Articles | Volume 14, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-131-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-131-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
11 Jan 2017
Research article |
| 11 Jan 2017
The interaction between nitrogen and phosphorous is a strong predictor of intra-plant variation in nitrogen isotope composition in a desert species
Jinxin Zhang
Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry,
Beijing, China
Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing,
China
Environmental Sciences Division and Climate Change Science Institute,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
Jingbo Zhang
Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry,
Beijing, China
The Experimental Center of Desert Forestry of the Chinese Academy of
Forestry, Dengkou, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
Rina Wu
Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry,
Beijing, China
Feng Wang
Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry,
Beijing, China
Guanghui Lin
Center for Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Bo Wu
Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry,
Beijing, China
Qi Lu
Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry,
Beijing, China
Ping Meng
Headquarters, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
Related authors
J. Zhang, L. Gu, J. Zhang, R. Wu, F. Wang, G. Lin, B. Wu, Q. Lu, and P. Meng
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-12-18769-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-12-18769-2015, 2015
Revised manuscript not accepted
J. Zhang, L. Gu, F. Bao, Y. Cao, Y. Hao, J. He, J. Li, Y. Li, Y. Ren, F. Wang, R. Wu, B. Yao, Y. Zhao, G. Lin, B. Wu, Q. Lu, and P. Meng
Biogeosciences, 12, 15–27, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-15-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-15-2015, 2015
Christian Mark Garcia Salvador, Jeffrey D. Wood, Emma Grace Cochran, Hunter A. Seubert, Bella D. Kamplain, Sam S. Overby, Kevin R. Birdwell, Lianhong Gu, and Melanie A. Mayes
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1808, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1808, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Critical volatile organic compounds were continuously measured in a temperate deciduous and juniper forest in the midwestern US using PTR-ToF-MS. The forest included several sources of biogenic compounds and was influenced by short- and long-range transport of anthropogenic emissions. Extreme heat and wildfire emissions impacted the atmospheric conditions of the forest during the field measurement; such emissions are vital phenomena that provide insights into future climate.
Patrick Neri, Lianhong Gu, and Yang Song
Biogeosciences, 21, 2731–2758, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2731-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2731-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
A first-of-its-kind global-scale model of temperature resilience and tolerance of photosystem II maximum quantum yield informs how plants maintain their efficiency of converting light energy to chemical energy for photosynthesis under temperature changes. Our finding explores this variation across plant functional types and habitat climatology, highlighting diverse temperature response strategies and a method to improve global-scale photosynthesis modeling under climate change.
Junyi Liang, Gangsheng Wang, Daniel M. Ricciuto, Lianhong Gu, Paul J. Hanson, Jeffrey D. Wood, and Melanie A. Mayes
Geosci. Model Dev., 12, 1601–1612, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-1601-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-12-1601-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Soil respiration, the second largest carbon fluxes between the atmosphere and land, is not well represented in global land models. In this study, using long-term observations at a temperate forest, we identified a solution for using better soil water potential simulations to improve predictions of soil respiration in the E3SM land model. In addition, parameter calibration further improved model performance.
Anthony P. Walker, Ming Ye, Dan Lu, Martin G. De Kauwe, Lianhong Gu, Belinda E. Medlyn, Alistair Rogers, and Shawn P. Serbin
Geosci. Model Dev., 11, 3159–3185, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-3159-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-3159-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Large uncertainty is inherent in model predictions due to imperfect knowledge of how to describe the processes that a model is intended to represent. Yet methods to quantify and evaluate this model hypothesis uncertainty are limited. To address this, the multi-assumption architecture and testbed (MAAT) automates the generation of all possible models by combining multiple representations of multiple processes. MAAT provides a formal framework for quantification of model hypothesis uncertainty.
Paul J. Hanson, Jeffery S. Riggs, W. Robert Nettles, Jana R. Phillips, Misha B. Krassovski, Leslie A. Hook, Lianhong Gu, Andrew D. Richardson, Donald M. Aubrecht, Daniel M. Ricciuto, Jeffrey M. Warren, and Charlotte Barbier
Biogeosciences, 14, 861–883, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-861-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-861-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
This paper describes operational methods to achieve whole-ecosystem warming (WEW) for tall-stature, high-carbon, boreal forest peatlands. The methods enable scientists to study immediate and longer-term (1 decade) responses of organisms (microbes to trees) and ecosystem functions (carbon, water and nutrient cycles). The WEW technology allows researchers to have a plausible glimpse of future environmental conditions for study that are not available in the current observational record.
F. K. Tang, M. Cui, Q. Lu, Y. G. Liu, H. Y. Guo, and J. X. Zhou
Solid Earth, 7, 141–151, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-141-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-141-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
A study of vegetation restoration's effects on soil aggregate stability and SOC sequestration was carried out in a typical karst region (China). We found that revegetation promoted soil stability and accumulation of total SOC and SOC associated in water stable aggregates (WSA). WSA < 0.25 mm has the greatest contribution to total SOC. Fractal dimensions could objectively and comprehensively reflect soil stability. Promoting natural restoration is the ideal method to restore ecology in karst region.
J. Zhang, L. Gu, J. Zhang, R. Wu, F. Wang, G. Lin, B. Wu, Q. Lu, and P. Meng
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-12-18769-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-12-18769-2015, 2015
Revised manuscript not accepted
G. Wohlfahrt, C. Amelynck, C. Ammann, A. Arneth, I. Bamberger, A. H. Goldstein, L. Gu, A. Guenther, A. Hansel, B. Heinesch, T. Holst, L. Hörtnagl, T. Karl, Q. Laffineur, A. Neftel, K. McKinney, J. W. Munger, S. G. Pallardy, G. W. Schade, R. Seco, and N. Schoon
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 7413–7427, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-7413-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-7413-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Methanol is the second most abundant volatile organic compound in the troposphere and plays a significant role in atmospheric chemistry. While there is consensus about the dominant role of plants as the major source and the reaction with OH as the major sink, global methanol budgets diverge considerably in terms of source/sink estimates. Here we present micrometeorological methanol flux data from eight sites in order to provide a first cross-site synthesis of the terrestrial methanol exchange.
L. Gu, S. G. Pallardy, K. P. Hosman, and Y. Sun
Biogeosciences, 12, 2831–2845, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2831-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2831-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Co-occurring tree species with varying physiologies were continuously monitored for mortality with concurrent observations of key physiological and environmental variables for a decade in a central US forest. New predictors of drought-induced mortality were developed. Time-delayed mortality was shown to be nonlinearly related to drought intensity and species’ capacities in regulating their internal hydraulic status, with elevated risk associated with extreme isohydric and anisohydric behaviors.
J. Zhang, L. Gu, F. Bao, Y. Cao, Y. Hao, J. He, J. Li, Y. Li, Y. Ren, F. Wang, R. Wu, B. Yao, Y. Zhao, G. Lin, B. Wu, Q. Lu, and P. Meng
Biogeosciences, 12, 15–27, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-15-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-15-2015, 2015
H. Chen, W. Lu, G. Yan, S. Yang, and G. Lin
Biogeosciences, 11, 5323–5333, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5323-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5323-2014, 2014
Related subject area
Biogeochemistry: Stable Isotopes & Other Tracers
How long does carbon stay in a near-pristine central Amazon forest? An empirical estimate with radiocarbon
No increase is detected and modeled for the seasonal cycle amplitude of δ13C of atmospheric carbon dioxide
Bias in calculating gross nitrification rates in forested catchments using the triple oxygen isotopic composition (Δ17O) of stream nitrate
Position-specific kinetic isotope effects for nitrous oxide: a new expansion of the Rayleigh model
Technical note: A Bayesian mixing model to unravel isotopic data and quantify trace gas production and consumption pathways for time series data – Time-resolved FRactionation And Mixing Evaluation (TimeFRAME)
Stable iron isotope signals indicate a “pseudo-abiotic" process driving deep iron release in methanic sediments
Separating above-canopy CO2 and O2 measurements into their atmospheric and biospheric signatures
Climatic controls on leaf wax hydrogen isotope ratios in terrestrial and marine sediments along a hyperarid-to-humid gradient
Fractionation of stable carbon isotopes during microbial propionate consumption in anoxic rice paddy soils
Sources and sinks of carbonyl sulfide inferred from tower and mobile atmospheric observations in the Netherlands
Downpour dynamics: outsized impacts of storm events on unprocessed atmospheric nitrate export in an urban watershed
The hidden role of dissolved organic carbon in the biogeochemical cycle of carbon in modern redox-stratified lakes
Biogeochemical processes captured by carbon isotopes in redox-stratified water columns: a comparative study of four modern stratified lakes along an alkalinity gradient
Partitioning of carbon export in the euphotic zone of the oligotrophic South China Sea
Determination of respiration and photosynthesis fractionation factors for atmospheric dioxygen inferred from a vegetation–soil–atmosphere analogue of the terrestrial biosphere in closed chambers
Permafrost degradation and nitrogen cycling in Arctic rivers: insights from stable nitrogen isotope studies
Neodymium budget in the Mediterranean Sea: evaluating the role of atmospheric dusts using a high-resolution dynamical-biogeochemical model
Nitrate isotope investigations reveal future impacts of climate change on nitrogen inputs and cycling in Arctic fjords: Kongsfjorden and Rijpfjorden (Svalbard)
Mineralization of autochthonous particulate organic carbon is a fast channel of organic matter turnover in Germany's largest drinking water reservoir
Carbon isotopic ratios of modern C3 and C4 vegetation on the Indian peninsula and changes along the plant–soil–river continuum – implications for vegetation reconstructions
Controls on nitrite oxidation in the upper Southern Ocean: insights from winter kinetics experiments in the Indian sector
Tracing the source of nitrate in a forested stream showing elevated concentrations during storm events
Intra-skeletal variability in phosphate oxygen isotope composition reveals regional heterothermies in marine vertebrates
Isotopic differences in soil–plant–atmosphere continuum composition and control factors of different vegetation zones on the northern slope of the Qilian Mountains
An analysis of the variability in δ13C in macroalgae from the Gulf of California: indicative of carbon concentration mechanisms and isotope discrimination during carbon assimilation
Summertime productivity and carbon export potential in the Weddell Sea, with a focus on the waters adjacent to Larsen C Ice Shelf
Particulate biogenic barium tracer of mesopelagic carbon remineralization in the Mediterranean Sea (PEACETIME project)
Hydrogen and carbon isotope fractionation factors of aerobic methane oxidation in deep-sea water
Host-influenced geochemical signature in the parasitic foraminifera Hyrrokkin sarcophaga
Comparing modified substrate-induced respiration with selective inhibition (SIRIN) and N2O isotope approaches to estimate fungal contribution to denitrification in three arable soils under anoxic conditions
How are oxygen budgets influenced by dissolved iron and growth of oxygenic phototrophs in an iron-rich spring system? Initial results from the Espan Spring in Fürth, Germany
Stable isotope ratios in seawater nitrate reflect the influence of Pacific water along the northwest Atlantic margin
High-resolution 14C bomb peak dating and climate response analyses of subseasonal stable isotope signals in wood of the African baobab – a case study from Oman
Geographic variability in freshwater methane hydrogen isotope ratios and its implications for global isotopic source signatures
Seasonality of nitrogen sources, cycling, and loading in a New England river discerned from nitrate isotope ratios
Evaluating the response of δ13C in Haloxylon ammodendron, a dominant C4 species in Asian desert ecosystems, to water and nitrogen addition as well as the availability of its δ13C as an indicator of water use efficiency
Modern silicon dynamics of a small high-latitude subarctic lake
Radium-228-derived ocean mixing and trace element inputs in the South Atlantic
Nitrogen isotopic fractionations during nitric oxide production in an agricultural soil
Silicon uptake and isotope fractionation dynamics by crop species
Barium stable isotopes as a fingerprint of biological cycling in the Amazon River basin
Bottomland hardwood forest growth and stress response to hydroclimatic variation: evidence from dendrochronology and tree ring Δ13C values
N2O isotope approaches for source partitioning of N2O production and estimation of N2O reduction – validation with the 15N gas-flux method in laboratory and field studies
Technical note: Single-shell δ11B analysis of Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi using femtosecond laser ablation MC-ICPMS and secondary ion mass spectrometry
Biogeochemical evidence of anaerobic methane oxidation and anaerobic ammonium oxidation in a stratified lake using stable isotopes
Effects of 238U variability and physical transport on water column 234Th downward fluxes in the coastal upwelling system off Peru
Do degree and rate of silicate weathering depend on plant productivity?
Alpine Holocene tree-ring dataset: age-related trends in the stable isotopes of cellulose show species-specific patterns
Ideas and perspectives: The same carbon behaves like different elements – an insight into position-specific isotope distributions
Seasonal dynamics of the COS and CO2 exchange of a managed temperate grassland
Ingrid Chanca, Ingeborg Levin, Susan Trumbore, Kita Macario, Jost Lavric, Carlos Alberto Quesada, Alessandro Carioca de Araújo, Cléo Quaresma Dias Júnior, Hella van Asperen, Samuel Hammer, and Carlos A. Sierra
Biogeosciences, 22, 455–472, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-455-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-455-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Assessing the net carbon (C) budget of the Amazon entails considering the magnitude and timing of C absorption and losses through respiration (transit time of C). Radiocarbon-based estimates of the transit time of C in the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) suggest a change in the transit time from 6 ± 2 years and 18 ± 4 years within 2 years (October 2019 and December 2021, respectively). This variability indicates that only a fraction of newly fixed C can be stored for decades or longer.
Fortunat Joos, Sebastian Lienert, and Sönke Zaehle
Biogeosciences, 22, 19–39, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-19-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-19-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
How plants regulate their exchange of CO2 and water with the atmosphere under global warming is critical for their carbon uptake and their cooling influence. We analyze the isotope ratio of atmospheric CO2 and detect no significant decadal trends in the seasonal cycle amplitude. The data are consistent with the regulation towards leaf CO2 and intrinsic water use efficiency growing proportionally to atmospheric CO2, in contrast to recent suggestions of downregulation of CO2 and water fluxes.
Weitian Ding, Urumu Tsunogai, and Fumiko Nakagawa
Biogeosciences, 21, 4717–4722, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4717-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4717-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Past studies have used the Δ17O of stream nitrate to estimate the gross nitrification rates (GNRs) in each forested catchment by approximating the Δ17O value of soil nitrate to be equal to that of stream nitrate. Based on inference and calculation of measured data, we found that this approximation resulted in an overestimated GNR. Therefore, it is essential to clarify and verify the Δ17O NO3− values in forested soils and streams before applying the Δ17O values of stream NO3− to GNR estimation.
Elise D. Rivett, Wenjuan Ma, Nathaniel E. Ostrom, and Eric L. Hegg
Biogeosciences, 21, 4549–4567, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4549-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4549-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Many different processes produce nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas. Measuring the ratio of heavy and light nitrogen isotopes (15N/14N) for the non-exchangeable central and outer N atoms of N2O helps to distinguish sources of N2O. To accurately calculate the position-specific isotopic preference, we developed an expansion of the widely used Rayleigh model. Application of our new model to simulated and experimental data demonstrates its improved accuracy for analyzing N2O synthesis.
Eliza Harris, Philipp Fischer, Maciej P. Lewicki, Dominika Lewicka-Szczebak, Stephen J. Harris, and Fernando Perez-Cruz
Biogeosciences, 21, 3641–3663, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3641-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3641-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Greenhouse gases are produced and consumed via a number of pathways. Quantifying these pathways helps reduce the climate and environmental footprint of anthropogenic activities. The contribution of the pathways can be estimated from the isotopic composition, which acts as a fingerprint for these pathways. We have developed the Time-resolved FRactionation And Mixing Evaluation (TimeFRAME) model to simplify interpretation and estimate the contribution of different pathways and their uncertainty.
Susann Henkel, Bo Liu, Michael Staubwasser, Simone A. Kasemann, Anette Meixner, David Aromokeye, Michael W. Friedrich, and Sabine Kasten
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1942, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1942, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We intend to unravel iron (Fe) reduction pathways in high depositional methanic sediments because pools of Fe minerals could stimulate methane oxidation, but also generation. Our data from the North Sea indicate that Fe release takes place mechanistically different to Fe reduction in shallow sediments that typically fractionates Fe isotopes. We conclude that fermentation of organic matter involving interspecies electron transfer, partly through conductive Fe oxides, could play an important role.
Kim A. P. Faassen, Jordi Vilà-Guerau de Arellano, Raquel González-Armas, Bert G. Heusinkveld, Ivan Mammarella, Wouter Peters, and Ingrid T. Luijkx
Biogeosciences, 21, 3015–3039, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3015-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3015-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The ratio between atmospheric O2 and CO2 can be used to characterize the carbon balance at the surface. By combining a model and observations from the Hyytiälä forest (Finland), we show that using atmospheric O2 and CO2 measurements from a single height provides a weak constraint on the surface CO2 exchange because large-scale processes such as entrainment confound this signal. We therefore recommend always using multiple heights of O2 and CO2 measurements to study surface CO2 exchange.
Nestor Gaviria-Lugo, Charlotte Läuchli, Hella Wittmann, Anne Bernhardt, Patrick Frings, Mahyar Mohtadi, Oliver Rach, and Dirk Sachse
Biogeosciences, 20, 4433–4453, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4433-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4433-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We analyzed how leaf wax hydrogen isotopes in continental and marine sediments respond to climate along one of the strongest aridity gradients in the world, from hyperarid to humid, along Chile. We found that under extreme aridity, the relationship between hydrogen isotopes in waxes and climate is non-linear, suggesting that we should be careful when reconstructing past hydrological changes using leaf wax hydrogen isotopes so as to avoid overestimating how much the climate has changed.
Ralf Conrad and Peter Claus
Biogeosciences, 20, 3625–3635, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3625-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3625-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Knowledge of carbon isotope fractionation is important for the assessment of the pathways involved in the degradation of organic matter. Propionate is an important intermediate. In the presence of sulfate, it was degraded by Syntrophobacter species via acetate to CO2. In the absence of sulfate, it was mainly consumed by Smithella and methanogenic archaeal species via butyrate and acetate to CH4. However, stable carbon isotope fractionation during the degradation process was quite small.
Alessandro Zanchetta, Linda M. J. Kooijmans, Steven van Heuven, Andrea Scifo, Hubertus A. Scheeren, Ivan Mammarella, Ute Karstens, Jin Ma, Maarten Krol, and Huilin Chen
Biogeosciences, 20, 3539–3553, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3539-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3539-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Carbonyl sulfide (COS) has been suggested as a tool to estimate carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake by plants during photosynthesis. However, understanding its sources and sinks is critical to preventing biases in this estimate. Combining observations and models, this study proves that regional sources occasionally influence the measurements at the 60 m tall Lutjewad tower (1 m a.s.l.; 53°24′ N, 6°21′ E) in the Netherlands. Moreover, it estimates nighttime COS fluxes to be −3.0 ± 2.6 pmol m−2 s−1.
Joel T. Bostic, David M. Nelson, and Keith N. Eshleman
Biogeosciences, 20, 2485–2498, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2485-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2485-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Land-use changes can affect water quality. We used tracers of pollution sources and water flow paths to show that an urban watershed exports variable sources during storm events relative to a less developed watershed. Our results imply that changing precipitation patterns combined with increasing urbanization may alter sources of pollution in the future.
Robin Havas, Christophe Thomazo, Miguel Iniesto, Didier Jézéquel, David Moreira, Rosaluz Tavera, Jeanne Caumartin, Elodie Muller, Purificación López-García, and Karim Benzerara
Biogeosciences, 20, 2405–2424, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2405-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2405-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is a reservoir of prime importance in the C cycle of both continental and marine systems. It has also been suggested to influence the past Earth climate but is still poorly characterized in ancient-Earth-like environments. In this paper we show how DOC analyses from modern redox-stratified lakes can evidence specific metabolic reactions and environmental factors and how these can help us to interpret the C cycle of specific periods in the Earth's past.
Robin Havas, Christophe Thomazo, Miguel Iniesto, Didier Jézéquel, David Moreira, Rosaluz Tavera, Jeanne Caumartin, Elodie Muller, Purificación López-García, and Karim Benzerara
Biogeosciences, 20, 2347–2367, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2347-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2347-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We describe the C cycle of four modern stratified water bodies from Mexico, a necessary step to better understand the C cycle of primitive-Earth-like environments, which were dominated by these kinds of conditions. We highlight the importance of local external factors on the C cycle of these systems. Notably, they influence the sensitivity of the carbonate record to environmental changes. We also show the strong C-cycle variability among these lakes and their organic C sediment record.
Yifan Ma, Kuanbo Zhou, Weifang Chen, Junhui Chen, Jin-Yu Terence Yang, and Minhan Dai
Biogeosciences, 20, 2013–2030, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2013-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2013-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We distinguished particulate organic carbon (POC) export fluxes out of the nutrient-depleted layer (NDL) and the euphotic zone. The amount of POC export flux at the NDL base suggests that the NDL could be a hotspot of particle export. The substantial POC export flux at the NDL base challenges traditional concepts that the NDL was limited in terms of POC export. The dominant nutrient source for POC export fluxes should be subsurface nutrients, which was determined by 15N isotopic mass balance.
Clémence Paul, Clément Piel, Joana Sauze, Nicolas Pasquier, Frédéric Prié, Sébastien Devidal, Roxanne Jacob, Arnaud Dapoigny, Olivier Jossoud, Alexandru Milcu, and Amaëlle Landais
Biogeosciences, 20, 1047–1062, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1047-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1047-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
To improve the interpretation of the δ18Oatm and Δ17O of O2 in air bubbles in ice cores, we need to better quantify the oxygen fractionation coefficients associated with biological processes. We performed a simplified analogue of the terrestrial biosphere in a closed chamber. We found a respiration fractionation in agreement with the previous estimates at the microorganism scale, and a terrestrial photosynthetic fractionation was found. This has an impact on the estimation of the Dole effect.
Adam Francis, Raja S. Ganeshram, Robyn E. Tuerena, Robert G. M. Spencer, Robert M. Holmes, Jennifer A. Rogers, and Claire Mahaffey
Biogeosciences, 20, 365–382, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-365-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-365-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Climate change is causing extensive permafrost degradation and nutrient releases into rivers with great ecological impacts on the Arctic Ocean. We focused on nitrogen (N) release from this degradation and associated cycling using N isotopes, an understudied area. Many N species are released at degradation sites with exchanges between species. N inputs from permafrost degradation and seasonal river N trends were identified using isotopes, helping to predict climate change impacts.
Mohamed Ayache, Jean-Claude Dutay, Kazuyo Tachikawa, Thomas Arsouze, and Catherine Jeandel
Biogeosciences, 20, 205–227, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-205-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-205-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The neodymium (Nd) is one of the most useful tracers to fingerprint water mass provenance. However, the use of Nd is hampered by the lack of adequate quantification of the external sources. Here, we present the first simulation of dissolved Nd concentration and Nd isotopic composition in the Mediterranean Sea using a high-resolution model. We aim to better understand how the various external sources affect the Nd cycle and particularly assess how it is impacted by atmospheric inputs.
Marta Santos-Garcia, Raja S. Ganeshram, Robyn E. Tuerena, Margot C. F. Debyser, Katrine Husum, Philipp Assmy, and Haakon Hop
Biogeosciences, 19, 5973–6002, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5973-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5973-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Terrestrial sources of nitrate are important contributors to the nutrient pool in the fjords of Kongsfjorden and Rijpfjorden in Svalbard during the summer, and they sustain most of the fjord primary productivity. Ongoing tidewater glacier retreat is postulated to favour light limitation and less dynamic circulation in fjords. This is suggested to encourage the export of nutrients to the middle and outer part of the fjord system, which may enhance primary production within and in offshore areas.
Marlene Dordoni, Michael Seewald, Karsten Rinke, Kurt Friese, Robert van Geldern, Jakob Schmidmeier, and Johannes A. C. Barth
Biogeosciences, 19, 5343–5355, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5343-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5343-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Organic matter (OM) turnover into dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) was investigated by means of carbon isotope mass balances in Germany's largest water reservoir. This includes a metalimnetic oxygen minimum (MOM). Autochthonous particulate organic carbon (POC) was the main contributor to DIC, with rates that were highest for the MOM. Generally low turnover rates outline the environmental fragility of this water body in the case that OM loads increase due to storm events or land use changes.
Frédérique M. S. A. Kirkels, Hugo J. de Boer, Paulina Concha Hernández, Chris R. T. Martes, Marcel T. J. van der Meer, Sayak Basu, Muhammed O. Usman, and Francien Peterse
Biogeosciences, 19, 4107–4127, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4107-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4107-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The distinct carbon isotopic values of C3 and C4 plants are widely used to reconstruct past hydroclimate, where more C3 plants reflect wetter and C4 plants drier conditions. Here we examine the impact of regional hydroclimatic conditions on plant isotopic values in the Godavari River basin, India. We find that it is crucial to identify regional plant isotopic values and consider drought stress, which introduces a bias in C3 / C4 plant estimates and associated hydroclimate reconstructions.
Mhlangabezi Mdutyana, Tanya Marshall, Xin Sun, Jessica M. Burger, Sandy J. Thomalla, Bess B. Ward, and Sarah E. Fawcett
Biogeosciences, 19, 3425–3444, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3425-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3425-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria in the winter Southern Ocean show a high affinity for nitrite but require a minimum (i.e., "threshold") concentration before they increase their rates of nitrite oxidation significantly. The classic Michaelis–Menten model thus cannot be used to derive the kinetic parameters, so a modified equation was employed that also yields the threshold nitrite concentration. Dissolved iron availability may play an important role in limiting nitrite oxidation.
Weitian Ding, Urumu Tsunogai, Fumiko Nakagawa, Takashi Sambuichi, Hiroyuki Sase, Masayuki Morohashi, and Hiroki Yotsuyanagi
Biogeosciences, 19, 3247–3261, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3247-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3247-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Excessive leaching of nitrate from forested catchments during storm events degrades water quality and causes eutrophication in downstream areas. Thus, tracing the source of nitrate increase during storm events in forested streams is important for sustainable forest management. Based on the isotopic compositions of stream nitrate, including Δ17O, this study clarifies that the source of stream nitrate increase during storm events was soil nitrate in the riparian zone.
Nicolas Séon, Romain Amiot, Guillaume Suan, Christophe Lécuyer, François Fourel, Fabien Demaret, Arnauld Vinçon-Laugier, Sylvain Charbonnier, and Peggy Vincent
Biogeosciences, 19, 2671–2681, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2671-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2671-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We analysed the oxygen isotope composition of bones and teeth of four marine species possessing regional heterothermies. We observed a consistent link between oxygen isotope composition and temperature heterogeneities recorded by classical methods. This opens up new perspectives on the determination of the thermoregulatory strategies of extant marine vertebrates where conventional methods are difficult to apply, but also allows us to investigate thermophysiologies of extinct vertebrates.
Yuwei Liu, Guofeng Zhu, Zhuanxia Zhang, Zhigang Sun, Leilei Yong, Liyuan Sang, Lei Wang, and Kailiang Zhao
Biogeosciences, 19, 877–889, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-877-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-877-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We took the water cycle process of soil–plant–atmospheric precipitation as the research objective. In the water cycle of soil–plant–atmospheric precipitation, precipitation plays the main controlling role. The main source of replenishment for alpine meadow plants is precipitation and alpine meltwater; the main source of replenishment for forest plants is soil water; and the plants in the arid foothills mainly use groundwater.
Roberto Velázquez-Ochoa, María Julia Ochoa-Izaguirre, and Martín Federico Soto-Jiménez
Biogeosciences, 19, 1–27, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Our research is the first approximation to understand the δ13C macroalgal variability in one of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world, the Gulf of California. The life-form is the principal cause of δ13C macroalgal variability, mainly taxonomy. However, changes in habitat characteristics and environmental conditions also influence the δ13C macroalgal variability. The δ13C macroalgae is indicative of carbon concentration mechanisms and isotope discrimination during carbon assimilation.
Raquel F. Flynn, Thomas G. Bornman, Jessica M. Burger, Shantelle Smith, Kurt A. M. Spence, and Sarah E. Fawcett
Biogeosciences, 18, 6031–6059, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6031-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6031-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Biological activity in the shallow Weddell Sea affects the biogeochemistry of recently formed deep waters. To investigate the drivers of carbon and nutrient export, we measured rates of primary production and nitrogen uptake, characterized the phytoplankton community, and estimated nutrient depletion ratios across the under-sampled western Weddell Sea in mid-summer. Carbon export was highest at the ice shelves and was determined by a combination of physical, chemical, and biological factors.
Stéphanie H. M. Jacquet, Christian Tamburini, Marc Garel, Aurélie Dufour, France Van Vambeke, Frédéric A. C. Le Moigne, Nagib Bhairy, and Sophie Guasco
Biogeosciences, 18, 5891–5902, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5891-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5891-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We compared carbon remineralization rates (MRs) in the western and central Mediterranean Sea in late spring during the PEACETIME cruise, as assessed using the barium tracer. We reported higher and deeper (up to 1000 m depth) MRs in the western basin, potentially sustained by an additional particle export event driven by deep convection. The central basin is the site of a mosaic of blooming and non-blooming water masses and showed lower MRs that were restricted to the upper mesopelagic layer.
Shinsuke Kawagucci, Yohei Matsui, Akiko Makabe, Tatsuhiro Fukuba, Yuji Onishi, Takuro Nunoura, and Taichi Yokokawa
Biogeosciences, 18, 5351–5362, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5351-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5351-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Hydrogen and carbon isotope ratios of methane as well as the relevant biogeochemical parameters and microbial community compositions in hydrothermal plumes in the Okinawa Trough were observed. We succeeded in simultaneously determining hydrogen and carbon isotope fractionation factors associated with aerobic oxidation of methane in seawater (εH = 49.4 ± 5.0 ‰, εC = 5.2 ± 0.4 ‰) – the former being the first of its kind ever reported.
Nicolai Schleinkofer, David Evans, Max Wisshak, Janina Vanessa Büscher, Jens Fiebig, André Freiwald, Sven Härter, Horst R. Marschall, Silke Voigt, and Jacek Raddatz
Biogeosciences, 18, 4733–4753, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4733-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4733-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We have measured the chemical composition of the carbonate shells of the parasitic foraminifera Hyrrokkin sarcophaga in order to test if it is influenced by the host organism (bivalve or coral). We find that both the chemical and isotopic composition is influenced by the host organism. For example strontium is enriched in foraminifera that grew on corals, whose skeleton is built from aragonite, which is naturally enriched in strontium compared to the bivalves' calcite shell.
Lena Rohe, Traute-Heidi Anderson, Heinz Flessa, Anette Goeske, Dominika Lewicka-Szczebak, Nicole Wrage-Mönnig, and Reinhard Well
Biogeosciences, 18, 4629–4650, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4629-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4629-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This is the first experimental setup combining a complex set of methods (microbial inhibitors and isotopic approaches) to differentiate between N2O produced by fungi or bacteria during denitrification in three soils. Quantifying the fungal fraction with inhibitors was not successful due to large amounts of uninhibited N2O production. All successful methods suggested a small or missing fungal contribution. Artefacts occurring with microbial inhibition to determine N2O fluxes are discussed.
Inga Köhler, Raul E. Martinez, David Piatka, Achim J. Herrmann, Arianna Gallo, Michelle M. Gehringer, and Johannes A. C. Barth
Biogeosciences, 18, 4535–4548, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4535-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4535-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated how high Fe(II) levels influence the O2 budget of a circum-neutral Fe(II)-rich spring and if a combined study of dissolved O (DO) and its isotopic composition can help assess this effect. We showed that dissolved Fe(II) can exert strong effects on the δ18ODO even though a constant supply of atmospheric O2 occurs. In the presence of photosynthesis, direct effects of Fe oxidation become masked. Critical Fe(II) concentrations indirectly control the DO by enhancing photosynthesis.
Owen A. Sherwood, Samuel H. Davin, Nadine Lehmann, Carolyn Buchwald, Evan N. Edinger, Moritz F. Lehmann, and Markus Kienast
Biogeosciences, 18, 4491–4510, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4491-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4491-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Pacific water flowing eastward through the Canadian Arctic plays an important role in redistributing nutrients to the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Using samples collected from northern Baffin Bay to the southern Labrador Shelf, we show that stable isotopic ratios in seawater nitrate reflect the fraction of Pacific to Atlantic water. These results provide a new framework for interpreting patterns of nitrogen isotopic variability recorded in modern and archival organic materials in the region.
Franziska Slotta, Lukas Wacker, Frank Riedel, Karl-Uwe Heußner, Kai Hartmann, and Gerhard Helle
Biogeosciences, 18, 3539–3564, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3539-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3539-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The African baobab is a challenging climate and environmental archive for its semi-arid habitat due to dating uncertainties and parenchyma-rich wood anatomy. Annually resolved F14C data of tree-ring cellulose (1941–2005) from a tree in Oman show the annual character of the baobab’s growth rings but were up to 8.8 % lower than expected for 1964–1967. Subseasonal δ13C and δ18O patterns reveal years with low average monsoon rain as well as heavy rainfall events from pre-monsoonal cyclones.
Peter M. J. Douglas, Emerald Stratigopoulos, Sanga Park, and Dawson Phan
Biogeosciences, 18, 3505–3527, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3505-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3505-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Hydrogen isotopes could be a useful tool to help resolve the geographic distribution of methane emissions from freshwater environments. We analyzed an expanded global dataset of freshwater methane hydrogen isotope ratios and found significant geographic variation linked to water isotopic composition. This geographic variability could be used to resolve changing methane fluxes from freshwater environments and provide more accurate estimates of the relative balance of global methane sources.
Veronica R. Rollinson, Julie Granger, Sydney C. Clark, Mackenzie L. Blanusa, Claudia P. Koerting, Jamie M. P. Vaudrey, Lija A. Treibergs, Holly C. Westbrook, Catherine M. Matassa, Meredith G. Hastings, and Craig R. Tobias
Biogeosciences, 18, 3421–3444, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3421-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3421-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We measured nutrients and the naturally occurring nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) stable isotope ratios of nitrate discharged from a New England river over an annual cycle, to monitor N loading and identify dominant sources from the watershed. We uncovered a seasonality to loading and sources of N from the watershed. Seasonality in the nitrate isotope ratios also informed on N cycling, conforming to theoretical expectations of riverine nutrient cycling.
Zixun Chen, Xuejun Liu, Xiaoqing Cui, Yaowen Han, Guoan Wang, and Jiazhu Li
Biogeosciences, 18, 2859–2870, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2859-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2859-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
δ13C in plants is a sensitive long-term indicator of physiological acclimatization. The present study suggests that precipitation change and increasing atmospheric N deposition have little impact on δ13C of H. ammodendron, a dominant plant in central Asian deserts, but affect its gas exchange. In addition, this study shows that δ13C of H. ammodendron could not indicate its water use efficiency (WUE), suggesting that whether δ13C of C4 plants indicates WUE is species-specific.
Petra Zahajská, Carolina Olid, Johanna Stadmark, Sherilyn C. Fritz, Sophie Opfergelt, and Daniel J. Conley
Biogeosciences, 18, 2325–2345, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2325-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2325-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The drivers of high accumulation of single-cell siliceous algae (diatoms) in a high-latitude lake have not been fully characterized before. We studied silicon cycling of the lake through water, radon, silicon, and stable silicon isotope balances. Results showed that groundwater brings 3 times more water and dissolved silica than the stream inlet. We demonstrate that groundwater discharge and low sediment deposition have driven the high diatom accumulation in the studied lake in the past century.
Yu-Te Hsieh, Walter Geibert, E. Malcolm S. Woodward, Neil J. Wyatt, Maeve C. Lohan, Eric P. Achterberg, and Gideon M. Henderson
Biogeosciences, 18, 1645–1671, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1645-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1645-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The South Atlantic near 40° S is one of the high-productivity and most dynamic nutrient regions in the oceans, but the sources and fluxes of trace elements (TEs) to this region remain unclear. This study investigates seawater Ra-228 and provides important constraints on ocean mixing and dissolved TE fluxes to this region. Vertical mixing is a more important source than aeolian or shelf inputs in this region, but particulate or winter deep-mixing inputs may be required to balance the TE budgets.
Zhongjie Yu and Emily M. Elliott
Biogeosciences, 18, 805–829, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-805-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-805-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we demonstrated distinct nitrogen isotope effects for nitric oxide (NO) production from major microbial and chemical NO sources in an agricultural soil. These results highlight characteristic bond-forming and breaking mechanisms associated with microbial and chemical NO production and implicate that simultaneous isotopic analyses of NO and nitrous oxide (N2O) can lead to unprecedented insights into the sources and processes controlling NO and N2O emissions from agricultural soils.
Daniel A. Frick, Rainer Remus, Michael Sommer, Jürgen Augustin, Danuta Kaczorek, and Friedhelm von Blanckenburg
Biogeosciences, 17, 6475–6490, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6475-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6475-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Silicon is taken up by some plants to increase structural stability and to develop stress resistance and is rejected by others. To explore the underlying mechanisms, we used the stable isotopes of silicon that shift in their relative abundance depending on the biochemical transformation involved. On species with a rejective (tomato, mustard) and active (wheat) uptake mechanism, grown in hydroculture, we found that the transport of silicic acid is controlled by the precipitation of biogenic opal.
Quentin Charbonnier, Julien Bouchez, Jérôme Gaillardet, and Éric Gayer
Biogeosciences, 17, 5989–6015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5989-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5989-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The abundance and isotope composition of the trace metal barium (Ba) allows us to track and quantify nutrient cycling throughout the Amazon Basin. In particular, we show that the Ba biological fingerprint evolves from that of a strong net nutrient uptake in the mountainous area of the Andes towards efficient nutrient recycling on the plains of the Lower Amazon. Our study highlights the fact that the geochemical signature of rock-derived nutrients transported by the Amazon is scarred by life.
Ajinkya G. Deshpande, Thomas W. Boutton, Ayumi Hyodo, Charles W. Lafon, and Georgianne W. Moore
Biogeosciences, 17, 5639–5653, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5639-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5639-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Wetland forests in the southern USA are threatened by changing climate and human-induced pressures. We used tree ring widths and C isotopes as indicators of forest growth and physiological stress, respectively, and compared these to past climate data. We observed that vegetation growing in the drier patches is susceptible to stress, while vegetation growth and physiology in wetter patches is less sensitive to unfavorable environmental conditions, highlighting the importance of optimal wetness.
Dominika Lewicka-Szczebak, Maciej Piotr Lewicki, and Reinhard Well
Biogeosciences, 17, 5513–5537, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5513-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5513-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We present the first validation of N2O isotopic approaches for estimating N2O source pathways and N2O reduction. These approaches are widely used for tracing soil nitrogen cycling, but the results of these estimations are very uncertain. Here we report the results from parallel treatments allowing for precise validation of these approaches, and we propose the best strategies for results interpretation, including the new idea of an isotope model integrating three isotopic signatures of N2O.
Markus Raitzsch, Claire Rollion-Bard, Ingo Horn, Grit Steinhoefel, Albert Benthien, Klaus-Uwe Richter, Matthieu Buisson, Pascale Louvat, and Jelle Bijma
Biogeosciences, 17, 5365–5375, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5365-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5365-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The isotopic composition of boron in carbonate shells of marine unicellular organisms is a popular tool to estimate seawater pH. Usually, many shells need to be dissolved and measured for boron isotopes, but the information on their spatial distribution is lost. Here, we investigate two techniques that allow for measuring boron isotopes within single shells and show that they yield robust mean values but provide additional information on the heterogeneity within and between single shells.
Florian Einsiedl, Anja Wunderlich, Mathieu Sebilo, Ömer K. Coskun, William D. Orsi, and Bernhard Mayer
Biogeosciences, 17, 5149–5161, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5149-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5149-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Nitrate pollution of freshwaters and methane emissions into the atmosphere are crucial factors in deteriorating the quality of drinking water and in contributing to global climate change. Here, we report vertical concentration and stable isotope profiles of CH4, NO3-, NO2-, and NH4+ in the water column of Fohnsee (southern Bavaria, Germany) that may indicate linkages between nitrate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation and the anaerobic oxidation of ammonium.
Ruifang C. Xie, Frédéric A. C. Le Moigne, Insa Rapp, Jan Lüdke, Beat Gasser, Marcus Dengler, Volker Liebetrau, and Eric P. Achterberg
Biogeosciences, 17, 4919–4936, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4919-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4919-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Thorium-234 (234Th) is widely used to study carbon fluxes from the surface ocean to depth. But few studies stress the relevance of oceanic advection and diffusion on the downward 234Th fluxes in nearshore environments. Our study in offshore Peru showed strong temporal variations in both the importance of physical processes on 234Th flux estimates and the oceanic residence time of 234Th, whereas salinity-derived seawater 238U activities accounted for up to 40 % errors in 234Th flux estimates.
Ralf A. Oeser and Friedhelm von Blanckenburg
Biogeosciences, 17, 4883–4917, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4883-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4883-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We present a novel strategy to decipher the relative impact of biogenic and abiotic drivers of weathering. We parameterized the nutrient fluxes in four ecosystems along a climate and vegetation gradient situated on the Chilean Coastal Cordillera. We investigated how nutrient demand by plants drives weathering. We found that the increase in biomass nutrient demand is accommodated by faster nutrient recycling rather than an increase in the weathering–release rates.
Tito Arosio, Malin M. Ziehmer, Kurt Nicolussi, Christian Schlüchter, and Markus Leuenberger
Biogeosciences, 17, 4871–4882, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4871-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4871-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Stable isotopes in tree-ring cellulose are tools for climatic reconstructions, but interpretation is challenging due to nonclimate trends. We analyzed the tree-age trends in tree-ring isotopes of deciduous larch and evergreen cembran pine. Samples covering the whole Holocene were collected at the tree line in the Alps. For cambial ages over 100 years, we prove the absence of age trends in δD, δ18O, and δ13C for both species. For lower cambial ages, trends differ for each isotope and species.
Yuyang He, Xiaobin Cao, and Huiming Bao
Biogeosciences, 17, 4785–4795, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4785-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4785-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Different carbon sites in a large organic molecule have different isotope compositions. Different carbon sites may not have the chance to exchange isotopes at all. The lack of appreciation of this notion might be blamed for an unsettled debate on the thermodynamic state of an organism. Here we demonstrate using minerals, N2O, and acetic acid that the dearth of exchange among different carbon sites renders them as independent as if they were different elements in organic molecules.
Felix M. Spielmann, Albin Hammerle, Florian Kitz, Katharina Gerdel, and Georg Wohlfahrt
Biogeosciences, 17, 4281–4295, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4281-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4281-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Carbonyl sulfide (COS) can be used as a proxy for plant photosynthesis on an ecosystem scale. However, the relationships between COS and CO2 fluxes and their dependence on daily to seasonal changes in environmental drivers are still poorly understood. We examined COS and CO2 ecosystem fluxes above an agriculturally used mountain grassland for 6 months. Harvesting of the grassland disturbed the otherwise stable COS-to-CO2 uptake ratio. We even found the canopy to release COS during those times.
Cited articles
Aerts, R.: Nutrient resorption from senescing leaves of perennials: are there general patterns?, J. Ecol., 84, 597–608, 1996.
Amundson, R., Austin, A. T., Schuur, E. A. G., Yoo, K., Matzek, V., Kendall, C., Uebersax, A., Brenner, D., and Baisden, W. T.: Global patterns of the isotopic composition of soil and plant nitrogen, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 17, 1031, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GB001903, 2003.
Austin, A. T. and Sala, O. E.: Foliar δ15N is negatively correlated with rainfall along the IGBP transect in Australia, Aust. J. Plant Physiol., 26, 293–295, 1999.
Baas, A. C. W. and Nield, J. M.: Modelling vegetated dune landscapes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L06405, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL029152, 2007.
Bagni, N. and Tassoni, A.: Biosynthesis, oxidation and conjugation of aliphatic polyamines in higher plants, Amino Acids, 20, 301–317, 2001.
Bai, E., Boutton, T. W., Liu, F., Wu, X. B., Archer, S. R., and Hallmark, C. T.: Spatial variation of the stable nitrogen isotope ratio of woody plants along a topoedaphic gradient in a subtropical savanna, Oecologia, 159, 493–503, 2009.
Bergersen, F. J., Peoples, M. B., and Turner, G. L.: Isotopic discriminations during the accumulation of nitrogen by soybeans, Aust. J. Plant Physiol., 15, 407–420, 1988.
Bijlsma, R. J., Lambers, H., and Kooijman, S. A. L. M.: A dynamic whole-plant model of integrated metabolism of nitrogen and carbon. 1. Comparative ecological implications of ammonium-nitrate interactions, Plant Soil, 220, 49–69, 2000.
Brant, A. N. and Chen, Y. H.: Patterns and mechanisms of nutrient resorption in plants, CRC Cr. Rev. Plant Sci., 34, 471–486, 2015.
Britto, D. T. and Kronzucker, H. J.: NH4+ toxicity in higher plants: a critical review, J. Plant Physiol., 159, 567–584, 2002.
Cameron, A. C. and Trivedi, P. K.: Microeconometrics: Methods and Applications, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York, USA, 717–719, 2005.
Cernusak, L. A., Winter, K., and Turner, B. L.: Plant δ15N correlates with the transpiration efficiency of nitrogen acquisition in tropical trees, Plant Physiol., 151, 1667–1676, 2009.
Craine, J. M., Lee, W. G., Bond, W. J., Williams, R. J., and Johnson, L. C.: Environmental constraints on a global relationship among leaf and root traits of grasses, Ecology, 86, 12–19, 2005.
Craine, J. M., Elmore, A. J., Aidar, M. P. M., Bustamante, M., Dawson, T. E., Hobbie, E. A., Kahmen, A., Mack, M.C., McLauchlan, K. K., Michelsen, A., Nardoto, G. B., Pardo, L. H., Peñuelas, J., Reich, P. B., Schuur, E. A. G., Stock, W. D., Templer, P. H., Virginia, R. A., Welker, J. M., and Wright, I. J.: Global patterns of foliar nitrogen isotopes and their relationships with climate, mycorrhizal fungi, foliar nutrient concentrations, and nitrogen availability, New Phytol., 183, 980–992, 2009.
Dawson, T. E., Mambelli, S., Plamboeck, A. H., Templer, P. H., and Tu, K. P.: Stable isotopes in plant ecology, Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst., 33, 507–559, 2002.
Dijkstra, P., Williamson, C., Menyailo, O., Kocha, G., and Hungatea, B. A.: Nitrogen stable isotope composition of leaves and roots of plants growing in a forest and a meadow, Isot. Environ. Health S., 39, 29–39, 2003.
Du, J. H., Yan, P., and Dong, Y. X.: Phenological response of Nitraria tangutorum to climate change in Minqin County, Gansu Province, northwest China, Int. J. Biometeorol., 54, 583–593, 2010.
Dudareva, N., Klempien, A., Muhlemann, J. K., and Kaplan, I.: Biosynthesis, function and metabolic engineering of plant volatile organic compounds, New Phytol., 198, 16–32, 2013.
Evans, J. R.: Photosynthcsis and nitrogen relationships in leaves of C3 plants, Oecologia, 78, 9–19, 1989.
Evans, R. D.: Physiological mechanisms influencing plant nitrogen isotope composition, Trends Plant Sci., 6, 121–126, 2001.
Evans, R. D., Bloom, A. J., Sukrapanna, S. S., and Ehleringer, J. R.: Nitrogen isotope composition of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. T-5) grown under ammonium or nitrate nutrition, Plant Cell Environ., 19, 1317–1323, 1996.
Farquhar, G. D., Firth, P. M., Wetselaar, R., and Weir B.: On the gaseous exchange of ammonia between leaves and the environment: determination of the ammonia compensation point, Plant Physiol., 66, 710–714, 1980.
Farquhar, G. D., Wetselaar, R., and Weir, B.: Gaseous nitrogen losses from plants, in: Gaseous loss of nitrogen from plant-soil systems, edited by: Freney, J. R. and Simpson, J. R., Berlin, Germany, Springer Press, the Netherlands, 159–180, 1983.
Flechard, C. R., Massad, R.-S., Loubet, B., Personne, E., Simpson, D., Bash, J. O., Cooter, E. J., Nemitz, E., and Sutton, M. A.: Advances in understanding, models and parameterizations of biosphere-atmosphere ammonia exchange, Biogeosciences, 10, 5183–5225, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-5183-2013, 2013.
Franklin, O. and Ågren, G. I.,: Leaf senescence and resorption as mechanisms of maximizing photosynthetic production during canopy development at N limitation, Funct. Ecol., 16, 727–733, 2002.
Gauthier, P. P. G., Lamothe, M., Mahe, A., Molero, G., Nogues, S., Hodges, M., and Tcherkez, G.: Metabolic origin of δ15N values in nitrogenous compounds from Brassica napus L. leaves, Plant Cell Environ., 36, 128–137, 2013.
Gubsch, M., Roscher, C., Gleixner, G., Habekost, M., Lipowsky, A., Schmid, B., Schulze, E. D., Steinbeiss, S., and Buchmann, N.: Foliar and soil δ15N values reveal increased nitrogen partitioning among species in diverse grassland communities, Plant Cell Environ., 34, 895–908, 2011.
Gusewell, S.: N : P ratios in terrestrial plants: variation and functional significance, New Phytol., 164, 243–266, 2004.
Hobbie, E. A. and Hobbie, J. E.: Natural abundance of 15N in nitrogen-limited forests and tundra can estimate nitrogen cycling through mycorrhizal fungi: a review, Ecosystems, 11, 815–830, 2008.
Hobbie, E. A. and Högberg, P.: Nitrogen isotopes link mycorrhizal fungi and plants to nitrogen dynamics, New Phytol., 196, 367–382, 2012.
Hobbie, E. A. and Ouimette, A. P.: Controls of nitrogen isotope patterns in soil profiles, Biogeochemistry, 95, 355–371, 2009.
Hobbie, E. A., Macko, S. A., and Williams, M.: Correlations between foliar δ15N and nitrogen concentrations may indicate plant mycorrhizal interactions, Oecologia, 122, 273–283, 2000.
Hobbie, E. A., Colpaert, J. V., White, M. W., Ouimette, A. P., and Macko, S. A.: Nitrogen form, availability, and mycorrhizal colonization affect biomass and nitrogen isotope patterns in Pinus sylvestris, Plant Soil, 310, 121–136, 2008.
Högberg, P.: Tansley Review No. 95 15N natural abundance in soil-plant systems, New Phytol., 137, 179–203, 1997.
Hörtensteiner, S. and Feller, U.: Nitrogen metabolism and remobilization during senescence, J. Exp. Bot., 53, 927–937, 2002.
Hyodo, F., Kusaka, S., Wardle, D. A., and Nilsson, M. C.: Changes in stable nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios of plants and soil across a boreal forest fire chronosequence, Plant Soil, 367, 111–119, 2013.
Inglett, P. W., Reddy, K. R., Newman, S., and Lorenzen, B.: Increased soil stable nitrogen isotopic ratio following phosphorous enrichment: historical patterns and tests of two hypotheses in a phosphorous wetland, Oecologia, 153, 99–109, 2007.
Jeschke, W. D., Kirkby, E. A., Peuke, A. D., Pate, J. S., and Hartung, W.: Effects of P deficiency on assimilation and transport of nitrate and phosphate in intact plants of castor bean (Ricinus communis L.), J. Exp. Bot., 48, 75–91, 1997.
Johnson, J. E. and Berry, J. A.: The influence of leaf-atmosphere NH3(g) exchange on the isotopic composition of nitrogen in plants and the atmosphere, Plant Cell Environ., 36, 1783–1801, 2013.
Joy, K. W.: Ammonia, glutamine and asparagine: a carbon-nitrogen interface, Can. J. Botany, 66, 2103–2109, 1988.
Kalcsits, L. A., Buschhaus, H. A., and Guy, R. D.: Nitrogen isotope discrimination as an integrated measure of nitrogen fluxes, assimilation and allocation in plants, Physiol. Plantarum, 151, 293–304, 2014.
Karsh, K. L., Granger, J., Kritee, K., and Sigman, D. M.: Eukaryotic assimilatory nitrate reductase fractionates N and O isotopes with a ratio near unity, Environ. Sci. Technol., 46, 5727–5735, 2012.
Keys, A. J.: The re-assimilation of ammonia produced by photorespiration and the nitrogen economy of C3 higher plants, Photosynth. Res., 87, 165–175, 2006.
Killingbeck, K. T.: Nutrients in senesced leaves: keys to the search for potential resorption and resorption proficiency, Ecology, 77, 1716–1727, 1996
Kolb, K. J. and Evans, R. D.: Implications of leaf nitrogen recycling on the nitrogen isotope composition of deciduous plant tissues, New Phytol., 156, 57–64, 2002.
Kondracka, A. and Rychter, A. M.: The role of Pi recycling processes during photosynthesis in phosphate-deficient bean plants, J. Exp. Bot., 48, 1461–1468, 1997.
Kumagai, E., Araki, T., Hamaoka, N., and Ueno, O.: Ammonia emission from rice leaves in relation to photorespiration and genotypic differences in glutamine synthetase activity, Ann. Bot.-London, 108, 1381–1386, 2011.
Lang, L. L., Wang, X. M., Hasi, E., and Hua, T.: Nebkha (coppice dune) formation and significance to environmental change reconstructions in arid and semiarid areas, J. Geograph. Sci., 23, 344–358, 2013.
Li, J. F., Du, J. X., and Zhang, S. Q.: The effects of sap of Nitraria plant on the growth of its endogenous nitrogen-fixing microbes under saline-alkaline stress, International Conference on Chemical, Material and Food Engineering (CMFE-2015), 25–26 July 2015, Kunming, China, 2015.
Li, Q. H., Xu, J., Li, H. Q., Wang, S. X., Yan, X., Xin, Z. M., Jiang, Z. P., Wang, L. L., and Jia, Z. Q.: Effects of aspect on clonal reproduction and biomass allocation of layering modules of Nitraria tangutorum in Nebkha dunes, PLOS One, 8, e79927, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0079927, 2013.
Luo, Y., Su, B. O., Currie, W. S., Dukes, J. S., Finzi, A., Hartwig, U., Hungate, B., McMurtrie, R. E., Oren, R., Parton, W. J., Pataki, D. E., Shaw, R. M., Zak, D. R., and Field, C. B.: Progressive nitrogen limitation of ecosystem responses to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide, Bioscience, 54, 731–739, 2004.
Manzoni, S., Trofymow, J. A., Jackson, R. B., Porporato, A.: Stoichiometric controls on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics in decomposing litter, Ecol. Monogr., 80, 89–106, 2010.
Martinelli, L. A., Piccolo, M. C., Townsend, A. R., Vitousek, P. M., Cuevas, E., Mcdowell, W., Robertson, G. P., Santos, O. C., and Treseder, K.: Nitrogen stable isotopic composition of leaves and soil: tropical versus temperate forests, in: New Perspectives on Nitrogen Cycling in the Temperate and Tropical Americas, edited by: Townsend, A. R., Berlin, Germany, Springer Press, the Netherlands, 45–65, 1999.
Masclaux-Daubresse, C., Daniel-Vedele, F., Dechorgnat, J., Chardon, F., Gaufichon, L., and Suzuki A.: Nitrogen uptake, assimilation and remobilization in plants: challenges for sustainable and productive agriculture, Ann. Bot.-London, 105, 1141–1157, 2010.
Massad, R.-S., Nemitz, E., and Sutton, M. A.: Review and parameterisation of bi-directional ammonia exchange between vegetation and the atmosphere, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 10, 10359–10386, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-10-10359-2010, 2010.
Mattsson, M. and Schjoerring, J. K.: Dynamic and steady-state responses of inorganic nitrogen pools and NH(3) exchange in leaves of Lolium perenne and Bromus erectus to changes in root nitrogen supply, Plant Physiol., 128, 742–750, 2002.
Mayor, J. R., Wright, S. J., Schuur, E. A. G., Brooks, M. E., and Turner, B. L.: Stable nitrogen isotope patterns of trees and soils altered by long-term nitrogen and phosphorus addition to a lowland tropical rainforest, Biogeochemistry, 119, 293–306, 2014.
McKee, K. L., Feller, I. C., Popp. M. P., and Wanek, W.: Marianne Popp and Wolfgang Wanek Mangrove isotopic (δ15N and δ13C) fractionation across a nitrogen vs. phosphorus limitation gradient, Ecology, 83, 1065–1075, 2002.
Mnich, M. E. and Houlton, B. Z.: Evidence for a uniformly small isotope effect of nitrogen leaching loss: results from disturbed ecosystems in seasonally dry climates, Oecologia, 181, 323–333, 2016.
Resco, V., Ferrio, J. P., Carreira, J. A., Calvo, L., Casals, P., Ferrero-Serrano, Á., Marcosd, E., Morenoag, J. M., Ramírezg, D. A., Sebastiàeh, M. T., Valladaresi, F., and Williamsj, D. G.: The stable isotope ecology of terrestrial plant succession, Plant Ecology & Diversity, 4, 117–130, 2011.
Robinson, D.: δ15N as an integrator of the nitrogen cycle, Trends Ecol. Evol., 16, 153–62, 2001.
Schjoerring, J. K., Husted, S., Mäck, G., and Mattsson, M.: The regulation of ammonium translocation in plants, J. Exp. Bot., 53, 883–890, 2002.
Schulze, E. D., Williams, J., Farquhar, G. D., Schulze, W., Langridge, J., Miller, J. M., and Walker, B. H.: Carbon and nitrogen isotope discrimination and nitrogen nutrition of trees along a rainfall gradient in northern Australia, Aust. J. Plant Physiol., 25, 413–425, 1998.
Sharpe, R. R. and Harper, L. A.: Apparent atmospheric nitrogen loss from hydroponically grown corn, Agron. J., 89, 605–609, 1997.
Simpson, R. J.: Translocation and metabolism of nitrogen: whole plant aspects, Dev. Plant Soil Sci., 19, 71–96, 1986.
Sintermann, J. and Neftel, A.: Ideas and perspectives: on the emission of amines from terrestrial vegetation in the context of new atmospheric particle formation, Biogeosciences, 12, 3225–3240, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-3225-2015, 2015.
Sivak, M. N. and Walker, D. A.,: Photosynthesis in vivo can be limited by phosphate supply, New Phytol., 102, 499–512, 1986.
Sun, Y, Gu, L., Dickinson, R. E., Norby, R. J., Pallardy, S. G., and Hoffman, F. M.: Impact of mesophyll diffusion on estimated global land CO2 fertilization, P. Natl. Acad. Sci., 111, 15774–15779, 2014.
Szpak, P.: Complexities of nitrogen isotope biogeochemistry in plant-soil systems: implications for the study of ancient agricultural and animal management practices, Frontiers in Plant Science, 5, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2014.00288, 2014.
Tcherkez, G.: Natural 15N/14N isotope composition in C3 leaves: are enzymatic isotope effects informative for predicting the 15N-abundance in key metabolites?, Funct. Plant Biol., 38, 1–12, 2011.
Thornton, P. E., Lamarque, J. F., Rosenbloom, N. A., and Mahowald, N. M.: Influence of carbon-nitrogen cycle coupling on land model response to CO2 fertilization and climate variability, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 21, 1–15, 2007.
Vitousek, P. M.: Beyond global warming: ecology and global change, Ecology, 75, 1861–1876, 1994.
Vitousek, P. M., Porder, S., Houlton, B. Z., and Chadwick, O. A.: Terrestrial phosphorus limitation: mechanisms, implications, and nitrogen-phosphorus interactions, Ecol. Appl., 20, 5–15, 2010.
Wang, L., Okin, G. S., Wang, J., Epstein, H., and Macko, S. A.: Predicting leaf and canopy 15N compositions from reflectance spectra, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL028506, 2007.
Wang, N., Gao, J., Zhang, S. Q., and Wang, G. X.: Contemporary problems of ecology, Variations in leaf and root stoichiometry of Nitraria tangutorum along aridity gradients in the Hexi Corridor, northwest China, Contemp. Prob. Ecol., 7, 308–314, 2014.
Webb, B. and Adeloju, S. B.: Evaluation of some wet digestions methods for reliable determination of total phosphorus in Australian soils, Microchem. J., 111, 47–52, 2013.
Werner, R. A. and Schmidt, H. L.: The in vivo nitrogen isotope discrimination among organic plant compounds, Phytochemistry, 61, 465–484, 2002.
Wigand, C., McKinney, R. A., Cole, M. L., Thursby, G. B., and Cummings, J.: Varying stable nitrogen isotope ratios of different coastal marsh plants and their relationships with wastewater nitrogen and land use in New England, USA, Environ. Monit. Assess., 131, 71–81, 2007.
Yoneyama, T. and Kaneko, A.: Variations in the natural abundance of 15N in nitrogenous fractions of komatsuna plants supplied with nitrate, Plant Cell Physiol., 30, 957–962, 1989.
Yoneyama, T., Ito, O., and Engelaar, W. M. G. H.: Uptake, metabolism and distribution of nitrogen in crop plants traced by enriched and natural 15N: progress over the last 30 years, Phytochem. Rev., 2, 121–132, 2003.
Zhang, J., Gu, L., Bao, F., Cao, Y., Hao, Y., He, J., Li, J., Li, Y., Ren, Y., Wang, F., Wu, R., Yao, B., Zhao, Y., Lin, G., Wu, B., Lu, Q., and Meng, P.: Nitrogen control of 13C enrichment in heterotrophic organs relative to leaves in a landscape-building desert plant species, Biogeosciences, 12, 15–27, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-15-2015, 2015.
Short summary
Plant nitrogen (N) isotope composition is an indicator of N cycling. How N isotopes are distributed within plants is not well understood. We found intra-plant variations in N isotopes were related to organ N and phosphorous (P) contents and predicted by the N–P interaction. We hypothesized that plant N volatilization, resorption and remobilization of N and P from senescing leaves, and mixing of the re-translocated foliar N and P, are responsible for the observed intra-plant N isotope variations.
Plant nitrogen (N) isotope composition is an indicator of N cycling. How N isotopes are...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint