Quantifying dry NH3 deposition to an ombrotrophic bog from an automated NH3 field release system

Providing an accurate estimate of the dry component of N deposition to low N background, semi-natural habitats, such as bogs and upland moors dominated by Calluna vulgaris is difficult, but essential to relate nitrogen deposition to effects in these communities. To quantify the effects of NH₃ inputs to moorland vegetation growing on a bog at a field scale, a field release NH₃ fumigation system was established at Whim Moss (Scottish Borders) in 2002. Gaseous NH₃ from a line source was released along of a 60 m transect, when meteorological conditions (wind speed >2.5 m s^–1 and wind direction in the sector 180–215°) were met, thereby providing a profile of decreasing NH₃ concentration with distance from the source. In a complementary study, using a NH₃ flux chamber system, the relationships between NH₃ concentrations and cuticular resistances were quantified for a range of NH₃ concentrations and micrometeorological conditions for moorland vegetation. Cuticular resistances increased with NH₃ concentration from 11 s m^–1 at 3.0 g m^–3 to 30 s m^–1 at 30 g m^–3. The NH₃ concentration data and the concentration-dependent canopy resistance are used to calculate NH₃ deposition taking into account leaf surface wetness. The implications of using an NH₃ concentration-dependent cuticular resistance and the importance for refining critical loads are discussed.     

An Automated Wet Deposition System to Compare the Effects of Reduced and Oxidised N on Ombrotrophic Bog Species: Practical Considerations

Critical N loads for ombrotrophic bogs, which often contain rare and N-sensitive plants (especially those in lower plant groups: lichens, mosses and liverworts), are based on very few experimental data from measured, low background N deposition areas. Additionally the relative effects of reduced versus oxidised N are largely unknown. This paper describes an automated field exposure system (30 km S. of Edinburgh, Scotland) for treating ombrotrophic bog vegetation with fine droplets of oxidised N (NaNO₃) and reduced N (NH₄Cl). Whim Moss exists in an area of low ambient N deposition (ca. 8 kg N ha^–1 y^–1), the sources and quantification of which are described. The wet N treatment system is run continuously, and is controlled/activated by wind speed and rainfall to provide a unique simulation of real world treatment patterns (no rain=no treatment). Simulated precipitation is supplied at ionic concentrations below4mMin rainwater collected on site. Treatments provide a replicated dose response to 16, 32 and 64 kg N ha^–1 y^–1 adjusted for ambient deposition (8 kg N ha^–1 y^–1). The 16 and 64 kg N ha^–1 y^–1 are duplicated with a P+K supplement. Baseline soil chemistry and foliar nutrient status was established for all 44 plots for Calluna vulgaris, Sphagnum capillifolium, Hypnum jutlandicum and Cladonia portentosa.     

Nitrous oxide emission from an agricultural field: Comparison between measurements by flux chamber and micrometerological techniques

The soil in a drained fjord area, reclaimed for arable farming, produced N₂O mainly at 75–105 cm depth, just above the ground water level. Surface emissions of N₂O were measured from discrete small areas by closed and open-flow chamber methods, using gas chromatographic analysis and over larger areas by integrative methods: flux gradient (analysis by FTIR), conditional sampling (analysis by TDLAS), and eddy covariance (analysis by TDLAS). The mean emission of N₂O as determined by chamber procedures during a 9-day campaign was 162–202 μg N₂ONm⁻²h⁻¹ from a wheat stubble and 328–467 μg N₂ONm⁻² h⁻¹ from a carrot field. The integrative approaches gave N₂O emissions of 149–495 μg N₂ONm⁻² h⁻¹, i.e. a range similar to those determined with the chamber methods. Wind direction affected the comparison of chamber and integrative methods because of patchiness of the N₂O emission over the area. When a uniform area with a single type of vegetation had a dominant effect on the N₂O gradient at the sampling mast, the temporal variation in N₂O emission determined by the flux gradient/FTIR method and chamber methods was very similar, with differences of only 18% or less in mean N₂O emission, well below the variation encountered with the chamber methods themselves. A detailed comparison of FTIR gradient and chamber data taking into account the precise emission footprint showed good agreement. It is concluded that there was no bias between the different approaches used to measure the N₂O emission and that the precision of the measurements was determined by the spatial variability of the N₂O emission at the site and the variability inherent in the individual techniques. These results confirm that measurements of N₂O emissions from different ecosystems obtained by the different methods can be meaningfully compared.     

Some observations on the relative abundance of biological sound scatters in the North-eastern Atlantic Ocean,with particular reference to apparent fish shoals

In various months of the years between 1960 and 1972, the R.R.S. “Discovery II” and R.R.S. “Discovery” carried out a number of echo-surveys in the North-eastern Atlantic Ocean between Latitudes 12° and 62°N, and from the European and African coasts to a longitude of approximately 29°W. The prime objective was to acquire data on sea-floor topography. In addition, numerous echo-traces of biological scattering present in midwater between depths of approximately 35 and 460 m were obtained. The traces were of variable quality, but were considered suitable for a preliminary evaluation of the scattering mainly as a basis for further investigation. The scattering recorded in daytime was broadly divisible into three types:

1. Diffuse layers, which were probably due to dispersed single fish. These were not analysed further.
2. Very small discrete echoes, mostly derived from single fish and very small shoals. These were mapped to show geographical regions of greater abundance.
3. Larger discrete echoes, most of which were almost certainly given by fish shoals. These were analysed in detail and information obtained on depth distribution, shoal density, geographical distribution and relative abundance. Small and moderate-sized shoals were found to be very numerous in spring and summer in oceanic water to the West and North-west of the British Isles. Large numbers of shoals of various sizes were also observed at various time of the year in the Bay of Biscay and near certain parts of the European and African Continental Shelf, near certain seamounts, and near islands such as the Azores, Madeira, and the Cape Verde Islands. In general, shoals appeared to be relatively sparse in the more southerly temperate and subtropical regions of the open ocean. The depth distribution of shoals in open water varied greatly but, on average, the maximum daytime depth of those in the more southerly area of the survey was slightly greater than that of those in the more northerly area. Shoal size also varied, shoals to the north of Latitude 50°N were on average slightly smaller than those detected in southerly regins. Possible identification of the fish is discussed.

     

Measurements and modelling of cloudwater deposition to moorland and forests

The objective of the study was to measure the size dependence of cloudwater deposition and associated average ionic fluxes to vegetated surfaces. Measurements were made over a forest canopy at Dunslair heights in south Scotland and a moorland site, Great Dun Fell, in northern England. Measurements were made using the gradient and eddy correlation techniques. Eddy correlation measurements were made using an ultrasonic anemometer, a Knollenberg forward scattering spectrometer probe (to measure liquid water fluxes and fluxes of droplets in 1 microm size intervals) and a GSI particulate volume monitor (to measure liquid-water fluxes). Measurements were made at Great Dun Fell of the size dependence of droplet deposition velocity, using the gradient technique with two Knollenberg probes. Simultaneous gradient and eddy correlation measurements were also made at Great Dun Fell of average cloud-water fluxes, together with chemical analysis of cloud water composition, using a continuous analysis system. At Dunslair Heights, eddy correlation measurements were made using both the Knollenberg and Gerber Scientific Instruments (GSI) probes, while simultaneous gradient measurements using two GSI probes were also attempted. Samples of cloud water were collected at Dunslair Heights, using passive string collectors for chemical analysis by ion chromatography. The major findings of the study were: 1. The droplet deposition velocities measured by the two techniques were similar. 2. The deposition velocities were a strong function of droplet size. Considerable resistance to deposition was evident for droplets of less than 5 microm radius. Deposition velocities for particles from about 6 to 8 microm exceeded those for momentum. 3. Except when the droplets were very small or the winds very light, bulk cloud-water deposition velocities were about 80% or more of the momentum deposition velocities to forests.     

The exchange of nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone between pasture and the atmosphere

Fluxes of NO, NO2 and O3 were determined over a drained marshland pasture in south-east England by using flux-gradient techniques. Nitric oxide was found to be emitted at rates of up to 40 ng m(-2) s(-1), the rate of emission being related to the magnitude of the eddy diffusivity. Nitrogen dioxide deposited at rates of up to 90 ng m(-2) s(-1) under the control of stomatal resistance, a clear diurnal cycle being observed. Minimum canopy resistance was of the order of 80 s m(-1). Ozone deposition was also controlled by stomatal resistance, the minimum canopy resistance being around 100 s m(-1) and fluxes reaching a maximum of 220 ng m(-2) s(-1). Corrections made to NO and NO2 fluxes to compensate for chemical reactions showed flux divergences of the order of 30% for NO and NO2, but these were not statistically significantly different from the measured fluxes. The pasture was found to be a net sink for nitrogen in the form of NOx.     

Binding of heavy metal contaminants onto chitosans--an evaluation for remediation of metal contaminated soil and water

The binding efficiency of chitosan samples for Ag(+), Cd(2+), Cu(2+), Pb(2+) and Zn(2+) has been evaluated in order to consider their application to remediate metal contaminated soil and water. The sorption behaviour of metal ions was assessed using a batch technique at different contact time and initial metal concentration with different background electrolytes. The kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, while the equilibrium data correlated well with the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models. For example, the maximum sorption capacity (Q) for chitosan was estimated as 1.93 mmol/g for Ag(+), 1.61 mmol/g for Cu(2+), 0.94 mmol/g for Zn(2+), 0.72 mmol/g for Cd(2+) and 0.64 mmol/g for Pb(2+). Covalent interaction between metal ions and functional groups (amino and hydroxyl) of the chitosans was the main binding mechanism. Ion exchange is not an important process. Chitosan and cross-linked chitosans were able to bind metal ions in the presence of K(+), Cl(-) and NO(3)(-). The nature of Cl(-) and NO(3)(-) ions did not affect Zn(2+) binding by the chitosans. Even at 11x dilution, the chitosans were able to retain metal ions on their surfaces.     

Fungal spore fragmentation as a function of airflow rates and fungal generation methods

The aim of this study was to characterise and quantify the fungal fragment propagules derived and released from several fungal species (Penicillium, Aspergillus niger and Cladosporium cladosporioides) using different generation methods and different air velocities over the colonies. Real time fungal spore fragmentation was investigated using an Ultraviolet Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (UVASP) and a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS). The study showed that there were significant differences (p < 0.01) in the fragmentation percentage between different air velocities for the three generation methods, namely the direct, the fan and the fungal spore source strength tester (FSSST) methods. The percentage of fragmentation also proved to be dependent on fungal species. The study found that there was no fragmentation for any of the fungal species at an air velocity ≤0.4 m s^?1 for any method of generation. Fluorescent signals, as well as mathematical determination also showed that the fungal fragments were derived from spores. Correlation analysis showed that the number of released fragments measured by the UVAPS under controlled conditions can be predicted on the basis of the number of spores, for Penicillium and A. niger, but not for C. cladosporioides. The fluorescence percentage of fragment samples was found to be significantly different to that of non-fragment samples (p < 0.0001) and the fragment sample fluorescence was always less than that of the non-fragment samples. Size distribution and concentration of fungal fragment particles were investigated qualitatively and quantitatively, by both UVAPS and SMPS, and it was found that the UVAPS was more sensitive than the SMPS for measuring small sample concentrations, whilethe results obtained from the UVAPS and SMAS were not identical for the same samples.     

Calculating the detection limits of chamber-based soil greenhouse gas flux measurements

Renewed interest in quantifying greenhouse gas emissions from soil has led to an increase in the application of chamber-based flux measurement techniques. Despite the apparent conceptual simplicity of chamber-based methods, nuances in chamber design, deployment, and data analyses can have marked effects on the quality of the flux data derived. In many cases, fluxes are calculated from chamber headspace vs. time series consisting of three or four data points. Several mathematical techniques have been used to calculate a soil gas flux from time course data. This paper explores the influences of sampling and analytical variability associated with trace gas concentration quantification on the flux estimated by linear and nonlinear models. We used Monte Carlo simulation to calculate the minimum detectable fluxes (α = 0.05) of linear regression (LR), the Hutchinson/Mosier (H/M) method, the quadratic method (Quad), the revised H/M (HMR) model, and restricted versions of the Quad and H/M methods over a range of analytical precisions and chamber deployment times (DT) for data sets consisting of three or four time points. We found that LR had the smallest detection limit thresholds and was the least sensitive to analytical precision and chamber deployment time. The HMR model had the highest detection limits and was most sensitive to analytical precision and chamber deployment time. Equations were developed that enable the calculation of flux detection limits of any gas species if analytical precision, chamber deployment time, and ambient concentration of the gas species are known.     

Accumulation, distribution, and toxicity of copper in sediments of catfish ponds receiving periodic copper sulfate applications

Copper sulfate (CuSO4) is applied periodically to commercial channel catfish (Ictalurus panctatus) ponds as an algicide or parasiticide. Current understanding of the chemistry of copper in soil-water systems suggests that copper may accumulate in pond sediments, although the forms and potential bioavailability of copper in catfish pond sediments are not known. This study investigated the accumulation and distribution of copper in the sediment of catfish ponds receiving periodic additions of CuSO4.5H2O. All ponds were constructed in Sharkey (very-fine, smectitic, thermic Chromic Epiaquert) soil. Nine 0.40-ha ponds received 59 applications of 2.27 kg CuSO4.5H2O per application per pond over 3 yr; no CuSO4.5H2O applications were made to nine additional ponds. Total Cu concentration in the sediments of CuSO4.5H2O-amended catfish ponds (172.5 mg kg(-1)) was four to five times higher than that in the sediments of nonamended ponds (36.1 mg kg(-1)). Copper accumulated in catfish pond sediments at a rate of 41 microg kg(-1) dry sediment for each 1 kg ha(-1) of CuSO4. 5H2O applied to ponds. Copper in the sediments of amended ponds was mainly in the organic matter-bound (30.7%), carbonate-bound (31.8%), and amorphous iron oxide-bound (22.1%) fractions with a considerable fraction (3.4%; 3 to 8 mg kg(-1)) in soluble and exchangeable fractions. This indicates that Cu accumulates differentially in various fractions, with proportionally greater initial accumulation in potentially bioavailable forms. However, toxicity bioassays with amphipods (Hyallela azteca) and common cattail (Typha latifolia L.) indicated that the effect of exposure to amended or nonamended pond sediments was not different.