ignore the Baykonurian glaciation when analyzing the geological, biospheric, and biotic history of the Late Precambrian.     

The Correlation of Inorganic C,O Isotopic Values for Lake Chenghai Sediments and Its Environmental Implications

As one of the lakes on the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau, Lake Chenghai, which is a typical closed lake with the precipitation accounting for one-third or more of the annual water input, has a high total salinity (almost like a saline lake). The inorganic C, O isotopic composition of lake sediments bears much sensitive information about environmental change in the catchment, while their correlations revealed the hydrological conditions under which the lake was closed. Their compositional variations are controlled by temperature, precipitation, photosynthesis, dissolving equilibrium of the carbonate system and hydrological condition. According to our research on inorganic C, O isotopic composition of Lake Chenghai sediments, we investigated the environmental change of this catchment several decades ago. The results showed that Lake Chenghai has kept good hydrological closing conditions in the past several decades, as indicated by the good correlation of inorganic C, O isotopic composition of sediments; and that the environmental change in this catchment shows a tendency of periodical evolution on a 10⁻¹¹-years scale, although the signal noise is relatively high at the bottom of the sediment core. And we also can extend C, O isotopes, a sensitive environmental indicator, to nearly saline lake environments with a high degree of mineralization.     

Controls, variation, and a record of climate change in detailed stable isotope record in a single bryozoan skeleton

The long-lived (about 20 yr) bryozoan Adeonellopsis sp. from Doubtful Sound, New Zealand, precipitates aragonite in isotopic equilibrium with seawater, exerting no metabolic or kinetic effects. Oxygen isotope ratios (δ¹⁸O) in 61 subsamples (along three branches of a single unaltered colony) range from −0.09 to +0.68‰ PDB (mean = +0.36‰ PDB). Carbon isotope ratios (δ¹³C) range from +0.84 to +2.18‰ PDB (mean = +1.69‰ PDB). Typical of cool-water carbonates, δ¹⁸O-derived water temperatures range from 14.2 to 17.5 °C. Adeonellopsis has a minimum temperature growth threshold of 14 °C, recording only a partial record of environmental variation. By correlating seawater temperatures derived from δ¹⁸O with the Southern Oscillation Index, however, we were able to detect major events such as the 1983 El Niño. Interannual climatic variation can be recorded in skeletal carbonate isotopes. The range of within-colony isotopic variability found in this study (0.77‰ in δ¹⁸O and 1.34 in δ¹³C) means that among-colony variation must be treated cautiously. Temperate bryozoan isotopes have been tested in less than 2% of described extant species — this highly variable phylum is not yet fully understood.     

土壤中有机碳含量对三氯乙烯的吸附影响实验

采用某地区土壤样品,利用批实验的方法,研究不同有机碳含量的土壤样品对三氯乙烯(TCE) 的吸附行为.研究表明,土壤样品中,由于有机碳含量不同,有机污染物三氯乙烯(TEC)的吸附量不同,存在有机碳含量的阈值区间(foc*).最小foc*=0.702%,最大foc*=1.831%,当foc<0.702%时,TCE吸附量随土壤样品的有机碳含量变化较小,基本不随foc变化而发生较大变化;在0.702%1.831%时,TCE吸附量随土壤样品的有机碳含量变化又变得平缓,基本上又不随foc升高而发生较大的变化.     

n-alkane distribution coupled with organic carbon isotope composition in the shell bar section, Qarhan paleolake, Qaidam basin, NE Tibetan Plateau

Lipids extracted from lacustrine deposits in the paleolake Qarhan of the Qaidam basin in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau were determined by conventional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Several series of biomarkers were identified, mainly including n-alkanes, n-alkan-2-ones, n-alkanoic acids, branched alkanes, triterpenoids and steroids, indicative of various biogenic contributions. On the basis of cluster analysis, the n-C₁₅, n-C₁₇, n-C₁₉ alkanes were proposed to be derived from algae and/or photosynthetic bacteria, the n-C₂₁, n-C₂₃, n-C₂₅ homologues from aquatic plants, and the n-C₂₉, n-C₃₁ homologues from vascular plants. In contrast, the n-C₂₇ alkane is not categorized in the n-C₂₉ and n-C₃₁ group of alkanes, probably due to more complex origins including both aquatic and vascular plants, and/or differential biodegradation. Stratigraphically, layers-2, 4 and 5 were found to show a close relationship in n-alkane distribution, associated with a positive shift in carbon isotope composition of bulk organic matter (δ¹³C_org), inferring a cold/dry period. Layers-1 and 6 were clustered together in association with a negative δ¹³C_org, excursion, probably indicating a relatively warm/humid climate. The potential coupling between the n-alkane distributions and δ¹³C_org, suggests a consequence of vegetation change in response to climate change, with the late MIS3 being shown to be unstable, thought to be the climatic optimum in the Tibetan Plateau. Our results suggest that the cluster analysis used in this study probably provides an effective and authentic method to investigate the n-alkane distribution in paleolake sediments.     

Fingerprinting of soil organic matter as a proxy for assessing climate and vegetation changes in last interglacial palaeosols (Veldwezelt, Belgium)

Soil characteristics in palaeosols are an important source of information on past climate and vegetation. Fingerprinting of soil organic matter (SOM) by pyrolysis-GC/MS is assessed as a proxy for palaeo-reconstruction in the complex of humic layers on top of the Rocourt pedosequence in the Veldwezelt-Hezerwater outcrop (Belgian loess belt). The fingerprints of the extractable SOM of different soil units are related to total organic carbon content, δ¹³C and grain-size analysis. Combined results indicate that the lower unit of the humic complex reflects a stable soil surface, allowing SOM build-up, intensive microbial activity and high decomposition. Higher in the profile, decomposition and microbial activity decrease. This is supported by a shift in the isotopic signal, an increased U ratio and evidence of wildfires. Although the chemical composition of the extracted SOM differed greatly from recent SOM, fingerprinting yielded detailed new information on SOM degree of decomposition and microbial contribution, allowing the reconstruction of palaeo-environmental conditions during pedogenesis.     

Vegetation dynamics during the late Pleistocene in the Barreirinhas region, Maranhão State, northeastern Brazil, based on carbon isotopes in soil organic matter

The study place is in the Barreirinhas region, Maranhão State, northeastern Brazil. A vegetation transect of 78 km was studied among four vegetation types: Restinga (coastal vegetation), Cerrado (woody savanna), Cerradão (dense woody savanna), and Forest, as well as three forested sites around Lagoa do Caçó, located approximately 10 km of the transect. Soil profiles in this transect were sampled for δ¹³C analysis, as well as buried charcoal fragments were used for ¹⁴C dating. The data interpretation indicated that approximately between 15,000 and ∼9000 ¹⁴C yr B.P., arboreal vegetation prevailed in the whole transect, probably due to the presence of a humid climate. Approximately between ∼9000 and 4000-3000 ¹⁴C yr B.P., there was the expansion of the savanna, probably related to the presence of drier climate. From ∼4000-3000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. to the present, the results indicated an increase in the arboreal density in the area, due to the return to a more humid and probably similar climate to the present. The presence of buried charcoal fragments in several soil depths suggested the occurrence of palaeofires during the Holocene. The vegetation dynamic inferred in this study for northeastern Brazil is in agreement with the results obtained in areas of Amazon region, based on pollen analysis of lake sediments and carbon isotope analysis of soil organic matter (SOM), implying than similar climatic conditions have affected these areas during the late Pleistocene until the present.     

Analyses of insoluble residues of altered organic matter by C CP/MAS nuclear magnetic resonance

Alteration phenomena affecting organic matter during diagenesis frequently lead to the formation of residues almost insoluble. Data from ¹³C CP/MAS nuclear magnetic resonance analyses (NMR) of these residues have been compared to those obtained by other techniques such as elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, Rock-Eval pyrolysis or gas chromatography. Three examples of alteration phenomena have been chosen: the artificial and natural oxidation of coals, the biodegradation of oils and solid bitumens, and the radiolytic degradation of organic matter. NMR results and those obtained by other techniques converge on similar general conclusions. Additional information can be extracted from ¹³C NMR data: e.g. definition of the phenol/carbonyl ratio, transformation of the aromatic network and aromatic ring substitution. These comparisons are good evidence for the reliability of non-destructive analysis of the insoluble fraction of altered organic material by ¹³C CP/MAS NMR.     

红壤酸化过程中铁铝氧化物矿物形态变化及其环境意义

铁铝矿物对土壤中有机质的稳定保持具有十分重要的作用。酸化作用的研究表明,随着浸泡时间的增加,红壤中铁铝总量降低,铝溶蚀较严重;红壤中铁铝氧化物的矿物形态变化表现为:游离态晶质铁铝氧化物大量溶出,而无定形和络合态变化不大。酸性条件下有机质溶出显著,说明除了可能发生水解作用外,游离态铁铝的溶出也起着关键性作用。此外,SEM观察也表明酸化作用引起了土壤团聚体结构的破坏。     

Influence of moisture transport on stable isotope in precipitation in Yarlungzangbo River basin

The relationship between the variation of δ ¹⁸O in precipitation in Yarlungzangbo River basin and the moisture flux was analyzed with NCEP/NCAR reanalysis grid data and δ ¹⁸O in precipitation at four stations (Lazi, Nugesha, Yangcun and Nuxia) of the region investigated. In terms of spatial variations, there is obviously a positive correlation between them for the entire basin. With the decrease in moisture flux from the downstream to the upstream area, δ ¹⁸O in precipitation became gradually decreased. However, in terms of temporal variations, higher δ ¹⁸O in precipitation during spring is linked to small moisture flux while low δ ¹⁸O in precipitation during summer is linked to large moisture flux. A model involving meteorological data from NCEP/NCAR was subsequently set up which successfully traced the moisture transport trajectories at Yangcun station. Based on the traced moisture transport trajectories and the δ ¹⁸O in precipitation at Yangcun station, the relationship between δ¹⁸O in precipitation in Yarlungzangbo River basin and the moisture transport history was discussed. We found that the humid marine air mass from the Indian Ocean in general has significantly lower δ ¹⁸O values than the continental air mass from the north or local re-evaporation. The fluctuation of δ ¹⁸O in precipitation during the monsoon season is very pronounced; the lower values are usually related to farther distance and multilayer moisture transport, as well as moisture crossing the Himalaya Mountains. __________ Translated from Advances in Earth Science, 2007, 22(8): 842–850 [译自: 地球科学进展]     

Changes to depositional palaeoenvironments within the Qikou depression (Bohaiwan Basin,China): carbon and oxygen isotopes in lacustrine carbonates of the Palaeogene Shahejie Formation

This paper reports the carbon and oxygen isotope compositions of lacustrine carbonate sediments from the Palaeogene Shahejie Formation, Qikou depression, Bohaiwan Basin, with the aim of determining the palaeoenvironmental conditions in the region. Results from Es₂, the second member of the Shahejie Formation, showed values of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O from –1.2‰ to +2.4‰ (average +0.6‰) and from –6.8‰ to –4.7‰ (average –5.7‰), respectively, suggesting a relatively hot climate attending deposition. The slightly closed nature of the lake, which contains brackish water, resulted in higher carbonate δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values than in a meteoric environment. The values of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O preserved within the carbonates of the overlying lower Shahejie I (Es₁) varied between +1.3‰ and +4.9‰ (average +3.2‰) and from ?4.4‰ to ?1.8‰ (average ?3.1‰), respectively, indicating that the climate became colder at that time. Subsequently, a marine transgression caused the salinity of the lake water to increase. The values of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O were controlled by salinity. The high δ¹³C values were also influenced by the rapid burial of the lake organisms and by algal photosynthesis. Values of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O from carbonates in upper Es₁ ranged from ?8.0‰ to +11.0‰ (average +10.1‰) and from ?5.0‰ to ?1.5‰ (average ?3.4‰), respectively, indicating a slight increase in the temperature over time. In the closed and reducing environment, extremes in δ¹³C values resulted from biochemical fermentation. The positive δ¹³C excursion recorded in the carbonates of the Shahejie Formation in the Qikou depression indicates that the palaeoclimate underwent a significant transformation during the Eocene and the Oligocene.