Biomass Profiles Research Articles

Effect of seed sludge and operation conditions on performance and archaeal community structure of low-temperature anaerobic solvent-degrading bioreactors

Two laboratory-scale expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) anaerobic bioreactors (R1 and R2) were inoculated with biomass from different mesophilic (37 °C) treatment plants, and used for the treatment of an organic solvent-based wastewater at 9–14 °C at applied organic loading rates (OLRs) of 1.2–3.6 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD) m −3 d −1. Replicated treatment performance was observed at 10–14 °C, which suggested the feasibility of the process at pilot-scale. Stable and efficient COD removal, along with high methane productivity, was demonstrated at 9 °C at an applied OLR of 2.4 kg COD m −3 d −1. Clonal libraries and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) indicated that the seed sludges were dominated (>60%) by acetoclastic Methanosaeta-like organisms. Specific methanogenic activity (SMA) profiles indicated shifts in the physiological profiles of R1 and R2 biomass, including the development of psychrotolerant methanogenic activity. Acetoclastic methanogenesis represented the primary route of methane production in R1 and R2, which is in contrast with several previous reports from low-temperature bioreactor trials. A reduction in the abundance of Methanosaeta-like clones (R2) , along with the detection of hydrogenotrophic methanogenic species, coincided with altered granule (sludge) morphology and the development of hydrogenotrophic SMA after prolonged operation at 9 °C.

Modeling of NOM-removal in drinking water biofilters

The application of biofiltration is a hot topic in the drinking water treatment field, and the mathematical modeling of biofilters has received considerable attention. However, no practical model is available for designing the biofiltration process. The aim of this research is to develop a representative model which simulates NOM (natural organic matter) removal in water treatment biofilter. A steady-state model was applied. Monod-type substrate utilization was used and the external and internal mass transfer was neglected in this model. The model described the process of substrate biodegradation, bacterial attachment onto filter media and detachment of suspended bacteria. It simulated the NOM and biomass profiles in a biofilter as a function of filter depth and filtration velocity. The key biokinetic parameters k and Ks were estimated through a special experiment. The results of the model testing show that the model prediction agrees well with the experimental data. It is possible to adapt the model under various conditions by changing the parameters such as flow rate, bacteria and DOC concentration et al. Therefore, the model is an effective tool for designing and operation.

Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy Image Analysis for Cyanobacterial Biomass Determined at Microscale Level in Different Microbial Mats

We recently published a new method based on determining cyanobacterial biomass by confocal laser scanning microscopy image analysis (CLSM-IA) (Solé et al., Ultramicrosc 107:669-673, 2007). CLSM-IA allows biomass calculation for microorganisms of a small size, since the limit of the technique's resolution is that generated by a voxel, the smallest unit of a three-dimensional digital image, equivalent to 1.183 x 10(-3) mgC/cm(3) of sediment. This method is especially suitable for the quantitative analysis of a large number of CLSM images generated from benthic sediments in which complex populations of cyanobacteria are abundant, such as microbial mats. In order to validate the new CLSM approach, mats with varying structural characteristics were studied. We have grouped them into three types: Microcoleus mats (laminated), sandy mats (nonlaminated and composed of well-sorted quartz sands), and oil-polluted mats. In this work, we applied CLSM-IA in natural [the Ebro delta and Sant Jordi colony (Spain), Salins-de-Giraud and Etang de Berre (France), and Orkney Islands (Scotland)] and artificial [mesocosms (Israel)] microbial mats. A total of 4,103 confocal images were obtained in order to determine total and individual cyanobacteria biomass profiles, at microscale level. The data presented in this paper show the efficacy of the method, as it can be applied to highly diverse mat samples.

An examination of biorefining processes, catalysts and challenges

Biofuels offer the potential to substitute for a large proportion of fossil fuels, however it is considered that the utilisation of lignocellulosic biomass, via second-generation biorefining technologies, will be necessary for this to be achieved economically and sustainably. The lignocellulosic matrix is complex and recalcitrant to conversion but research in biorefining is advancing rapidly and commercial facilities are expected in the near-term. These facilities will either employ hydrolytic mechanisms to break apart the structural polysaccharides of the biomass, or thermochemical procedures to dehydrate and volatilise the feedstock. Catalysts serve vital roles in both approaches: acids and enzymes facilitate the hydrolysis of cellulose; while metal and biological catalysts can alter the volatilisation profiles of biomass or reform the gases that are liberated in the thermochemical process. Each potential biorefining technology currently has its own drawbacks and advantages and it is likely that a range of procedures will be needed in order to fully exploit the values of very diverse ranges of lignocellulosic feedstocks.

Indirect Method for Quantification of Cell Biomass During Solid-State Fermentation of Palm Kernel Cake Based on Protein Content

Solid-State Fermentation (SSF) of Aspergillus niger FTCC 5003 on Palm Kernel Cake (PKC) is a practical approach to upgrade PKC into value added product. Present study was conducted on Aspergillus niger FTCC 5003 growth profile and models that are able to describe the growth in SSF using PKC substrate. Due to the difficulties of separating cell biomass quantitatively from the substrate for SSF systems, indirect method for measurement of cell growth during SSF of PKC by Aspergillus niger FTCC 5003 was studied based on the estimation of glucosamine and protein content. Preliminary relationships between glucosamine and protein contents to fungal dry cell weight (Dw) were developed using simulated homogenous SSF data using glass beads as support materials. Both glucosamine and protein contents were well correlated to the fungal dry cell weight in SSF on support materials for protein and glucosamine, respectively. The equations obtained were used for the estimation of cell biomass profile during SSF of PKC from the data of glucosamine and protein as growth indicator study. The estimated fungal dry cell weight based on protein concentration and I²-mannanase activity as metabolic activity for microbial growth were well correlated to PKC dry weight which, indicating that both were suitable marker in describing the growth of A. niger FTCC 5003 in this system. In contrast, estimated fungal dry cell weight based on glucosamine concentration was not suitable to describe the growth of A. niger FTCC 5003.

Water column structure and phytoplankton biomass profiles in the Gulf of Mexico

Remote sensors provide information on the average photosynthetic pigment concentrations for the upper 22% of the euphotic zone. To model primary production in the water column from satellite-derived photosynthetic pigments, estimates of the vertical distribution of pigment concentration are required. A Gaussian distribution function was used to represent the pigment vertical profiles with four parameters. We used 352 chlorophyll concentration (Chlz) profiles generated during oceanographic cruises to the Gulf of Mexico to estimate these parameters for seasons and regions within the gulf. Cluster analyses of data on surface temperature and chlorophyll, Chlz at the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM), and the depth of the DCM (Zm) were used to divide the Gulf of Mexico into three regions and the year into two seasons (cool and warm). Regression models were developed for each region and season to estimate Zm as a function of the mixed layer depth or an index of stratification. We were not able to generate useful regression models to predict the other three Gaussian parameters. Thus, representative means of these parameters were calculated for each region and season. Assuming a homogeneous biomass profile resulted in underestimation of integrated primary production by as much as 43% relative to the values derived from the nonhomogeneous profiles.

Revisiting subsurface chlorophyll and phytoplankton distributions

Vertical profiles of chlorophyll concentration and phytoplankton biomass at ALOHA (HOT) are analyzed for the time period 1988 to 2004. Two different methods are applied: in the standard approach the data are averaged over depth horizons and in the alternative approach the profiles are shifted to the depth of the deepest subsurface maximum before averaging. The results show that the latter is the only meaningful way to look at vertical distribution patterns of both chlorophyll and phytoplankton in the oligotrophic ocean. In particular, a pronounced subsurface maximum of phytoplankton biomass appears only if this depth-adjustment method is used. Otherwise the vertical displacement of the subsurface biomass due to changes in the subsurface light field masks the actual signal: the thickness of the subsurface maximum is overestimated and the maximum is reduced. The results of this study have far-reaching consequences for the interpretation of the large number of profiles of chlorophyll and phytoplankton in the oligotrophic ocean. The absence of a subsurface biomass maximum might not be necessarily a result of photoacclimation but of inadequate analyses combined with coarse vertical resolution.

Performance of sheep grazing <i>Brachiaria decumbens, Panicum maximum and Pennisetum purpureum</i> in combination with gliricidia sepium

The introduction of forage legumes into grass pastures has generally improved grazing animal production by increasing total edible biomass and nutrient profiles. An experiment was designed to study the performance of sheep grazing Brachiaria decumbens, Panicum maximum and Pennisetum purpureum in combination with Gliricidia sepium. Eighteen paddocks of approximately 0.03 ha were used in the trial. Nine of the paddocks had Gliricidia sepium alley planted in rows 4 m apart and interplanted with 4 rows of either Brachiaria decumbens, Panicum maximum, or Pennisetum purpureum. The other nine paddocks had only the grass species without the Gliricidia sepium. The paddocks were each grazed by 3 sheep. The pure grass stands without the Gliricidia sepium served as controls for the grass species in combination with Gliricidia sepium. The three grasses and their combinations within the alley plots were replicated three times.The animals were grazed continuously for 28 days in the sub plots. Sheep grazing the Gliricidia/Panicum plot had a higher (P 0.05) between sheep grazing the Gliricidia/Bracharia and Gliricidia/Pennisetum plots. The total dry matter intake of sheep on the Gliricidia/Panicum plot was higher (P < 0.05) (1.33 kg DM d-1) than that of sheep on Gliricidia/Bracharia (0.86 kg DM d-1) and Gliricidia/Pennisetum (0.43 kg DM d-1) plots respectively. The total biomass from the Gliricidia/Bracharia (23 t ha -1)and Gliricidia/Panicum (21 t ha -1) plots respectively were higher (P < 0.01) than the total biomass from the Gliricidia/Pennisetum ( 13 t ha -1) plot. These results demonstrate that grazing West African dwarf sheep in a Gliricidia sepium/Panicum maximum plot improved their growth rate during dry season when feed supplies are limited. It also underscores the poor performance of animals grazing Pennisetum purpureum in Gliricidia sepium alley plot.

Diurnal and monthly vertical profiles of benthic microalgae within intertidal sediments from two temperate localities

Intertidal areas supporting microphytobenthos (MPB) are dynamic with changes in light intensity over short (tidal) and long (seasonal) time scales. The ability of MPB to migrate away from or towards the sediment surface to optimise sunlight is one reason they are so successful in intertidal areas. Over 12 months, we investigated the effects of time of day on the migration of benthic diatoms at two sites near Hobart, Tasmania, using a pulse amplitude modulation fluorometer to measure chlorophyll fluorescence. Chlorophyll a content and maximum quantum yield (FV/FM) were used to examine profiles of microalgal biomass within sediment cores. There was a seasonal pattern of chlorophyll a biofilm development, peaking in summer at the sandy site, Pipe Clay Lagoon, and in spring at the muddier Browns River. The muddier site had an overall greater MPB biomass than the sandy site. The FV/FM values demonstrated that cells were more ‘stressed’ at midday when sunlight was highest. However, significant seasonal variation was only observed at Browns River. Vertical migration through the sediment was not evident. It seems that the MPB at these two sites are using photoadaptive strategies along with small-scale vertical migration below the detection limit of the methods used in the present study.

Structure-Controlled Pyrolysis of Biomass with Sodium Hydroxide for Suppression of Tar Formation

Pyrolysis of NaOH-loaded Douglas fir and cellulose has been carried out to determine the effect of sodium hydroxide on the pyrolysis profile. A tar yield of 0 wt% and the char yield of 32 wt% were obtained at a final pyrolysis temperature of 500°C. It was revealed that the amount of hydroxyl groups in the residue significantly decreased at 200°C and that the structure of cellulose was distorted via cross-linking at the same temperature through spectroscopic analyses and diffraction patterns. The cross-linking led to the increase in char yield at 500°C. A detailed analysis showed that char yield from cellulose at 500°C correlated linearly with the degree of cross-linking calculated from the amount of dehydration at 200°C. These results showed a possibility that the pyrolysis profile of biomass may be controlled through an appropriate pretreatment to change the structure of the intermediate.

Relationship of variable chlorophyll fluorescence indices to photosynthetic rates in microphytobenthos

The present study investigated the use of indices based on variable chlorophyll fluores- cence for the estimation of rates of photosynthesis by microphytobenthos. The relationship between fluorescence indices and photosynthesis, as measured on intact sediment samples, was studied (1) theoretically, using a simulation model to analyse the effects of light attenuation, biomass profile and depth integration, and (2) experimentally, by obtaining a comprehensive dataset of paired measurements of photosynthesis (oxygen microsensors) and fluorescence (PAM fluorometry) along hourly, 14 d and seasonal time scales, at 2 estuarine intertidal sites with distinctive sediment characteristics. Depth-integrated photosynthesis (P) was compared to EFY, an index based on depth- integrated fluorescence parameters estimating the productive biomass (minimum fluorescence, F0) and the Photosystem II effective quantum yield (ΔF/Fm'). Whilst numerical simulations have indicated that the relationship between EFY and P can be conditioned by the vertical distribution of biomass, the experimental data showed EFY to closely trace variations in P in a wide range of light conditions, vertical distribution of productivity, sediment characteristics, and taxonomic composition of the microalgal community. A linear relationship between EFY and P was generally found, both when considering each day separately (significant correlations in 94.3% of the days) and when different days within each sampling period were pooled together (significant correlations in all cases). The slopes of the regression equations of EFY on P were found to vary throughout the year, indicating that the practical use of the index may require the frequent determination of conversion factors. Never- theless, the use of this fluorescence index was confirmed to represent a valid methodology for the rapid and non-destructive estimation of photosynthetic rates in microphytobenthos.

Coupling kinetic expressions and metabolic networks for predicting wine fermentations

Problematic fermentations are commonplace and cause wine industry producers substantial economic losses through wasted tank capacity and low value final products. Being able to predict such fermentations would enable enologists to take preventive actions. In this study we modeled sugar uptake kinetics and coupled them to a previously developed stoichiometric model, which describes the anaerobic metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The resulting model was used to predict normal and slow fermentations under winemaking conditions. The effects of fermentation temperature and initial nitrogen concentration were modeled through an efficiency factor incorporated into the sugar uptake expressions. The model required few initial parameters to successfully reproduce glucose, fructose, and ethanol profiles of laboratory and industrial fermentations. Glycerol and biomass profiles were successfully predicted in nitrogen rich cultures. The time normal or slow wine fermentations needed to complete the process was predicted accurately, at different temperatures. Simulations with a model representing a genetically modified yeast fermentation, reproduced qualitatively well literature results regarding the formation of minor compounds involved in wine complexity and aroma. Therefore, the model also proves useful to explore the effects of genetic modifications on fermentation profiles.

Potassium catalysis in the pyrolysis behaviour of short rotation willow coppice

Short rotation willow coppice (SRC) and a synthetic biomass, a mixture of the basic biomass components (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin), have been investigated for the influence of potassium on their pyrolysis behaviours. The willow sample was pre-treated to remove salts and metals by hydrochloric acid, and this demineralised sample was impregnated with potassium. The same type of pre-treatment was applied to components of the synthetic biomass. Characterisation was performed using thermogravimetric analysis with measurement of products by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA–FTIR) and pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (PY–GC–MS). A comparison of product distributions and kinetics are reported. While the general features of decomposition of SRC are described well by an additive behaviour of the individual components, there are some differences in the magnitude of the influence of potassium, and on the products produced. For both SRC and the synthetic biomass, TGA traces indicate catalytic promotion of both of the two-stages of biomass decomposition, and potassium can lower the average apparent first-order activation energy for pyrolysis by up to 50 kJ/mol. For both SRC and synthetic biomass the yields and distribution of pyrolysis products have been influenced by the presence of the catalyst. Potassium catalysed pyrolysis increases the char yields markedly and this is more pronounced for synthetic biomass than SRC. Gas evolution profiles during pyrolysis show the same general features for both SRC and synthetic biomass. Relative methane yields increase during the char formation stage of pyrolysis of the potassium doped samples. The evolution profiles of acetic acid and formaldehyde change, and these products are seen in lower relative amounts for both the demineralised samples. A greater variation in pyrolysis products is observed from the treated SRC samples compared to the different synthetic biomass samples. Furthermore, substituted phenols from lignin pyrolysis are more dominant in the pyrolysis profiles of the synthetic biomass than of the SRC, implying that the extracted lignins used in the synthetic biomass yield a greater fraction of monomeric type species than the lignocellulosic cell wall material of SRC. For both types of samples, PY–GS–MS analyses show that potassium has a significant influence on cellulose decomposition markers, not just on the formation of levoglucosan, but also other species from the non-catalysed mechanism, such as 3,4-dihydroxy-3-cyclobutene-1,2-dione.

Tidal exchange, bivalve grazing, and patterns of primary production in Willapa Bay, Washington, USA

Willapa Bay, Washington, USA, is a shallow, coastal-plain, upwelling-influenced estuary where Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas are intensively cultivated. CTD transect data show that in the long-term average over the May to September growing season, Willapa Bay is a sink for oceanic phytoplankton, not a net exporter: as the tidal circulation stirs ocean water into the estuary, chlorophyll concentration declines by 30 to 60% relative to a hypothetical dilution of the ocean end-member. A 3D circulation model (General Estuarine Transport Model, GETM) was modified to include a phyto- plankton-like tracer subject to variable intertidal benthic grazing rates. The grazing rate that best reproduces the along-estuary phytoplankton biomass profile agrees, within confidence limits, with an estimate of cultivated-oyster filtration from literature values. Oysters and other intertidal benthic grazers may thus be the primary cause of the net loss of phytoplankton within the estuary in summer. These grazers appear to be within a small factor of their carrying capacity: as bay-total filtration capacity is increased in the model, the chlorophyll intrusion shortens and food intake per individual grazer declines. Nevertheless, only 8 to 15% of the net tidal supply of oceanic phytoplankton is consumed within the estuary. Even in this well-flushed system, the small-scale structure of tidal transport—rather than total oceanic supply—controls overall food availability for the benthos.

Performance of an UASB reactor treating synthetic wastewater at low-temperature using cold-adapted seed slurry

The present study is an attempt to investigate if a long-term acclimation of digester contents to low-temperatures would improve wastewater treatment at low-temperatures similar to mesophilic ranges. The feasibility of low-temperature (15 °C) anaerobic treatment of synthetic wastewater in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor was studied using inoculum from a cattle manure digester adapted to 15 °C. The effect of varying hydraulic retention time was studied by decreasing the retention time from 7 days to 1 day. Under a constant temperature of 15 °C with a hydraulic retention time of 1 day and a corresponding loading rate of 7.2 g-chemical oxygen demand (COD)/l/day, 90–95% removal efficiency was achieved. The methane production of 250 l/kg-COD removed at standard temperature pressure (STP) is a major highlight of the study complementing the high treatment efficiency achieved. Loading rates >5 g-COD/l/day was accompanied by increase in effluent volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentrations. Due to the presence of a high concentration of active granular sludge in the lower compartment of the reactor, 80% reduction of COD occurred within the granular bed of the reactor. Treatment of low strength wastewater for a short period showed 70–75% removal efficiencies with methane yield of 300 l/kg-COD removed. Specific methanogenic activity profiles of the anaerobic biomass revealed low-temperature (15 °C) optima, indicating selection of cold-active microorganisms during the acclimation process. The SMA assays also indicate the development of a putatively psychrophilic acetoclastic methanogenic community and biogas analysis showed 75% efficiency in energy recovery as methane.

Improving the batch-to-batch reproducibility in microbial cultures during recombinant protein production by guiding the process along a predefined total biomass profile

In industry Escherichia coli is the preferred host system for the heterologous biosynthesis of therapeutic proteins that do not need posttranslational modifications. In this report, the development of a robust high-cell-density fed-batch procedure for the efficient production of a therapeutic hormone is described. The strategy is to guide the process along a predefined profile of the total biomass that was derived from a given specific growth rate profile. This profile might have been built upon experience or derived from numerical process optimization. A surprisingly simple adaptive procedure correcting for deviations from the desired path was developed. In this way the batch-to-batch reproducibility can be drastically improved as compared to the process control strategies typically applied in industry. This applies not only to the biomass but, as the results clearly show, to the product titer also.

Effect of K + , Na + and uracil on sporangiospore-yeast transformation of Mucor circinelloides Tieghe

+contributes significantly to the induction of yeast form from protoplast in synthetic broth and this is time related. Two distinct anamorphic patterns were induced, initialized by thallic growth and growth sphere wall lyses. Thallic growth was determinate with subtype’s production of conidia after growth cessation as in vesicular head group conidial form or enterothallic conidia and catenulate formation of conidia on same plane with short germ tube represented by holothallic conidia, as well as holoblastic conidia. The second growth pattern was proliferate, with yeast cell giving rise to daughter buds. Biomass profile exhibited 2-phases common in Na + supplemented broths with determinate thallic growth contributing proportionally to the first peak. On thallic cell wall rupture, released cytosolic units progressively convert to protoplasts and subsequently to yeast cells. Uracil supplementation eliminated determinate thallic anamorphs with morphological expression occurring as ovoid to long ovoidal, ellipsoidal and cylindrical yeast cells, which were polar, bipolar or multilateral budding. Thin tree-like branched yeasts were scanty at 100 mM uracil supplementation. The results offer new insights into the phenomenon of fungal morphogenesis. It attributed specific effects to K

Vertical migration of phototrophic bacterial populations in a hypersaline microbial mat from Salins-de-Giraud (Camargue, France)

The spatio-temporal distribution of phototrophic communities of the hypersaline photosynthetic Camarguc microbial mat (Salins-de-Giraud, France) was investigated over a diel cycle by combining microscopic and molecular approaches. Microcoleus chthonoplastes and Halomicronema excentricum, the dominant cyanobacteria of this oxyphotrophic community, were observed with confocal laser scanning microscopy to determine their biomass profiles. Both bacteria have similar vertical distributions, varying from a homogenous distribution through the mat during the night, to a specific localization in the upper oxic zone of 1.5 mm during the day. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism of PCR-amplified pufM gene fragments revealed three groups of anoxyphototrophic populations, which varied according to the two opposite periods of the diel cycle under study. They were either specifically detected in only one period, or homogenously distributed through the mat in all periods, or located in specific zones of the mat depending on the period considered. Oxygen concentrations, pH and biomass of the major filamentous cyanobacteria were the determinative factors in the distribution of these anoxyphototrophs across the mat. Thus, vertical migration, cell-cell aggregate formation and metabolic switches were the most evident defence of the photosynthetic populations against the adverse effects of sulfide and oxygen fluxes during a diel cycle.

Snow algae in a Himalayan ice core: new environmental markers for ice-core analyses and their correlation with summer mass balance

AbstractSnow algae in a shallow ice core (6.98 m long) from Yala glacier in the Langtang region of Nepal were examined for potential use as environmental markers in ice-core analysis. The ice core, taken at 5350m a.s.l. in 1994, was estimated to contain 11 annual layers from 1984 to 1994 from the profile of algal biomass. Algal biomass in each annual layer was noted to be correlated with air temperature, and the following two environmental indices which were calculated from air temperature and precipitation at Kyangjing (3920m a.s.l.), the village nearest to Yala glacier: estimated mean snow-cover thickness (MST) and estimated summer mass balance (SMB). Both parameters reflect snow-cover thickness on algal layers, which would be a major determinant of the light available for algal growth on the glacier. Snow algal biomass in the ice core appears to be a good environmental marker for indicating air temperature and accumulation during summer, which is important for understanding the mass balance of summer-accumulation-type glaciers in this region.

Phosphatase and microbial activity with biochemical indicators in semi-permafrost active layer sediments over the past 10,000 years

Core samples of boreal terrestrial sediments from depths of 0–300 cm at Rikubetsu, Hokkaido, Japan were analyzed for alkaline and acid phosphatase enzymatic activities. Enzymatic activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and acid phosphatase (ACP) were greatest at the surface and decreased with depth; ALP and ACP activities were 25.5 and 22.0 nmol min −1 g −1, respectively, within the top 5 cm. These biological indicators were compared with measurements of microbial cell density and chemical indicators, including total organic C (TOC) and total hydrolyzed amino acids (THAA). The product–moment correlation coefficients ( r) for ALP and ACP versus microbial cell density were 0.949 and 0.810, respectively. The coefficients for THAA and TOC versus ALP were 0.997 and 0.995, respectively. Vertical distributions of enzymatic activity are highly consistent with the observed microbial biomass profile and diagenetic organic matter in the sediment. However, the vertical profile of PO 4 concentration shows a negative correlation coefficient for ALP and ACP of −0.937 and −0.855, respectively. Consequently, ALP and ACP were shown to be useful biomarkers of microbial activities in the terrestrial sediment over the past 10 ka at Rikubetsu, Hokkaido, Japan.