Integrated Carbon Budget Models for the Everglades Terrestrial-Coastal-Oceanic Gradient: Current Status and Needs for Inter-Site Comparisons

Recent studies suggest that coastal ecosystems can bury significantly more C than tropical forests, indicating that continued coastal development and exposure to sea level rise and storms will have global biogeochemical consequences. The Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research (FCE LTER) site provides an excellent subtropical system for examining carbon (C) balance because of its exposure to historical changes in freshwater distribution and sea level rise and its history of significant long-term carbon-cycling studies. FCE LTER scientists used net ecosystem C balance and net ecosystem exchange data to estimate C budgets for riverine mangrove, freshwater marsh, and seagrass meadows, providing insights into the magnitude of C accumulation and lateral aquatic C transport. Rates of net C production in the riverine mangrove forest exceeded those reported for many tropical systems, including terrestrial forests, but there are considerable uncertainties around those estimates due to the high potential for gain and loss of C through aquatic fluxes. C production was approximately balanced between gain and loss in Everglades marshes; however, the contribution of periphyton increases uncertainty in these estimates. Moreover, while the approaches used for these initial estimates were informative, a resolved approach for addressing areas of uncertainty is critically needed for coastal wetland ecosystems. Once resolved, these C balance estimates, in conjunction with an understanding of drivers and key ecosystem feedbacks, can inform cross-system studies of ecosystem response to long-term changes in climate, hydrologic management, and other land use along coastlines.

(Figure 4) Stable carbon isotopic values and relative contents of biphytanes and sugars from sediment sample from the Peru margin and from the Pakistan margin

Glycolipids are prominent constituents in the membranes of cells from all domains of life. For example, diglycosyl-glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (2Gly-GDGTs) are associated with methanotrophic ANME-1 archaea and heterotrophic benthic archaea, two archaeal groups of global biogeochemical importance. The hydrophobic biphytane moieties of 2Gly-GDGTs from these two uncultivated archaeal groups exhibit distinct carbon isotopic compositions. To explore whether the isotopic compositions of the sugar headgroups provide additional information on the metabolism of their producers, we developed a procedure to analyze the d13C values of glycosidic headgroups. Successful determination was achieved by (1) monitoring the contamination from free sugars during lipid extraction and preparation, (2) optimizing the hydrolytic conditions for glycolipids, and (3) derivatizing the resulting sugars into aldononitrile acetate derivatives, which are stable enough to withstand a subsequent column purification step. First results of d13C values of sugars cleaved from 2Gly-GDGTs in two marine sediment samples, one containing predominantly ANME-1 archaea and the other benthic archaea, were obtained and compared with the d13C values of the corresponding biphytanes. In both samples the dominant sugar headgroups were enriched in 13C relative to the corresponding major biphytane. This 13C enrichment was significantly larger in the putative major glycolipids from ANME-1 archaea (~15 per mil) than in those from benthic archaea (<7 per mil). This method opens a new analytical window for the examination of carbon isotopic relationships between sugars and lipids in uncultivated organisms.

Environmental Dynamics of Dissolved Black Carbon in Aquatic Ecosystems

Black carbon (BC), the incomplete combustion product from biomass and fossil fuel burning, is ubiquitously found in soils, sediments, ice, water and atmosphere. Because of its polyaromatic molecular characteristic, BC is believed to contribute significantly to the global carbon budget as a slow-cycling, refractory carbon pool. However, the mass balance between global BC generation and accumulation does not match, suggesting a removal mechanism of BC to the active carbon pool, most probable in a dissolved form. The presence of BC in waters as part of the dissolved organic matter (DOM) pool was recently confirmed via ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry, and dissolved black carbon (DBC), a degradation product of charcoal, was found in marine and coastal environments. However, information on the loadings of DBC in freshwater environments and its global riverine flux from terrestrial systems to the oceans remained unclear. The main objectives of this study were to quantify DBC in diverse aquatic ecosystems and to determine its environmental dynamics. Surface water samples were collected from aquatic environments with a spatially significant global distribution, and DBC concentrations were determined by a chemical oxidation method coupled with HPLC detection. While it was clear that biomass burning was the main sources of BC, the translocation mechanism of BC to the dissolved phase was not well understood. Data from the regional studies and the developed global model revealed a strong positive correlation between DBC and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) dynamics, indicating a co-generation and co-translocation between soil OC and BC. In addition, a DOC-assistant DBC translocation mechanism was identified. Taking advantage of the DOC-DBC correlation model, a global riverine DBC flux to oceans on the order of 26.5 Mt C yr-1 (1 Mt = 1012 g) was determined, accounting for 10.6% of the global DOC flux. The results not only indicated that DOC was an important environmental intermediate for BC transfer and storage, but also provided an estimate of a major missing link in the global BC budget. The ever increasing DBC export caused by global warming will change the marine DOM quality and may have important consequences for carbon cycling in marine ecosystem.

Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition predicts local grassland primary production worldwide

Humans dominate many important Earth system processes including the nitrogen (N) cycle. Atmospheric N deposition affects fundamental processes such as carbon cycling, climate regulation, and biodiversity, and could result in changes to fundamental Earth system processes such as primary production. Both modelling and experimentation have suggested a role for anthropogenically altered N deposition in increasing productivity, nevertheless, current understanding of the relative strength of N deposition with respect to other controls on production such as edaphic conditions and climate is limited. Here we use an international multiscale data set to show that atmospheric N deposition is positively correlated to aboveground net primary production (ANPP) observed at the 1-m2 level across a wide range of herbaceous ecosystems. N deposition was a better predictor than climatic drivers and local soil conditions, explaining 16% of observed variation in ANPP globally with an increase of 1 kg N·ha-1·yr-1 increasing ANPP by 3%. Soil pH explained 8% of observed variation in ANPP while climatic drivers showed no significant relationship. Our results illustrate that the incorporation of global N deposition patterns in Earth system models are likely to substantially improve estimates of primary production in herbaceous systems. In herbaceous systems across the world, humans appear to be partially driving local ANPP through impacts on the N cycle.

Remote sensing of leaf area index: enhanced retrieval from close-range and remotely sensed optical observations

A wide range of models used in agriculture, ecology, carbon cycling, climate and other related studies require information on the amount of leaf material present in a given environment to correctly represent radiation, heat, momentum, water, and various gas exchanges with the overlying atmosphere or the underlying soil. Leaf area index (LAI) thus often features as a critical land surface variable in parameterisations of global and regional climate models, e.g., radiation uptake, precipitation interception, energy conversion, gas exchange and momentum, as all areas are substantially determined by the vegetation surface. Optical wavelengths of remote sensing are the common electromagnetic regions used for LAI estimations and generally for vegetation studies. The main purpose of this dissertation was to enhance the determination of LAI using close-range remote sensing (hemispherical photography), airborne remote sensing (high resolution colour and colour infrared imagery), and satellite remote sensing (high resolution SPOT 5 HRG imagery) optical observations. The commonly used light extinction models are applied at all levels of optical observations. For the sake of comparative analysis, LAI was further determined using statistical relationships between spectral vegetation index (SVI) and ground based LAI. The study areas of this dissertation focus on two regions, one located in Taita Hills, South-East Kenya characterised by tropical cloud forest and exotic plantations, and the other in Gatineau Park, Southern Quebec, Canada dominated by temperate hardwood forest. The sampling procedure of sky map of gap fraction and size from hemispherical photographs was proven to be one of the most crucial steps in the accurate determination of LAI. LAI and clumping index estimates were significantly affected by the variation of the size of sky segments for given zenith angle ranges. On sloping ground, gap fraction and size distributions present strong upslope/downslope asymmetry of foliage elements, and thus the correction and the sensitivity analysis for both LAI and clumping index computations were demonstrated. Several SVIs can be used for LAI mapping using empirical regression analysis provided that the sensitivities of SVIs at varying ranges of LAI are large enough. Large scale LAI inversion algorithms were demonstrated and were proven to be a considerably efficient alternative approach for LAI mapping. LAI can be estimated nonparametrically from the information contained solely in the remotely sensed dataset given that the upper-end (saturated SVI) value is accurately determined. However, further study is still required to devise a methodology as well as instrumentation to retrieve on-ground green leaf area index . Subsequently, the large scale LAI inversion algorithms presented in this work can be precisely validated. Finally, based on literature review and this dissertation, potential future research prospects and directions were recommended.

半干旱草原碳素循环与生产力的研究

半干旱草原是脆弱的生态系统，长期受人类活动的强烈影响，受全球变化的作用本地区的气温可能有较大幅度的升高，而降水的变化较小，气候条件更加恶劣。本文根据时空代换的原理，选择主要受降水和人类活动控制的五种主要植物群落，包括羊草群落、大针茅群落、克氏针茅群落、羊草．冷蒿群落和沙蒿群落，从野外直接原状移栽到一起，分别在生长初期、前期、盛期和后期采用动态IRGA法测定了群落的气体交换特征。同时对主要植物种类的功能叶片的光合和蒸腾特征进行了同期测定。此外在野外用密闭室碱液吸收法直接动态测定了大针茅群落的土壤呼吸，并通过调查推算了流域内沙地和锡林河河谷湿地间在水资源利用和生产力方面的相互作用。在此基础上讨论了该区域生产力和碳素循环对气候变化可能图景的响应。文章认为气温升高而降水变化微弱的前景可能导致区域生产力的降低，在气候变化过程中该区域可能是碳源，但是气候稳定后碳素可能基本平衡。

长白山阔叶红松林碳循环对CO2升高响应过程的模型模拟研究

以长白山原始阔叶红松林和连续多个生长季500ppmCO2处理的红松幼苗为研究对象，采用TECO模型及参数的优化，结合长白山阔叶红松林生态系统的碳通量多年连续监测数据、开顶箱系统(Open-Top-Chambers，高浓度CO2处理)的实地连续监测数据以及相关研究结论的比较，定量模拟生态系统群落水平和个体水平的碳收支(碳通量和碳密度)、碳分配格局和蒸发散等年际变化。模拟结果显示： 1)生态系统群落水平的碳通量和碳密度模拟结果与通量塔监测数据对比发现：长白山阔叶红松林生态系统目前仍是个大气的碳 “汇”。碳汇强度的季节变化波动较大。土壤碳密度占整个阔叶红松林生态系统总密度的67.9%。 2) 开顶箱的个体水平的模型模拟与实地观测显示：CO2升高显著提高红松幼苗的总初级生产力和净初级生产力；地上生物量受到抑制，地下生物量显著增加。 3) CO2对红松幼苗蒸发量和蒸腾量的影响要高于生态系统，CO2提高红松幼苗蒸发量，但对幼苗的蒸腾量影响不大。

川西北高寒草甸土壤呼吸研究：季节动态和放牧效应

除植被冠层的光合作用之外，土壤的呼吸作用是陆地生态系统碳收支中最大的通量。土壤呼吸即使发生较小的变化也能显著地减缓或加剧大气中CO2浓度的增加，从而明显影响到全球气候变化。土壤呼吸速率变化与否以及变化的方向可以反映生态系统对环境变化的敏感程度和响应模式。尽管如此，土壤呼吸仍是一个为人们了解不多的生态系统过程。 草地生态系统是陆地生态系统的一个重要组成部分。针对草地土壤呼吸进行野外实验研究和相应方法论的探讨将对区域乃至全球碳源汇性质的准确估算具有重要的科学意义。然而，近几年来关于草地土壤呼吸的主要研究工作都集中在温带草原和部分热带草原，而针对高寒草甸生态系统土壤呼吸的研究报道还很少。 2008年4月至2009年4月期间，我分别在2008年6、8、10、12月和2009年2月和4月分6次对川西北的典型高寒草甸群落的土壤呼吸进行观测，分析了不同类型高寒草甸群落土壤呼吸的季节变化特征以及环境因子和放牧模式对其影响。主要研究结果如下： 1）该地区高寒草甸生态系统在生长季（6月～8月）土壤呼吸速率较大（6.07～9.30μmolCO2¡m-2¡s-1 ） ， 在非生长季（ 12 月～ 2 月） 较小（ 0.16 ～0.49μmolCO2¡m-2¡s-1 ） 。土壤CO2 年累积最大释放量为3963 ～ 5730gCO2¡m-2¡yr-1，其中，生长季土壤CO2的释放量占年总释放量的85%～90%。非生长季占10%～15%。非生长季所占比例略小于冬季积雪覆盖地区的冬季土壤呼吸占年土壤呼吸量的比例（14%～30%）。温度，尤其地温，是影响该地区高寒草甸生态系统土壤呼吸速率的最主要环境因子。土壤呼吸速率与地上生物量和土壤水分之间没有显著相关性，但是土壤含水量过大会导致土壤呼吸速率下降。 2）在观测期内，草丘区的土壤呼吸显著高于对照区的土壤呼吸，其最大土壤呼吸速率为16.77μmolCO2¡m-2¡s-1，土壤CO2 年累积最大释放量为8145gCO2¡m-2¡yr-1，是对照区的近2 倍。由于草丘在高寒草甸中占有较大的面积比例（近30%），因此，它将对高寒草甸生态系统的碳循环起着重要的作用。 3）放牧模式不仅可以影响高寒草甸群落的土壤CO2 排放，而且还可以改变土壤呼吸的温度敏感性（Q10）。本研究表明，在生长季有长期放牧活动干扰时将会增加土壤向大气中释放二氧化碳的速度，促使土壤碳库中碳的流失。禁牧样地的土壤呼吸速率在刚禁牧时先迅速增大，随着禁牧时间的延长土壤呼吸速率将会下降。此外，与其它放牧模式相比，冬季放牧将高寒草甸群落土壤呼吸速率在生长季达到最大值的时间明显向后推迟。不同放牧模式下高寒草甸群落土壤呼吸的Q10 值大小顺序为：禁牧一年群落>冬季放牧群落>禁牧三年群落>夏季放牧群落>自由放牧群落。 4）基于呼吸室技术的观测方法中，测量前的剪草处理可以明显改变该地区高寒草甸群落的土壤温度和土壤呼吸速率。在生长季，剪草处理将使土壤呼吸速率的瞬时响应增加90%左右。由于剪草处理明显增加了剪草样方白天的土壤温度，而土壤温度与土壤呼吸之间存在着极显著的指数相关关系，因而剪草处理导致土壤呼吸速率迅速增加。因此，在高寒地区基于呼吸室技术观测的土壤呼吸应当进行校正。 综上所述，川西北高寒草甸生态系统土壤呼吸速率在生长季较高，而在非生长季较低。土壤温度是影响该地区土壤呼吸的最主要环境因子。在实验观测期，草丘区土壤呼吸速率显著高于对照区的，是对照区土壤呼吸速率的近2倍。由于测量前的剪草处理可以明显改变待测点的土壤呼吸速率，因此，应对在高寒地区基于呼吸室技术观测的土壤呼吸进行校正。 Soil respiration is the second largest component (less than plant phtotosynthesis) of carbon dioxide flux between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. A minor change in soil respiration rate can significantly slow down or accelerate the increase of atmospheric CO2 concentration that is closely related to global climatic change. In turn, the change in the flux direction and rate of soil respiration may indicate the elasticity and stability of ecosystems to global changes and human disturbance. However, soil respiration is still an ecosystem process that has been poorly understood. Grassland ecosystem is an important component of the terrestrial ecosystem. Accurately estimating the CO2 flux from soil to atmosphere in situ is the key to evaluating the carbon resource and sink regionally or globally. Despite of extensive studies on the temperate and tropic grasslands, the soil respiration of alpine meadows has not substantially been measured. In the current study, soil respiration was measured for an annual cycle from April, 2008 to April, 2009 for the alpine meadow in northwestern Sichuan Province of China to determine the seasonal variation of soil respiration for the typical plant communities. The results are shown as follows: 1) Large seasonal variation of soil respiration was observed in the alpine meadow. The rate of soil respiration was the greatest (6.07～9.30μmolCO2¡m-2¡s-1) in June and the smallest (0.16 ～ 0.49μmolCO2¡m-2¡s-1) occurred from December to February in the non-growing season. The total emission of soil CO2 was estimated as 3963～5730 gCO2¡m-2¡yr-1, 85%~90% of which was released during the growing season, and 10%~15% during the non-growing season which was slightly less than the ratio of winter and annual CO2 flux from soil. Temperature, particularly the soil temperature, was the major environmental factor regulating the soil respiration. Significant and positive relationships were not found between soil respiration and soil moisture and between soil respiration and plant above-ground biomass, but excessive soil water content would decrease in the rate of soil respiration. 2) The rate of soil respiration in grass hummock communities was up to 16.77μmolCO2¡m-2¡s-1, which was about twice as great as in the controls (communities located in low and even sites). Considering the large proportion (about 30% on average) of hummock area in the meadow, it can be concluded that the hummocks played an important role in the carbon cycling of the study ecosystem. 3) Grazing patterns affected the flux of CO2 emission and the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration (Q10) in the alpine meadow. Grazing during growing season increased the rate of soil respiration. The rate of soil respiration increased significantly immediately after the alpine meadow being fenced, but thereafter decreased. In addition, grazing in winter delayed the peak respiration rate relative to the non-grazing mode. The Q10 value was the largest in the non-grazed area for one year, and next came the area with grazing in winter, followed by the non-grazed area for three years, the area with grazing in summer, and the non-limited grazed area. 4) In the chamber-based techniques, clipping manipulation before each measurement increased the transient rate of soil respiration by about 90% in the summer of the alpine meadow. As increase in soil temperature at daytime in the clipped plots by clipping and the exponential relationship between soil respiration and temperature, clipping manipulation led to increase in the rate of soil respiration. This suggested that a correction should be done for the techniques if employed in alpine and cold regions. In summary, the rate of soil respiration in the alpine meadow was the greatest in June and the smallest occurred from ecember to February in the non-growing season. Soil temperature was the major environmental factor regulating the soil respiration. The rate of soil respiration in grass hummock communities was up to 16.77μmolCO2¡m-2¡s-1, which was about twice as great as in the controls. A correction should be done for the techniques if employed in alpine and cold regions, because of the effect of clipping manipulation on soil temperature and respiration.

根际沉积及其在植物-土壤碳循环中的作用

植物根际沉积是一种重要的植物与土壤交换的界面过程,在土壤碳周转方面具有重要的作用;根际碳的沉积也是联系植物、土壤及微生物的桥梁.本文就近年来关于根际沉积中碳平衡、碳循环等相关研究,阐述了根际碳沉积的机制,探讨了相关试验中存在的问题,以及不同植物品种、种类和生育期根际沉积的差异和根际沉积物与土壤呼吸的关系,指出了根际沉积在植物-土壤体系中碳循环的重要作用.在此基础上,提出了未来的研究领域及方向.

华南震旦纪-寒武纪两期成磷事件及其地球动力学意义

Phosphorus is an important biological and ecological element that to a certain degree constrains ecological environment and nutrient (including carbon) cycling. Marine sedimentary phosphorites are the principal phosphorus supply of the mankind. In the eastern to southern margins of the Yangtze Craton, South China, there are two phosphogenetic events at the Doushantuo stage of the Late Sinian and the Meishucun stage of the Early Cambrian respectively, corresponding two explosion events of life across the Precambrian\Cambrian boundary. Phosphorus ores from the Sinian and Cambrian phosphate in South China can be classified roughly into two categories, namely, grained and non-grained phosphorites. Grained phosphorites, hosted in dolostone type of phosphogenetic sequences and with larger industrial values, occur mainly in margins of the Upper Yangtze Platform, formed in shallow-water environments with high hydraulic energy and influenced by frequent sea-level change. Non-grained phosphorites, hosted principally in black-shale type of phosphogenetic sequences and with smaller industrial values, are distributed mainly in the Jiangnan region where deeper-water sub-basins with low hydraulic energy were prevailing at the time of phosphogenesis. Secular change ofδ~(13)C, δ~(18) O, ~(86)Sr/~(87)Sr values of carbonates from Sinian and Cambrian sequences were determined. A negative abnormal ofδ~(13)C, δ~(18)O values and positive abnormal of 86Sr/87Sr values from the fossiliferous section of the Lowest Cambrian Meishucun Formation implies life depopulation and following explosion of life across the PrecambriamCambrian boundary. Based on a lot of observations, this paper put forward a six-stage genetic model describing the whole formational process of industrial phosphorites: 1) Phosphorus was transported from continental weathering products and stored in the ocean; 2) dissolved phosphates in the seawater were enriched in specific deep seawater layer; 3) coastal upwelling currents took this phosphorus-rich seawater to a specific coastal area where phosphorus was captured by oceanic microbes; 4) clastic sediments in this upwelling area were enriched in phosphorus because of abundant phosphorus-rich organic matters and because of phosphorus absorption on grain surfaces; 5) during early diagenesis, the phosphorus enriched in the clastic sediments was released into interstitial water by decomposition and desorption, and then transported to the oxidation-reduction interface where authigenic phosphates were deposited and enriched; 6) such authigenic phosphate-rich layers were scoured, broken up, and winnowed in shallow-water environments resulting in phosphate enrichment. The Sinian-Cambrian phosphorites in South China are in many aspects comparable with coastal-upwelling phosphorites of younger geological ages, especially with phosphorites from modern coastal upwelling areas. That implies the similarities between the Sinian-Cambrian ocean and the modern ocean. Although Sinian-Cambrian oceanic life was much simpler than modern one, but similar oceanic planktons prevail, because oceanic planktons (particularly phytoplanktons) are crucial for phosphate enrichment related to coastal upwelling. It implies also a similar seawater-layering pattern between the Sinian-Cambrian ocean and the modern ocean. The two global phosphate-forming events and corresponding life-explosion events at the Sinian and Cambrian time probably resulted from dissolved-phosphate accumulation in seawater over a critical concentration during the Earth's evolution. Such an oceanic system with seawater phosphorus supersaturation is evidently unstable, and trends to return to normal state through phosphate deposition. Accordingly, this paper put forward a new conception of "normal state <=> phosphorus-supersaturation state" cycling of oceanic system. Such "normal state <=> phosphorus-supersaturation state" cycling was not only important for the three well-known global phosphate-forming events, also related to the critical moments of life evolution on the Earth. It might be of special significance. The favorable paleo-oceanic orientation in regard to coastal-upwelling phosphorite formation suggests a different orientation of the Yangtze Craton between the Sinian time and the present time (with a 135° clockwise difference), and a 25° anti-clockwise rotation of the Yangtze Craton from late Sinian to early Cambrian. During the Sinian-Cambrian time, the Yangtze Craton might be separated from the Cathaysia Block, but might be still associated with the North China Craton.

The toxicology of climate change: environmental contaminants in a warming world.

Climate change induced by anthropogenic warming of the earth's atmosphere is a daunting problem. This review examines one of the consequences of climate change that has only recently attracted attention: namely, the effects of climate change on the environmental distribution and toxicity of chemical pollutants. A review was undertaken of the scientific literature (original research articles, reviews, government and intergovernmental reports) focusing on the interactions of toxicants with the environmental parameters, temperature, precipitation, and salinity, as altered by climate change. Three broad classes of chemical toxicants of global significance were the focus: air pollutants, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including some organochlorine pesticides, and other classes of pesticides. Generally, increases in temperature will enhance the toxicity of contaminants and increase concentrations of tropospheric ozone regionally, but will also likely increase rates of chemical degradation. While further research is needed, climate change coupled with air pollutant exposures may have potentially serious adverse consequences for human health in urban and polluted regions. Climate change producing alterations in: food webs, lipid dynamics, ice and snow melt, and organic carbon cycling could result in increased POP levels in water, soil, and biota. There is also compelling evidence that increasing temperatures could be deleterious to pollutant-exposed wildlife. For example, elevated water temperatures may alter the biotransformation of contaminants to more bioactive metabolites and impair homeostasis. The complex interactions between climate change and pollutants may be particularly problematic for species living at the edge of their physiological tolerance range where acclimation capacity may be limited. In addition to temperature increases, regional precipitation patterns are projected to be altered with climate change. Regions subject to decreases in precipitation may experience enhanced volatilization of POPs and pesticides to the atmosphere. Reduced precipitation will also increase air pollution in urbanized regions resulting in negative health effects, which may be exacerbated by temperature increases. Regions subject to increased precipitation will have lower levels of air pollution, but will likely experience enhanced surface deposition of airborne POPs and increased run-off of pesticides. Moreover, increases in the intensity and frequency of storm events linked to climate change could lead to more severe episodes of chemical contamination of water bodies and surrounding watersheds. Changes in salinity may affect aquatic organisms as an independent stressor as well as by altering the bioavailability and in some instances increasing the toxicity of chemicals. A paramount issue will be to identify species and populations especially vulnerable to climate-pollutant interactions, in the context of the many other physical, chemical, and biological stressors that will be altered with climate change. Moreover, it will be important to predict tipping points that might trigger or accelerate synergistic interactions between climate change and contaminant exposures.

Effect of elevated CO2 on the dynamics of particle-attached and free-living bacterioplankton communities in an Arctic fjord

In the frame of the European Project on Ocean Acidification (EPOCA), the response of an Arctic pelagic community (<3 mm) to a gradient of seawater pCO(2) was investigated. For this purpose 9 large-scale in situ mesocosms were deployed in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard (78 degrees 56.2' N, 11 degrees 53.6' E), in 2010. The present study investigates effects on the communities of particle-attached (PA; >3 mu m) and free-living (FL; <3 mu m > 0.2 mu m) bacteria by Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA) in 6 of the mesocosms, ranging from 185 to 1050 mu atm initial pCO(2), and the surrounding fjord. ARISA was able to resolve, on average, 27 bacterial band classes per sample and allowed for a detailed investigation of the explicit richness and diversity. Both, the PA and the FL bacterioplankton community exhibited a strong temporal development, which was driven mainly by temperature and phytoplankton development. In response to the breakdown of a picophytoplankton bloom, numbers of ARISA band classes in the PA community were reduced at low and medium CO2 (similar to 185-685 mu atm) by about 25 %, while they were more or less stable at high CO2 (similar to 820-1050 mu atm). We hypothesise that enhanced viral lysis and enhanced availability of organic substrates at high CO2 resulted in a more diverse PA bacterial community in the post-bloom phase. Despite lower cell numbers and extracellular enzyme activities in the post-bloom phase, bacterial protein production was enhanced in high CO2 mesocosms, suggesting a positive effect of community richness on this function and on carbon cycling by bacteria.

Strong responses of Southern Ocean phytoplankton communities to volcanic ash

Volcanic eruptions have been hypothesized as an iron supply mechanism for phytoplankton blooms; however, little direct evidence of stimulatory responses has been obtained in the field. Here we present the results of twenty-one 1–2 day bottle enrichment experiments from cruises in the South Atlantic and Southern Ocean which conclusively demonstrated a photophysiological and biomass stimulation of phytoplankton communities following supply of basaltic or rhyolitic volcanic ash. Furthermore, experiments in the Southern Ocean demonstrated significant phytoplankton community responses to volcanic ash supply in the absence of responses to addition of dissolved iron alone. At these sites, dissolved manganese concentrations were among the lowest ever measured in seawater, and we therefore suggest that the enhanced response to ash may have been a result of the relief of manganese (co)limitation. Our results imply that volcanic ash deposition events could trigger extensive phytoplankton blooms, potentially capable of significant impacts on regional carbon cycling.

XoxF encoding an alternative methanol dehydrogenase is widespread in coastal marine environments

The xoxF gene, encoding a pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent methanol dehydrogenase, is found in all known proteobacterial methylotrophs. In several newly discovered methylotrophs, XoxF is the active methanol dehydrogenase, catalysing the oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde. Apart from that, its potential role in methylotrophy and carbon cycling is unknown. So far, the diversity of xoxF in the environment has received little attention. We designed PCR primer sets targeting clades of the xoxF gene, and used 454 pyrosequencing of PCR amplicons obtained from DNA of four coastal marine environments for a unique assessment of the diversity of xoxF in these habitats. Phylogenetic analysis of the data obtained revealed a high diversity of xoxF genes from two of the investigated clades, and substantial differences in sequence composition between environments. Sequences were classified as being related to a wide range of both methylotrophs and non-methylotrophs from Alpha-, Beta- and Gammaproteobacteria. The most prominent sequences detected were related to the family Rhodobacteraceae, the genus Methylotenera and the OM43 clade of Methylophilales, and are thus related to organisms that employ XoxF for methanol oxidation. Furthermore, our analyses revealed a high degree of so far undescribed sequences, suggesting a high number of unknown species in these habitats.