Release of photoassimilated carbon as dissolved organic matter by marine phytoplankton

The release of photoassimilated carbon as dissolved organic matter was studied in situ in oligotrophic and eutrophic marine waters and in axenic laboratory cultures. Percentage extracellular release (PER), integrated for the trophogenic zone, ranged from 6 to 12% in eutrophic waters and from 17 to 27% in oligotrophic seas. Most of the algal cultures released low amounts of dissolved organic matter (5%) during exponential growth. The highest levels of PER were observed in surface and deep samples, possibly as a result of elevated photorespiration and senescent cells. The generally lower values for extracellular release reported in this work as compared to other studies may be partly due to improved experimental techniques which minimized previously encountered artifacts.     

Saguenay河溶解有机质光化学生成溶解无机碳的研究

溶解有机质作为水生生态系统中一种重要的活跃的有机组分,对生态系统中的碳循环起到重要的作用.利用模拟太阳光对Saguenay河溶解有机质的光氧化过程模拟,研究了溶解氧浓度、模拟太阳光波长范围和铁浓度对溶解无机碳产量的影响.研究表明,基于空气饱和样品前72 h的溶解无机碳产量1.39 μmol·L-1·h-1,氧气饱和条件下照射的溶解无机碳产量增加了52.5%,而氮气饱和条件下的照射则只有空气饱和样品的10%.实验以Mylar-D、有机玻璃UF-3和有机玻璃UF-4为滤光片研究了波长范围对溶解无机碳产量的影响,近似计算的结果表明UV-B、UV-A和可见光部分分别占无机碳产量的16.5%,55.4%和28.0%,表明溶解无机碳的生成可发生在紫外光无法到达的水体较深区域.铁在光化学催化氧化过程中起重要作用,当总铁浓度达到10 μmol·L-1时,有效的增加了溶解无机碳的生成速率,其生成速率约为初始样品的1.68倍(初始样品中总铁含量为3.2 μmol·L-1).     

Release of dissolved organic matter by some marine macrophytes

The amount of photoassimilated carbon released as dissolved organic carbon was investigated for 5 species of benthic marine macrophytes (Thalassia testudinum, Diplanthera wrightii, Acanthophora spicifera, Chondria dasyphylla, and Dictyota dichotoma) and 1 species of pelagic marine macrophyte (Sargassum natans). Release rates ranged between 0.006 and 0.053 mg C g^-1 h^-1. Percent release values ranged from 1.1 to 3.8%. Spermatophytes had slightly lower percent release values than algae. Investigations performed on the ability of release products to be utilized by heterotrophic organisms showed that 20 to 30% of the released organic carbon was assimilated within a 2-h period.     

Exudation of dissolved organic carbon by brown algae

The release via exudation of dissolved organic carbon by Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jol. was investigated under laboratory conditions. In contrast to results previously reported by Sieburth (1969), continuous release of organic matter was found with only 1 specimen out of 21 tested either in stagnant sea water or in sea water flowing through the system. The holdfast of the plants was found to release relatively large amounts of organic material; however, this release lasted only for short periods, and was most probably due to damage caused by removing the plants from their substrate. The possible reasons for the failure to detect exudation are discussed. With Fucus vesiculosus L., no reliable results could be obtained, most probably due to particulate matter sloughing off the plants during the washings and during the experiments under conditions of photosynthesis.     

土壤溶解有机碳的研究进展

系统地综述了DOC的来源、组成、性质、影响因素、环境效应及测定方法等。尽管关于土壤DOC的研究目前还不完善,至今对DOC的组成、性质等问题都不是很清楚,但现有的研究已经表明,DOC是土壤圈中一种非常活跃的化学物质,它对土壤中化学物质的溶解、吸附、解吸、迁移和毒性等行为均有显著的影响。     

Release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) by the scyphozoan jellyfish Aurelia aurita and its potential influence on the production of planktic bacteria

A series of incubation experiments were made to measure the rate of release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) by the jellyfish Aurelia aurita (L.) (collected in 1991–1992 in Gullmarsfjorden, Sweden). Release of DOC by medusae (9.5 to 18 cm in diameter) from the Skagerrak ranged from 0.70 to 1.6 mg C ind^-1 d^-1 with a mean of 1.2 mg C ind^-1 d^-1 (SD=0.29 mg C ind^-1 d^-1, n=10). Based on data from the literature for two medusa populations, this can be equivalent to 2.5 and 7.1% of the carbon assimilated in one season (June to September). This was similar to the amount of carbon allocated to reproduction. Bacterial abundance was monitored to evaluate the possible stimulating effect of the DOC released. Bacterial growth was stimulated by the presence of A. aurita. The importance of A. aurita as a source of DOC on a large scale is small compared to exudate from primary producers. The volume surrounding each medusa, wherein the DOC released may be enough to sustain a bacterial production such as the one reported from the Swedish west coast, is equivalent to a sphere with a diameter of 0.5 m. Thus, considering the patchy distribution of medusae, the local influence of their DOC release could be important.     

Dynamics of nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon at the Hubbard brook experimental forest

The factors controlling spatial and temporal patterns in soil solution and streamwater chemistry are highly uncertain in northern hardwood forest ecosystems in the northeastern United States, where concentrations of reactive nitrogen (Nr) in streams have surprisingly declined over recent decades in the face of persistent high rates of atmospheric Nr deposition and aging forests. Reactive nitrogen includes inorganic species (e.g., ammonium [NH4+], nitrate [NO3-]) and some organic forms (e.g., amino acids) available to support the growth of plants and microbes. The objective of this study was to examine controls on the spatial and temporal patterns in the concentrations and fluxes of nitrogen (N) species and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in a 12-year record of soil solutions and streamwater along an elevational gradient (540-800 m) of a forested watershed at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, USA. Dissolved organic N and DOC concentrations were elevated in the high-elevation spruce-fir-white birch (SFB) zone of the watershed, while NO3- was the dominant N species in the lower elevation hardwood portion of the watershed. Within the soil profile, N retention was centered in the mineral horizon, and significant amounts of N were retained between the lower mineral soil and the stream, supporting the idea that near- and in-stream processes are significant sinks for N at the HBEF. Temporal analysis suggested that hydrologic flow paths can override both abiotic and biotic retention mechanisms (i.e., during the non-growing season when most hydrologic export occurs, or during years with high rainfall), there appears to be direct flushing of N from the organic horizons into the stream via horizontal flow. Significant correlations between soil NO3- concentrations, nitrification rates and streamwater NO3- exports show the importance of biological production as a regulator of inorganic N export. The lack of internal production response (e.g., mineralization, nitrification) to a severe ice storm in 1998 reinforces the idea that plant uptake is the dominant regulator of export response to disturbance.     

Influence of physico-chemical properties of soil clay fractions on the retention of dissolved organic carbon

This study investigated the effects of surface functional groups, cation exchange capacity (CEC), surface charge, sesquioxides and specific surface area (SSA) of three soil clay fractions (SCFs) (kaolinite–illite, smectite and allophane) on the retention of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in soils. Physico-chemical properties of the SCFs before and after removing native carbon and/or sesquioxides were characterised, and the DOC adsorption–desorption tests were conducted by a batch method. Native organic carbon (OC)/sesquioxide removal treatments led to a small change in the CEC values of kaolinite–illite, but significant changes in those of smectite and allophane. The net negative surface charge increased in all samples with an increase in pH indicating their variable charge characteristics. The removal of native OC resulted in a slight increase in the net positive charge on soil clay surfaces, while sesquioxide removal increased the negative charge. Changes in the functional groups on the SCF surfaces contributed to the changes in CEC and zeta potential values. There was a strong relationship (R ² = 0.93, p < 0.05) between the Langmuir maximum DOC adsorption capacity (Q _max) and SSA. The Q _max value also showed a moderately strong relationship (R ² = 0.55, p < 0.05) with zeta potential (at pH 7). Q _max was only poorly correlated with CEC and native OC content. Therefore, along with SSA, the surface charge and functional groups of SCFs played the key role in determining the adsorption affinity and hence retention of DOC in soils.     

Impact of epibenthic predation on estuarine intertidal harpacticoid copepod populations

The extent to which energy is transferred directly from benthic meiofauna to epibenthic predators was investigated on an intertidal sand-flat in the Exe estuary, southwest England, during 1981–1982 and compared with data obtained from an intertidal mud-flat in the Lyhner estuary, also in south-west England, between 1978 and 1981. Two species of flatfish (Pleuronectes platessa L. and Platichthys flesus L.), two species of goby [Pomatoschistus microps (Krøyer) and P. minutus (Pallas)], brown shrimp (Crangon crangon L.) and shore crabs (Carcinus maenas L.) are the most common epibenthic predators feeding on the benthic invertebrates in these locatites. Harpacticoid copepods are the only component of the meiofauna to form a significant part of the diet of early juvenile stages of these predators, particularly the invertebrates. Harpacticoids are a more important source of food for predators feeding over the sand-flat than for those feeding on the mud-flat because in the sand-flat alternative prey of suitable size, such as small annelids, are absent. Moreover, the impact of predation on the mud-flat is spread over the whole harpacticoid species spectrum whereas on the sandflat it is confined almost entirely to a single species, Asellopsis intermedia (T. Scott). Flatfish, gobies and shrimp consume daily an estimated 0.01 to 0.1% of the standing stock of A. intermedia and account for between 12 and 22% of the observed reduction in the population of this species between July and October. Therefore, only a very small proportion of total meiofauna biomass is transferred directly to higher trophic levels.     

Strategies for carbon acquisition in the red marine macroalga Coccotylus truncatus from the Baltic Sea

Marine macroalgae need carbon-concentrating mechanisms because they have only limited access to CO₂ in their natural environment. Previous studies have shown that one important strategy common to many algae is the activity of periplasmic carbonic anhydrases that catalyse the dehydration of HCO₃^- into CO₂. The latter can then cross the plasma membrane by passive diffusion. We hypothesised that an active (energy-consuming) mechanism might also be involved in the membrane transport of CO₂, as is the case in a number of microalgae. Coccotylus truncatus was chosen as a model organism for this study because it belongs to a group of algae that usually lack direct HCO₃^- uptake: sublittoral red algae. The method used to study carbon uptake was pH drift of the seawater medium surrounding the algae in a closed vessel, with and without the addition of specific inhibitors or proton buffers. Measured parameters included pH, total inorganic carbon and alkalinity of the seawater medium. Our results suggest that, in C. truncatus, periplasmic carbonic anhydrase as well as H⁺ extrusion, probably driven by a vanadate-sensitive P-type H⁺-ATPase (proton pump), are involved in CO₂ uptake. No direct uptake of HCO₃^- was discovered. This paper also presents data on the buffer capacity of several proton buffers and the carbon-uptake inhibitors acetazolamide, 4,4'-diisothiocyano-stilbene-2,2'-disulfonate (DIDS) and orthovanadate in Baltic Sea water with a salinity of 6.5 psu.     

不同地质背景下土壤溶解有机碳含量的季节动态及其影响因子

为了解岩溶区和非岩溶区土壤溶解有机碳(DOC)含量及其季节动态是否存在差异,为今后相关研究提供研究依据,作者用0.5mol·L-1K2SO4浸提法分析测定了广西桂林市灵川县潮田乡毛村由泥盆系融县组灰岩(D3r)发育石灰土、砂页岩(D2l)发育红壤中溶解有机碳的含量及其季节动态变化,并分析了其与影响因子的相互关系。结果表明:石灰土中溶解有机碳的质量分数为:19.3675～143.2524mg·kg-1,红壤的为:221.1652～1016.602mg·kg-1,石灰土因其偏碱、高钙镁、高有机质含量的特性而使得DOC含量远低于非岩溶区红壤的含量;石灰土和酸性土DOC含量在秋季都达到最高值,在冬季或春季含量最低;在空间分布上都随土壤深度增加而降低。岩溶区及非岩溶区土壤DOC含量的季节动态变化可以划分为4个阶段:①9—10月高温少雨,植物凋落物增多,DOC含量在一年中最高;②11月-12月,气温迅速降低,微生物活性随之降低,DOC含量下降;③12月底—4月,前期(12月至次年2月)DOC浓度随土壤有机质含量的增加而增加;后期(3—4月)气温回升,降雨频繁,生物复苏,生物活动旺盛,土壤DOC含量迅速增加;④5—8月,高温多雨,DOC转化为CO2释放出来,部分DOC随雨水淋失,土壤中DOC总含量不高。     

Distinguishing modes of dissolved organic carbon production in marine macrophytes by tracer kinetic analysis

Tracer kinetic analysis of radioisotope incorporation into dissolved organic compounds reveals two distinct patterns of photosynthate release by macroalgae. In experiments employing Sargassum lacerifolium, dissolved organic carbon was produced at a constant rate during light incubations. Steady state rates of production were never achieved in experiments employing either Ecklonia radiata (Turn.) J. Agardh. or Ulva lactuca L. Analysis of the time-varying radioactivity curves obtained in experiments using these algae always resulted in models consistent with dissolved organic carbon production being an autocatalytic process. Preincubation of U. lactuca in the dark resulted in a diminished (ca. 40%) rate of dissolved organic carbon production during the subsequent light incubations. In no case did the radioisotope content of the dissolved organic carbon approach a limiting value, indicating that in contrast to phytoplankton, uptake rates of photosynthate by macroalgae are always less than the rates of production.     

Examining the coupling of carbon and nitrogen cycles in Appalachian streams: the role of dissolved organic nitrogen

Although regional and global models of nitrogen (N) cycling typically focus on nitrate, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is the dominant form of nitrogen export from many watersheds and thus the dominant form of dissolved N in many streams. Our understanding of the processes controlling DON export from temperate forests is poor. In pristine systems, where biological N limitation is common, N contained in recalcitrant organic matter (OM) can dominate watershed N losses. This recalcitrant OM often has moderately constrained carbon:nitrogen (C:N) molar ratios (approximately 25-55) and therefore, greater DON losses should be observed in sites where there is greater total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loss. In regions where anthropogenic N pollution is high, it has been suggested that increased inorganic N availability can reduce biological demand for organic N and therefore increase watershed DON losses. This would result in a positive correlation between inorganic and organic N concentrations across sites with varying N availability. In four repeated synoptic surveys of stream water chemistry from forested watersheds along an N loading gradient in the southern Appalachians, we found surprisingly little correlation between DON and DOC concentrations. Further, we found that DON concentrations were always significantly correlated with watershed N loading and stream water [NO3-] but that the direction of this relationship was negative in three of the four surveys. The C:N molar ratio of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in streams draining watersheds with high N deposition was very high relative to other freshwaters. This finding, together with results from bioavailability assays in which we directly manipulated C and N availabilities, suggests that heterotrophic demand for labile C can increase as a result of dissolved inorganic N (DIN) loading, and that heterotrophs can preferentially remove N-rich molecules from DOM. These results are inconsistent with the two prevailing hypotheses that dominate interpretations of watershed DON loss. Therefore, we propose a new hypothesis, the indirect carbon control hypothesis, which recognizes that heterotrophic demand for N-rich DOM can keep stream water DON concentrations low when N is not limiting and heterotrophic demand for labile C is high.     

岩溶地区土壤溶解有机碳的季节动态及环境效应

对桂林岩溶试验场土壤溶解有机碳(DOC)进行了逐月的观测，结果显示DOC是岩溶生态系统中活跃的有机碳组分，在岩溶地区碳循环中发挥着重要的作用。一年中土壤DOC的变化特征表现为3个阶段：(1)3-7月，随气温升高、降雨量增加，土壤生物活性和新陈代谢能力极大提高，土壤溶解有机碳呈升高趋势；(2)8-11月，气温保持较高的水平，但降雨量偏低，土壤干燥，土壤微生物活性极大地减弱，土壤DOC质量分数全年最低；(3)12月至次年2月，随温度的降低，土壤生物活性逐渐降低，土壤DOC呈缓慢升高趋势，且与土壤微生物量碳之间存在互为消长的关系。土壤碳酸盐岩的溶蚀速率季节变化与土壤DOC之间存在负相关。文章还提出了岩溶地区土壤碳循环模式及DOC在其中的作用。     

Characterization of dissolved organic matter from saline soils by fluorescence spectroscopy

In this paper hydrophilic (HI) and hydrophobic (HO) fractions of dissolved organic matter (DOM) extracted from soils at different degrees of salinisation were characterised by means of fluorescence spectroscopy in the emission, excitation and synchronous-scan modes. Results provided evidence of the different chemical nature of DOM fractions and allowed to distinguish hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions extracted from the same soil substrate. The strong decrease in fluorescence intensity observed with the increasing salinity of the soils can be utilised to obtain information on the salinity level of different soil substrates by comparison of spectral fluorescence intensities.     

Correction to: Influence of physico-chemical properties of soil clay fractions on the retention of dissolved organic carbon

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Unfortunately, in the original publication of the article, Prof. Yong Sik Ok’s affiliation was incorrectly published. The author’s affiliation is...     

Genetic differentiation in the intertidal zone in populations of the alga Enteromorpha linza (Ulvales: Chlorophyta)

Genetic differentiation within the intertidal zone was examined in six populations of the asexually reproducing alga Enteromorpha linza growing in the Long Island Sound, USA. Four of the five populations sampled in 1981 showed significant differentiation between high and low intertidal positions with respect to the GOT-2 locus. The pattern of differentiation was consistent for samples collected at several times during the year with some seasonal modifications. Four additional polymorphic loci, resolved in 1982, identified a total of 13 five-locus genotypes or clones. Four of the six populations sampled in 1982 showed significant differences in clone frequency between high and low intertidal positions. Laboratory experiments revealed differences in response to temperature among the clones. At 24°C a high intertidal associated clone showed an increase in growth, while low intertidal associated clones showed decreased growth compared to growth at 15°C. These results suggest that the microgeographic differentiation observed for E. linza in the intertidal zone may in part be due to the differential adaptation of clones to different intertidal environments. Additional demographic information is needed for individual clones in order to determine the role longevity, reproductive output, recruitment and interclonal competition play in maintaining the observed differentiation.     

Inorganic carbon uptake by photosynthetically active protoplasts of the red macroalga Chondrus crispus

Photosynthetically active protoplasts were isolated from Chondrus crispus Stackh. by treating thalli with -carrageenase produced from batch culture of Pseudomonas carrageenovora. Using the silicone oil centrifugation technique, it was found that the protoplasts: (1) did not generally accumulate inorganic carbon (C_i) above the concentration in their incubation medium; (2) were saturated at C_i concentrations of 3 to 4 mM; (3) had an intracellular pH of 7.50 when incubated at pH 7.5; and (4) their initial carbon fixation rate was reduced by carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Although the carbon fixation rate of the protoplasts was about 30% that of thallus fragments, presumably due to the relatively harsh protoplast isolation treatment, the behavior of the protoplasts was similar to that of fragments. This similarity indicates that the protoplasts are photosynthetically active and behave as thallus fragments. Further, the data are consistent with the hypothesis that C. crispus acquires C_i for photosynthesis by the diffusion of CO₂ across the plasma membrane.     

Characterization of dissolved organic carbon and Humic substances in the well water of the Blackfoot disease area in Taiwan

Since the early 1960s, many investigators have reported that blackfoot disease, a peripheral vascular disease, observed in southwestern Taiwan is due to drinking the higher arsenic concentration in well water. However, recent studies indicated that the relationship with blackfoot disease is not only with arsenic but also humic substances. This paper presents some results concerning the characterization (such as fluorescence, elemental composition, molecular weight and carbon distribution) of humic substances isolated from the Fuhsing well water of the blackfoot disease area. For comparison, the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and humic substances in the normal well water from Chiuying and the Nanwan coastal water were also analyzed. In general, in the well water of the blackfoot disease area, extremely high concentrations of DOC (18.5mg/L) and fulvic acid (7.54mg/L) with high fluorescence intensity (59.1, equivalent to 0.0282uM quinine sulfate solution) and high percentages (over 50%) of low molecular weights of less than 1,000 were obtained compared with those of normal waters. C‐13 Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed a high content (37.2%) of aromatic carbon. These higher concentrations of DOC and fulvic acid with the higher content of aromatic carbon in well water might be one of the key factors causing the blackfoot disease in Taiwan.     

机物料中溶解性有机质对土壤吸附除草剂的抑制作用

溶解性有机质(DOM)是陆地及水生生态系统中十分活跃的组分,对有机污染物质的环境行为 (如毒性、迁移转化及生物可降解性等)有着重要的影响,而施用有机物料会释放大量的DOM.采用批量平衡法研究了水稻秸秆腐解产生的溶解性有机质对苄嘧磺隆(BSM)在土壤中吸附行为的抑制作用.结果表明,线性方程能很好地描述BSM在土壤中的吸附行为;添加DOM降低了BSM在土壤中的分配系数即logKd值,其logKd值与对照(不加DOM)间存在极显著差异(P<0.01),秸秆腐解时间越长,logKd值越小;亲水组分和疏水组分在DOM抑制土壤吸附BSM中起着不同的作用;BSM在土壤上的吸附自由能小于40 kJ·mol-1,推测BSM在土壤上主要以物理吸附为主,吸附机理可能有范德华力、疏水键、氢键和偶极键力,不存在化学键吸附作用.