δ13C Of Bulk Organic Matter Research Articles

The preservation of photosynthetic and hydrological signals in the carbon and hydrogen isotope compositions of n-fatty acids in the seasonal wetland soils of the Okavango Delta (Botswana)

The Okavango wetland (Botswana) is the world’s largest inland delta. A strong seasonality in water input leads to the contraction and extension of wetlands in the floodplains. The extreme evapotranspiration and little precipitation lead to a difference in the hydrogen isotope signature of rain, soil and river water. Biomarkers, such as plant waxes, are stored in the soils and preserved on geological timescales. To understand which signal is preserved in the stable isotope signatures of plant waxes, soils along a 250 m-long transect spanning waterlogged to dry soils were collected over several seasons and three years. In addition, plants, and plant and soil water were collected along this transect. First, carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) of plant waxes (i.e, n-fatty acids) were used to classify their metabolism. δ13C of bulk organic matter and individual n-fatty acids analyzed in the soils show a strong dependance on the type of vegetation found along the transect (C3 versus C4 plants). Hydrogen isotope ratios (δ2H) of water present in soil showed that shallow-rooted C4 grasses use superficial soil water, whereas the xylem water δ2H content in trees growing near the flooded channel indicated the use of river water. In addition, plant hydrogen fractionation between lipids and rain showed a strong influence of carbon metabolisms with larger fractionation for C3 plants compared with C4 grasses. n-fatty acid δ2H ratios in surface soils followed the hydrological variation in the Delta with its floods and dry periods. Hence δ2H of long-chain fatty acids seems to track the river-level variation rather than precipitation.

Why leaves become isotopically lighter than photosynthetic carbon isotope discrimination explains: on the importance of post-photosynthetic fractionation.

This article comments on: Yu YZ, Liu HT, Yang F, Li L, Schäufele R, Tcherkez G, Schnyder H, Gong XY. 2024. δ13C of bulk organic matter and cellulose reveal post-photosynthetic fractionation during ontogeny in C4 grass leaves. Journal of Experimental Botany 75, 1451–1464

δ13C of bulk organic matter and cellulose reveal post-photosynthetic fractionation during ontogeny in C4 grass leaves.

The 13C isotope composition (δ13C) of leaf dry matter is a useful tool for physiological and ecological studies. However, how post-photosynthetic fractionation associated with respiration and carbon export influences δ13C remains uncertain. We investigated the effects of post-photosynthetic fractionation on δ13C of mature leaves of Cleistogenes squarrosa, a perennial C4 grass, in controlled experiments with different levels of vapour pressure deficit and nitrogen supply. With increasing leaf age class, the 12C/13C fractionation of leaf organic matter relative to the δ13C of atmosphere CO2 (ΔDM) increased while that of cellulose (Δcel) was almost constant. The divergence between ΔDM and Δcel increased with leaf age class, with a maximum value of 1.6‰, indicating the accumulation of post-photosynthetic fractionation. Applying a new mass balance model that accounts for respiration and export of photosynthates, we found an apparent 12C/13C fractionation associated with carbon export of -0.5‰ to -1.0‰. Different ΔDM among leaves, pseudostems, daughter tillers, and roots indicate that post-photosynthetic fractionation happens at the whole-plant level. Compared with ΔDM of old leaves, ΔDM of young leaves and Δcel are more reliable proxies for predicting physiological parameters due to the lower sensitivity to post-photosynthetic fractionation and the similar sensitivity in responses to environmental changes.

Unique benthic foraminiferal communities (stained) in diverse environments of sub-Antarctic fjords, South Georgia

Abstract. Sub-Antarctic fjords are among the environments most affected by the recent climate change. In our dynamically changing world, it is essential to monitor changes in these vulnerable settings. Here, we present a baseline study of “living” (rose-bengal-stained) benthic foraminifera from fjords of South Georgia, including fjords with and without tidewater glaciers. Their distribution is analyzed in the light of new fjord water and sediment property data, including grain size and sorting, total organic carbon, total sulfur, and δ13C of bulk organic matter. Four well-defined foraminiferal assemblages are recognized. Miliammina earlandi dominates in the most restricted, near-shore and glacier-proximal habitats, Cassidulinoides aff. parkerianus in mid-fjord areas, and Globocassidulina aff. rossensis and an assemblage dominated by Ammobaculites rostratus, Reophax subfusiformis, and Astrononion echolsi are in the outer parts of the fjords. Miliammina earlandi can tolerate strong glacial influence, including high sedimentation rates in fjord heads and sediment anoxia, as inferred from sediment color and total organic carbon / sulfur ratios. This versatile species thrives both in the food-poor inner reaches of fjords that receive mainly refractory petrogenic organic matter from glacial meltwater and in shallow-water coves, where it benefits from an abundant supply of fresh, terrestrial, and marine organic matter. A smooth-walled variant of C. aff. parkerianus, apparently endemic to South Georgia, is the calcareous rotaliid best adapted to inner-fjord conditions characterized by moderate glacial influence and sedimentation rates and showing no preference for particular sedimentary redox conditions. The outer parts of fjords with clear, well-oxygenated bottom water are inhabited by G. aff. rossensis. Ammobaculites rostratus, R. subfusiformis, and A. echolsi dominate in the deepest-water settings, with water salinities ≥ 33.9 PSU and temperatures 0.2–1.4 ∘C, characteristic of winter water and Upper Circumpolar Deep Water. The inner- and mid-fjord foraminiferal assemblages seem specific to South Georgia, although with continued warming and deglaciation, they may become more widespread in the Southern Ocean.

Estimating intra-seasonal photosynthetic discrimination and water use efficiency using δ13C of leaf sucrose in Scots pine.

Sucrose has a unique role in recording environmental and physiological signals during photosynthesis in its carbon isotope composition (δ13C) and transport of the signal to tree rings. Yet, instead of sucrose, total organic matter (TOM) or water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) are typically analysed in studies that follow δ13C signals within trees. To study how the choice of organic material may bias the interpretation of δ13C records, we used mature field-grown Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) to compare for the first time δ13C of different leaf carbon pools with δ13C of assimilates estimated by a chamber-Picarro system (δ13CA_Picarro), and a photosynthetic discrimination model (δ13CA_model). Compared with sucrose, the other tested carbon pools, such as TOM and WSC, poorly recorded the seasonal trends or absolute values of δ13CA_Picarro and δ13CA_model. Consequently, in comparison with the other carbon pools, sucrose δ13C was superior for reconstructing changes in intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE), agreeing in both absolute values and intra-seasonal variations with iWUE estimated from gas exchange. Thus, deriving iWUE and environmental signals from δ13C of bulk organic matter can lead to misinterpretation. Our findings underscore the advantage of using sucrose δ13C to understand plant physiological responses in depth.

Large variability in n-alkane δ13C values in Lake Pa Kho (Thailand) driven by wetland wetness and aquatic productivity

Understanding past climate and environmental conditions depends largely on accurate interpretations of proxy records from a range of environments, including tropical wetlands and lakes. Lipid biomarker analysis can provide important information about the sources of the accumulated organic material, and thus about the environmental information contained therein. Here we use n-alkane distributions and stable carbon isotopes of leaf waxes (δ13Cwax) to identify the sources of organic matter (OM) of a 2000-year long sediment/peat record from Lake Pa Kho (LPK) in northeastern Thailand, and to constrain the mechanisms that cause shifts in δ13Cwax and in δ13C of bulk organic matter (δ13Cbulk). Our results show three main sources of OM: terrestrial plants, aquatic macrophytes and algae. The δ13C values of the long chain n-alkanes, show two distinct groups: C27–C31 and C33–C35n-alkanes, where the δ13C values of C33–C35n-alkanes reflect that of δ13Cbulk. Lower moisture availability on the wetland, known from other sedimentary evidence, was characterized by low carbon isotope values typically seen for C3 plants, whereas greater moisture availability corresponded to higher δ13C values (around −20‰) of C33–C35n-alkanes, resembling a typical C4 plant signal. However, various lines of evidence argue against large shifts between C3 and C4 plant input. Instead, we suggest that the high δ13C values were indirectly caused by higher aquatic productivity during periods of greater moisture availability, decreasing dissolved CO2, but increasing bicarbonate availability caused by higher pH. This caused the dominant macrophytes (e.g., Potamogeton spp.) to shift their carbon source from CO2 to bicarbonate, which has much higher δ13C values. Our results show that the environmental context should be taken into account when interpreting n-alkane δ13C variability as a paleo-environmental/climatic signal as this contains several important variables that need to be disentangled and explained.

Significance of sedimentary organic matter input for shale gas generation potential of Mississippian Mudstones, Widmerpool Gulf, UK

Carboniferous mudstones in central and northern England are shale gas prospects but the controls on the amount and composition of organic matter are not well understood, even though these parameters define the volumes of gas generated in fine-grained sediments. Organic matter in samples from basinal late Mississippian (Arnsbergian) mudstones in the Widmerpool Gulf was characterised by using semi-quantitative (n=58) and quantitative palynofacies (n=16) analyses, sporomorph counts and bulk rock geochemistry (total organic carbon, δ13C of bulk organic matter, Rock-Eval Pyrolysis).The results of this study suggest that most organic matter at this location was delivered to the sediment–water interface as aggregates of a granular translucent type of amorphous organic matter (AOMGr, mean=66.7%±19.3%) via hemipelagic suspension settling. AOMGr represents fragments of algal material with subordinate inclusions of small plant fragments and pyrite framboids held together by microbial colonies. AOMBr (brown granular amorphous organic matter) is the second most abundant group (mean=15.6%±8.5%) comprising similar microbial colonies that grew on suspended land plant-derived fragments in the water column. Palynofacies components representing clearly terrestrial organic matter are much less abundant and include gelified organic matter (G, mean=9.6%±12.6%), black phytoclasts (PhBl mean=2.7%±4.7%), brown phytoclasts (PhBr, mean=3.3%±3.6%) and sporomorphs (mean=1.4%±1.3%). Sediment delivery processes influence the balance between terrestrial organic matter and AOMGr. During low sea-level times, turbidity currents and debris flows delivered terrestrial organic matter (representing 12% to 40% of the palynofacies). Kerogen composition varies between Type II and III. In contrast, thin-bedded carbonate-bearing mudstones deposited during rising and high sea-level contain up to 95% AOMGr and these high abundances correspond to higher total organic carbon. Carbonate and AOMGr were generated by high bioproductivity in the water column. Type II (oil- and gas-prone) kerogens are dominant in these mudstones and therefore these intervals represent the best potential targets for thermogenic shale gas.

Lipid biomarkers and organic matter carbon isotopes in estuarine sediments as proxies for evaluating seawater intrusion

Coastal wetlands and estuarine sediments are characteristics of tide-dominated environments and retain a record of seawater intrusion and possibly sea-level changes. A variety of methods including the C/N ratio and δ13C of bulk organic matter in the sediment have been employed in estuarine studies, but they are generally non-specific indicators. Here we report using lipid biomarkers to evaluate the extent of seawater intrusion based on an estuary in eastern China, Xinyanggang. Along the river from the estuary mouth upstream to the freshwater head, the vegetation shifts quickly from salt-tolerant Spartina (C4) to the less tolerant reed Phragmites (C3), both of which have distinguished δ13C values and biomarker distribution. The δ13C values of particulate organic matter (POM) and surface sediment decreased from the estuary mouth upstream, indicating the reduced contributions from Spartina and marine phytoplankton to the POM and surface sediment and increased inputs from Phragmites. The C32/C30 alkanol and cholesterol/sitosterol ratio decreased in the surface sediments, faithfully recording the variations in the contributions from Spartina and Phragmites. The combination of biomarker distribution and organic matter δ13C in the sediments can be used as indicators for sea water intrusion into the estuary/river.

Holocene climate and environmental change in central New York (USA)

We present a Holocene record of climate and environmental change in central New York (USA) inferred using lithologic and stable isotope data from two sediment cores recovered in Cayuga Lake. The record was divided into three intervals: (1) early Holocene (~11.6–8.8 ka), (2) Hypsithermal (~8.8–4.4 ka), and (3) Neoglacial (~4.4 ka to present). The early Holocene began abruptly, with rising lake level and relatively deep water. Between ~10.8 and 9.2 ka, cool and dry conditions prevailed at a time of maximum solar insolation. This anomaly has been referred to as the “post-Younger Dryas climate interval” and lasted ~1,600 years, the approximate length of one “Bond cycle.” The Hypsithermal was the warmest, wettest and most biologically productive interval of the Holocene in central New York. The Hypsithermal was characterized by centennial to multi-centennial-scale variability. The 8.2 ka event is one such variation. The Neoglacial was an interval of generally cooler and dryer conditions, falling lake levels, and several prominent climate anomalies. At approximately 2.4 ka, δ13C of bulk organic matter increased abruptly by 5‰ as lake level declined, and the lake flora was dominated by Chara sp. during the coldest interval of the Neoglacial. Numerous sediment variables display increased variability ~2.0 ka, which continues today. Archaeological data from the literature suggest that Native American populations may have been large enough to impact land cover by about 2.4 ka and we hypothesize that the “Anthropocene” began at about that time in central New York. We also found paleolimnological evidence for the Medieval Warm Period (~1.4–0.5 ka), which was warmer and wetter than today, and for the Little Ice Age (~500–150 years ago), a period with temperatures colder than today.

Climate change and human impact at Sacrower See (NE Germany) during the past 13,000 years: a geochemical record

Lacustrine sediments in north-eastern Germany have rarely been used as archives to address the effects of climate change and human impact on both lake ecosystem and landscape evolution for this region. Sacrower See, a hardwater lake located in Brandenburg, provides a unique sediment record covering the past 13,000 years which was used to reconstruct climatic and anthropogenic forcing on lacustrine sedimentation. Time control is provided by 12 AMS 14C dates of terrestrial plant remains, the Laacher See Tephra, and the onset of varve formation in AD 1870 (80 cal. BP). Geochemical (including XRF logging of major elements, CNS analyses as well as δ13Corg and δ15N measurements) and pollen analyses allowed detecting detailed environmental changes in the sediment record. During the Younger Dryas cold phase increased soil erosion and hypolimnetic oxygen depletion enhanced the nutrient supply to the lake water causing eutrophic conditions. The beginning of the Holocene is characterized by large changes in C/N ratios, total sulphur, δ13C of bulk organic matter as well as in K, Si, and Ti, reflecting the response of the lake’s catchment to climatic warming. Reforestation reduced the influx of detrital particles and terrestrial organic matter. The first, rather weak evidence of human impact is documented only in the pollen record at 5,500 cal. BP. However, until 3,200 cal. BP sedimentological and geochemical parameters indicate relatively stable environmental conditions. During periods of intense human impact at around 3,200, 2,800, and 900 cal. BP peaks in Ti and K represent phases of increased soil erosion due to forest clearing during the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Medieval Times, respectively. In general, greater variation is observed in most variables during these perturbations, indicating less stable environmental conditions. The steady rise of biogenic silica accumulation rates during the Holocene reflects an increasing productivity of Sacrower See until diatoms were outcompeted by other algae during the last centuries. The applied multi-proxy approach fosters the interpretation of the sediment record to reveal a consistent picture of environmental change including environmental factors controlling lake ontogeny and the effects of human impact.

Past Vegetation Changes in Amazon Savannas Determined Using Carbon Isotopes of Soil Organic Matter1

ABSTRACTWe investigated the variation of stable (813C) soil carbon isotopes in relation to depth in seven of the most important savanna areas to adjacent contiguous forests in the Amazon region. The 813C of bulk organic matter in all profiles from forested sites increased with soil depth. In forest profiles from Amapá, Alter do Chão, and Roraima, the enrichment was less than 3.5%o between deeper soil and surface layers, suggesting that 03 plants have remained the dominant vegetation cover. On the other hand, in forest soil profiles from Humaitá and Carolina sites, the 813C enrichment was greater than 3.5%o, indicating the influence of past 04 vegetation or a mixture of C3/C4 vegetation (woody savanna). The surface 813C values in the savanna profiles were 5–13%o greater than the comparable forest profiles, indicating the influence of C4 vegetation. Two kinds of isotopic distribution were observed in deeper layers. The savanna profiles at Alter do Chão, Chapada dos Parcels, and Redenção had relatively constant 813C values throughout the profile, suggesting minor past changes in the vegetation composition. In profiles at Amapá, Roraima, Humaitá, and Carolina, 813C values decreased with depth from the surface and converged with comparable forest values, suggesting more woody savanna in the past than exists currently.RESUMONós investigamos neste estudo a variação em profundidade dos isótopos estáveis de carbono (δ13C) da matéria organica do solo (SOM) em sete áreas de savanas e florestas da região Amazo̧nica. Os valores de δ13C da SOM aumentaram com a profundidade do solo. Nos perfis em floresta do Amapá, Alter do Chão e Roraima o enriquecimento isotópico com a profundidade foi menor que 3,5%0, sugerindo que plantas do tipo C3 foram sempre o tipo de vegetação dominante. Por outro lado, nos perfis em floresta de Humaitá e Carolina, o enriquecimento isotópico foi maior que 3,5%o, indicando a influ○ncia no passado de uma vegetação do tipo 04, ou uma mistura de vegetação C3/C4 (savana lenhosa). Os valores de δ13C na superflcie do solo em savanas fbram cerca de 5 a 13%o maiores que os perfis em floresta, evidenciando a influ○ncia da vegetação C4. Dois tipos de distribuição isotópica foram observados em camadas mais profundas. Nas savanas de Alter do Chão, Chapada dos Parecis e Redenção os valores δ13C foram constantes ao longo do perfil do solo, sugerindo que não houveram mudanças significativas na vegetação. Nos perfis do Amapá, Roraima, Humaitá e Carolina, os valores de δ13C diminuiram com a profundidade do solo, aproximando‐se aos valores encontrados na floresta, sugerindo a exist○ncia no passado de uma savana mais lenhosa que a actual.

Past Vegetation Changes in Amazon Savannas Determined Using Carbon Isotopes of Soil Organic Matter1

We investigated the variation of stable (δ13C) soil carbon isotopes in relation to depth in seven of the most important savanna areas to adjacent contiguous forests in the Amazon region. The δ13C of bulk organic matter in all profiles from forested sites increased with soil depth. In forest profiles from Amapá, Alter do Chão, and Roraima, the enrichment was less than 3.5‰ between deeper soil and surface layers, suggesting that C3 plants have remained the dominant vegetation cover. On the other hand, in forest soil profiles from Humaitá and Carolina sites, the δ13C enrichment was greater than 3.5‰, indicating the influence of past C4 vegetation or a mixture of C3/C4 vegetation (woody savanna). The surface δ13C values in the savanna profiles were 5–13‰ greater than the comparable forest profiles, indicating the influence of C4 vegetation. Two kinds of isotopic distribution were observed in deeper layers. The savanna profiles at Alter do Chão, Chapada dos Parecis, and Redenção had relatively constant δ13C values throughout the profile, suggesting minor past changes in the vegetation composition. In profiles at Amapá, Roraima, Humaitá, and Carolina, δ13C values decreased with depth from the surface and converged with comparable forest values, suggesting more woody savanna in the past than exists currently.

Seasonal variations of stable hydrogen and carbon isotope ratios of methane in subtropical freshwater sediments

Abstract. Stable hydrogen (δD) and carbon (δ13C) isotope ratios of sedimentary methane from five subtropical Florida freshwater sites exhibited smaller, less distinct seasonal variations than previously observed in temperate sediments, apparently due to the smaller range of temperatures forcing the subtropical environments. Negative correlations observed between δD‐CH4 and δ13C‐CH4 at these sites probably resulted from mixing methane produced via acetate fermentation with methane formed from CO2 and H2. The inverse δD/δ13C trends, high sedimentary gas methane concentrations (up to 80 mole%), and visual observations imply that ebullition dominates methane transport from the sediments during at least part of the seasonal cycle. Many values deviated from the main inverse δD/δ13C trend such that bacterial oxidation was not indicated. The deviation may result from the reduction of CO2 with varying δ13C under conditions of elevated H2 concentrations or enhanced interspecies hydrogen transfer, which may cause relatively greater hydrogen isotopic fractionation. Alternatively, the deviation may result from fermentation of autotrophically formed, 13C‐depleted acetate. Differences in the δ13C of bulk organic matter from two of the sites potentially account for about half of the difference in mean δ13C‐CH4 between the two sites. In other cases, however, the immediate methanogenic precursor (e.g., acetate versus CO2/H2) appeared to be the major determinant of methane stable isotopic composition.