Important Source Of Organic Carbon Research Articles

Microclimatic Influences on the Abundance of Three Non-Troglobiont Species

Subterranean environments are often characterized by a natural gradient of microclimatic conditions and trophic resources, showing a higher trophic availability and a lower microclimatic stability in the shallowest area (close to the cave entrance), while the opposite occurs in the deepest sections. The shallowest areas of subterranean environments (e.g., the entrance and twilight zone, Mesovoid Shallow Substratum) act as ecotones between the surface habitats and the deep areas, creating a particular habitat which can be exploited by numerous species with different degrees of adaptation to subterranean environments. Species living in these ecotones may hold a key role in sustaining the entire ecosystem, as they are likely one of the major drivers of allochthonous organic matter. Indeed, these species are usually facultative cave-dwellers, meaning that they are able to exit and forage on the surface. Once these species are back inside the cave, they provide the local community with different typologies of organic matter (e.g., feces, eggs), which represent one of the most important sources of organic carbon. Therefore, studying which ecological features may exert significant effects on the abundance of these species may be of great help in understanding the ecosystem dynamics and the functional role of each species. In this study we analyzed the data collected through a year-round monitoring program, aiming to assess the potential effects that both abiotic and biotic features may have on the abundance of three facultative cave species. We focused on seven caves located in Monte Albo (Sardinia, Italy). The cave environments were divided into 3-meter sectors, and within each cave sector, microclimatic and biological data were seasonally recorded. We focused on the following facultative cave species: the spiders Metellina merianae and Tegenaria sp. and the snail Oxychilus oppressus. Different relationships were observed between the ecological features and the abundance of the three species. The two spiders were more abundant in warmer cave sectors closer to the cave entrance, especially the M. merianae. On the other hand, the snail tended to be more abundant farther from the cave entrance and in more illuminated cave sectors, probably because sunlight promotes the abundance of some of its trophic resources (e.g., lichens, vegetation). Furthermore, O. oppressus was the only species whose abundance and cave distribution was significantly affected by seasonality. This study provides useful and novel information to understand the population dynamics of facultative cave species and their role in subterranean ecosystems.

How nutrient loads influence microbial-derived carbon accumulation in wetlands: A new insight from microbial metabolic investment strategies

Excessive anthropogenic nutrient inputs often lead to the degradation of wetland ecosystems and a decrease in carbon sink capacity. Microbial-derived carbon is increasingly recognized as an important precursor for organic carbon formation, which is controlled by the balance between microbial anabolic and catabolic processes. Shifts in microbial metabolic investment under nutrient load disturbance are key, but understudied, components of microbial-derived carbon turnover. Here, the roles of the distinct life-history traits and cooperation degree of key microbial assemblies in regulating microbial-derived carbon accumulation in a wetland receiving treated wastewater were firstly assessed by combining microbial biomarkers and genomic approaches. It was found that microbial-derived carbon was an important source of organic carbon in wetlands, and strongly associated with several microbial assemblies with specific trait strategies. Further analysis demonstrated that high growth yield strategists were mainly associated with microbial necromass accrual, while microbial biomass was more dominated by resource acquisition strategies in nutrient-imbalanced wetlands. A significant positive relationship between positive cohesion and microbial-derived carbon indicated that cooperative behavior among taxa promoted the production and accumulation of microbial-derived carbon. Moreover, resource stoichiometric balance, including C:N and C:P, was identified as an important driver of shifts in microbial metabolic investment strategies. The decreased C:N ratio led to a shift from resource acquisition strategies to high growth yield strategies for the microbial community, which facilitated microbial necromass accrual along the N-limited wetland, while the increased C:P ratio caused by excessive P deposition in sediments limits microbial cooperative growth to some extent. This study highlighted the importance of stoichiometric balance in mediating microbial growth metabolism and, in turn, enhancing the carbon sink capacity of wetlands.

Saccharides in atmospheric PM2.5 in tropical forest region of southwest China: Insights into impacts of biomass burning on organic carbon aerosols

Biomass burning (BB) in South and Southeast Asia has a strong impact on regional air quality, yet its impact on atmospheric PM2.5 of tropical rainforest regions, a background region occupying a large area in South Asia, has rarely been investigated. In this work, we performed one-year PM2.5 sampling during December 2018 to October 2019 at a tropical rainforest site in southwest China. PM2.5 mass concentration, major chemical components, and ten saccharides were determined to study seasonal variations of PM2.5 chemical composition, and further to understand possible impacts of BB to organic carbon (OC) aerosols at this background region. The concentration levels of PM2.5, major PM2.5 components, and total saccharides were significantly higher in dry season than in wet season. Besides, PM2.5, OC, and total saccharides were highly correlated (R2 > 0.64, p < 0.001) during the sampling period, suggesting they might share common sources. Source apportionment of saccharides revealed that BB was the main source in both seasons. Furthermore, the contributions of BB to OC (BB/OC) were estimated using levoglucosan as a molecular tracer while levoglucosan's chemical degradation was considered. It was found that over 80% of LG was degraded in both seasons, suggesting BB sources were largely from the transport of external air mass. The estimated BB/OC were over 50%, indicating BB was an important source of OC and likely of PM2.5 in both seasons. The air-mass backward trajectory analysis and active fire spots data indicate intense BB emission sources were from South and Southeast Asia in dry season and the BB emissions in southern region of China could impact on the studied area in wet season.

REMAINS OF PALEOFLORA IN THE BRECCIAS OF THE ONAPING FORMATION, SUDBURY IMPACT STRUCTURE, ONTARIO, CANADA

Electron microscopic investigations of four breccia samples of the Onaping Formation, Sudbury impact structure, Canada, have been carried out for the search of possible remains of paleoflora and identification of the nature of organic matter and their composition. Two forms of plant remains were discovered in the breccias. The first form is represented by single plant particles scattered in the matrix of breccias and included in gas vesicles in devitrified glasses. These particles are leaf-shaped, stem-shaped, tubular, and spherical objects, ranging from 5-10 to 200-300 µm in size. It is supposed that algal flora inhabiting the sea basin before the Sudbury impact was the source of this form of plant residues in breccias. The second form of plant remains in breccias is represented by plant detritus in carbon-bearing fragments of mudstones included in the breccia matrix. These fragments, reaching a size to 1000-1200 µm, have irregular shapes and complicated rugged contacts with the host breccia. Plant residues in mudstones are mainly ribbon-like scraps from 3-5 to 200-300 µm long, some while rare particles have a more complex shape. The matrix of the mudstones is a heterogeneous fine-grained clay-like substance with a network of micron-wide open joint fissures. The carbon content in mudstone matrix ranges from 7-10 to 20-25 wt%. Muddy bottom sediments of the pre-impact sea basin are supposed to be a source of mudstone fragments in breccias, while the algal flora inhabited the sea during their sedimentation served as a source of plant detritus in mudstones. Fragments of mudstones and floral residues are an important source of organic carbon in breccias of the Onaping Formation. The discovery of paleofloral remains in the breccias indicates the existence of a previously unknown complex algal flora that inhabited the pre-impact sea before the impact event 1.85 billion years ago at the very end of the Paleoproterozoic. The Sudbury impact structure is comparable in size to the Chicxulub impact structure, the formation of which caused the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction. We assume that the formation of the Sudbury structure had a catastrophic impact on the paleoflora of the late Paleoproterozoic, the remnants of which were preserved in the breccias of the Onaping Formation.

Carbon‐rich microfossils preserved in the Proterozoic crater‐filling breccias of the Sudbury impact structure, Canada

AbstractTwo forms of carbon‐rich microfossils were discovered in the breccias of the Onaping Formation, Sudbury impact structure. The first form is represented by single particles scattered in the matrix of the breccias and included in the vesicles in altered glass. These particles are leaf‐shaped, stem‐shaped, tubular, and spherical objects ranging from 5–10 μm to 200–300 µm in size. It is suggested that algal flora inhabiting the ocean basin before the Sudbury impact was the source of plant material in the Onaping Formation. The second form of carbon‐rich microparticles in the Onaping Formation is represented by plant detritus in carbon‐bearing fragments of mudstones included in the breccia matrix. The microparticles in the mudstones are mainly ribbon‐like shreds from 3–5 µm to 200–300 µm long, while rare particles have more complex shapes. The matrix of the mudstones is a fine‐grained clay‐like substance with a network of micron‐wide open‐joint fissures. Contents of carbon in the mudstone matrix are 12–15 wt%. Muddy bottom sediments of the pre‐impact sea are supposed as a source of mudstone fragments in the breccias. Fragments of mudstones and carbon‐rich microparticles are an important source of organic carbon in the breccias of the Onaping Formation. Discovery of microfossils in the breccias of the Onaping Formation suggests the presence of a previously unknown complex algal flora that inhabited the pre‐impact sea before the impact event 1.85 billion years ago at the very end of the Paleoproterozoic.

Morphometric Control on Dissolved Organic Carbon in Subarctic Streams

AbstractClimate change has the potential to alter hydrological regimes and to expand saturated areas in permafrost environments, which are important sources of organic carbon. The sources, transfer zones, and delivery mechanisms of carbon into the stream network are controlled by the morphometric properties of the catchment; however, the utility and limitations of these properties as predictors of dissolved organic carbon concentrations have rarely been systematically evaluated. This study tested the relationships between 18 morphometric indicators and observed dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in the Stordalen catchment, Sweden. Geospatial and explorative statistics were combined to assess the topographical, areal, and linear indicators influencing the distribution of DOC in the catchment. The results suggest that catchment morphometric indicators can be used as proxies to predict DOC concentrations along a longitudinal continuum in subarctic climate regions (R2 up to 0.52). Morphometry indicators that best served as predictors of DOC concentration in the model were as follows: relief, slope length and steepness factor (LS‐factor), sediment transport capacity, and catchment area. Due to the influence that catchment form exerts in DOC spatial patterns and processing, a morphometric approach can serve as a first approximation of DOC spatial patterns within a catchment. The initial step in identifying carbon sources based on the catchment topography has the potential to allow for quick and multilevel comparison within and between catchments.

Long-term decomposition captures key steps in microbial breakdown of seagrass litter

Seagrass biomass represents an important source of organic carbon that can contribute to long-term sediment carbon stocks in coastal ecosystems. There is little empirical data on the long-term microbial decomposition of seagrass detritus, despite this process being one of the key drivers of carbon-cycling in coastal ecosystems, that is, it influences the amount and quality of carbon available for sequestration. Here, our goal was to investigate how litter quality (leaf vs. rhizome/root) and the microbial communities involved in organic matter remineralisation shift over a 2-year field decomposition study north of Sydney, Australia using the temperate seagrass Zostera muelleri. The sites varied in bulk sediment characteristics and the sediment-associated microbial communities, but these variables overall had little influence on long-term seagrass decomposition rates or seagrass-associated microbiomes. The results showed a clear succession of bacterial and archaeal communities for both tissues types from r-strategists such as α- and γ-proteobacteria to K-strategies, including δ-proteobacteria, Bacteroidia and Spirochaetes. We used a new mathematical model to capture how decay rates varied over time and found that two decomposition events occurred for some seagrass leaf samples, possibly due to exudate input from living seagrass roots growing into the litter bag. The new model also indicated that conventional single exponential models overestimate long-term decay rates, and we detected for the first time the refractory, or stable, phase of decomposition for rhizome/root biomass. The stable phase began at approximately 20% mass remaining and after 600 days, and the persistence of rhizome/root biomass was attributed to the anoxic conditions and the preservation of refractory organic matter. While we predict that rhizome/root biomass will contribute more to the long-term sediment carbon stocks, the preservation of leaf carbon may be enhanced at locations were sedimentation is high and burial in anoxic conditions is rapid and constant.

Polychaete mucopolysaccharide alters sediment microbial diversity and stimulates ammonia-oxidising functional groups.

Sediment nitrogen cycling is a network of microbially mediated biogeochemical processes that are vital in regulating ecosystem functioning. Mucopolysaccharides (mucus) are produced by many invertebrates and have the potential to be an important source of organic carbon and nitrogen to sediment microorganisms. At present, we have limited understanding of how mucopolysaccharide moderates total sediment microbial communities and specific microbial functional groups that drive nitrogen cycling processes. To start addressing this knowledge gap, sediment slurries were incubated with and without Hediste diversicolor mucus. Changes in dissolved inorganic nitrogen (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate) concentrations and bacterial and archaeal community diversity were assessed. Our results showed that mucopolysaccharide addition supported a more abundant and distinct microbial community. Moreover, mucus stimulated the growth of bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidisers, with a concomitant increase in nitrite and nitrate. Hediste diversicolor mucopolysaccharide appears to enhance sediment nitrification rates by stimulating and fuelling nitrifying microbial groups. We propose that invertebrate mucopolysaccharide secretion should be considered as a distinct functional trait when assessing invertebrate contributions to sediment ecosystem function. By including this additional trait, we can improve our mechanistic understanding of invertebrate-microbe interactions in nitrogen transformation processes and provide opportunity to generate more accurate models of global nitrogen cycling.

Dynamic processing of DOM: Insight from Exometabolomics, Fluorescence Spectroscopy, and Mass Spectrometry.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in freshwater environments is an important source of organic carbon, supporting bacterial respiration. Frozen environments cover vast expanses of our planet, with glaciers and ice-sheets storing upwards of six petagrams of organic carbon. It is generally believed that DOM liberated from ice stimulates downstream environments. If true, glacial DOM is an important component of global carbon cycling. However, coupling the release of DOM to microbial activity is challenging due to the molecular complexity of DOM and the metabolic connectivity within microbial communities. Using a single environmentally relevant organism, we demonstrate that processing of compositionally diverse DOM occurs, but, even though glacially derived DOM is chemically labile, it is unable to support sustained respiration. In view of projected changes in glacier DOM export, these findings imply that biogeochemical impacts on downstream environments will depend on the reactivity and heterogeneity of liberated DOM, as well as the timescale.

Organic carbon fluxes by precipitation, throughfall and stemflow in an olive orchard in Southern Spain

In forests and grasslands, canopy-derived carbon fluxes have been shown to be an important part of the carbon cycle, yet very few data are available for permanent agricultural crops. Concentration of total (TOC), dissolved (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) was measured during an entire hydrological year in direct rainfall throughfall and stemflow in a mature olive orchard. Throughfall accounted for 68% of incoming rainfall, but TOC concentration was on average 14 times higher than in rainfall (7.63 vs. 106.12 mg/L). Stemflow on the other hand represented only a small fraction of gross precipitation, on average less than 1%, while its TOC concentration was on average 10-fold higher than in rainfall (74.13 mg/L). Dynamics of OC enrichment were mainly driven by precipitation patterns, as well as plant phenology, whereas a dramatic increase happened during flowering. Stemflow and throughfall were proven to be important sources of organic carbon supplying 13.5 g C/m2/year beneath the canopy of each tree, while 2.41 g C/m2/year reached the soil through gross precipitation. This large fraction of carbon is a mean of recirculating important carbon compounds that may help mobilize soil nutrients and maintain water holding capacity in the circumscribed area below olive canopies.

Photoferrotrophy: Remains of an Ancient Photosynthesis in Modern Environments

Photoferrotrophy, the process by which inorganic carbon is fixed into organic matter using light as an energy source and reduced iron [Fe(II)] as an electron donor, has been proposed as one of the oldest photoautotrophic metabolisms on Earth. Under the iron-rich (ferruginous) but sulfide poor conditions dominating the Archean ocean, this type of metabolism could have accounted for most of the primary production in the photic zone. Here we review the current knowledge of biogeochemical, microbial and phylogenetic aspects of photoferrotrophy, and evaluate the ecological significance of this process in ancient and modern environments. From the ferruginous conditions that prevailed during most of the Archean, the ancient ocean evolved toward euxinic (anoxic and sulfide rich) conditions and, finally, much after the advent of oxygenic photosynthesis, to a predominantly oxic environment. Under these new conditions photoferrotrophs lost importance as primary producers, and now photoferrotrophy remains as a vestige of a formerly relevant photosynthetic process. Apart from the geological record and other biogeochemical markers, modern environments resembling the redox conditions of these ancient oceans can offer insights into the past significance of photoferrotrophy and help to explain how this metabolism operated as an important source of organic carbon for the early biosphere. Iron-rich meromictic (permanently stratified) lakes can be considered as modern analogs of the ancient Archean ocean, as they present anoxic ferruginous water columns where light can still be available at the chemocline, thus offering suitable niches for photoferrotrophs. A few bacterial strains of purple bacteria as well as of green sulfur bacteria have been shown to possess photoferrotrophic capacities, and hence, could thrive in these modern Archean ocean analogs. Studies addressing the occurrence and the biogeochemical significance of photoferrotrophy in ferruginous environments have been conducted so far in lakes Matano, Pavin, La Cruz, and the Kabuno Bay of Lake Kivu. To date, only in the latter two lakes a biogeochemical role of photoferrotrophs has been confirmed. In this review we critically summarize the current knowledge on iron-driven photosynthesis, as a remains of ancient Earth biogeochemistry.

Genomic and Transcriptomic Resolution of Organic Matter Utilization Among Deep-Sea Bacteria in Guaymas Basin Hydrothermal Plumes.

Microbial chemosynthesis within deep-sea hydrothermal vent plumes is a regionally important source of organic carbon to the deep ocean. Although chemolithoautotrophs within hydrothermal plumes have attracted much attention, a gap remains in understanding the fate of organic carbon produced via chemosynthesis. In the present study, we conducted shotgun metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing on samples from deep-sea hydrothermal vent plumes and surrounding background seawaters at Guaymas Basin (GB) in the Gulf of California. De novo assembly of metagenomic reads and binning by tetranucleotide signatures using emergent self-organizing maps (ESOM) revealed 66 partial and nearly complete bacterial genomes. These bacterial genomes belong to 10 different phyla: Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Deferribacteres, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, Nitrospirae, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia. Although several major transcriptionally active bacterial groups (Methylococcaceae, Methylomicrobium, SUP05, and SAR324) displayed methanotrophic and chemolithoautotrophic metabolisms, most other bacterial groups contain genes encoding extracellular peptidases and carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes with significantly higher transcripts in the plume than in background, indicating they are involved in degrading organic carbon derived from hydrothermal chemosynthesis. Among the most abundant and active heterotrophic bacteria in deep-sea hydrothermal plumes are Planctomycetes, which accounted for seven genomes with distinct functional and transcriptional activities. The Gemmatimonadetes and Verrucomicrobia also had abundant transcripts involved in organic carbon utilization. These results extend our knowledge of heterotrophic metabolism of bacterial communities in deep-sea hydrothermal plumes.

Allelopathic interactions involving benthic phototrophic microorganisms.

As a way to prevent resource depletion by other species, many phototrophic aquatic microorganisms produce inhibitory compounds. This process, known as allelopathy, has been widely studied in planktonic environments, where it is recognized as being a driving force of planktonic communities. However, in benthic environments, biofilms provide very particular micro-environments. The present review focuses on allelopathic interactions involving benthic phototrophic prokaryotes and micro-eukaryotes ('microalgae'), which generally form biofilms, and includes any interaction involving benthic microalgae either as the emitter or as the target in both marine and freshwater habitats. To support our hypothesis on the importance of allelopathy in biofilms due to the particularities of biofilms, we show that (i) reported allelopathic species and compounds are diverse and numerous in the three major groups of benthic phototrophic microorganisms, (ii) allelopathic benthic species could affect community composition, (iii) allelopathy in biofilms is currently underestimated because of the lack of suitable methods. As benthic primary producers represent an important source of organic carbon in some streams and littoral areas, these interactions could impact the whole ecosystem in these areas, probably more than in areas dominated by planktonic communities.

Source apportionment of PM10 mass and particulate carbon in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

The Kathmandu Valley in Nepal is a bowl-shaped urban basin in the Himalayan foothills with a serious problem of fine particulate air pollution that impacts local health and impairs visibility. Particulate carbon concentrations have reached severe levels that threaten the health of 3.5 million local residents. Moreover, snow and ice on the Himalayan mountains are melting as a result of additional warming due to particulate carbon, especially high black carbon concentrations. To date, the sources of the Valley's particulate carbon and the impacts of different sources on particulate carbon concentrations are not well understood. Thus, before an effective control strategy can be developed, these particulate carbon sources must be identified and quantified. Our study has found that the four primary sources of particulate carbon in the Kathmandu Valley during winter are brick kilns, motor vehicles, fugitive soil dust, and biomass/garbage burning. Their source contributions are quantified using a recently developed new multivariate receptor model SMP. In contrast to other highly polluted areas such as China, secondary contribution is almost negligible in Kathmandu Valley. Brick kilns (40%), motor vehicles (37%) and biomass/garbage burning (22%) have been identified as the major sources of elemental carbon (black carbon) in the Kathmandu Valley during winter, while motor vehicles (47%), biomass/garbage burning (32%), and soil dust (13%) have been identified as the most important sources of organic carbon. Our research indicates that controlling emissions from motor vehicles, brick kilns, biomass/garbage burning, and soil dust is essential for the mitigation of the particulate carbon that threatens public health, impairs visibility, and influences climate warming within and downwind from the Kathmandu Valley. In addition, this paper suggests several useful particulate carbon mitigation methods that can be applied to Kathmandu Valley and other areas in South Asia with similar sources and high particulate carbon concentrations.

Air quality in the German–Czech border region: A focus on harmful fractions of PM and ultrafine particles

A comprehensive air quality study has been carried out at two urban background sites in Annaberg-Buchholz (Germany) and Usti nad Labem (Czech Republic) in the German–Czech border region between January 2012 and June 2014. Special attention was paid to quantify harmful fractions of particulate matter (PM) and ultrafine particle number concentration (UFP) from solid fuel combustion and vehicular traffic. Source type contributions of UFP were quantified by using the daily concentration courses of UFP and nitrogen oxide. Two different source apportionment techniques were used to quantify relative and absolute mass contributions: positive matrix factorization for total PM2.5 and elemental carbon in PM2.5 and chemical mass balance for total PM1 and organic carbon in PM1. Contributions from solid fuel combustion strongly differed between the non-heating period (April–September) and the heating period (October–March). Major sources of solid fuel combustion in this study were wood and domestic coal combustion, while the proportion of industrial coal combustion was low (<3%). In Usti nad Labem combustion of domestic brown coal was the most important source of organic carbon ranging from 34% to 43%. Wood combustion was an important source of organic carbon in Annaberg-Buchholz throughout the year. Heavy metals and less volatile polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the accumulation mode were related to solid fuel combustion with enhanced concentrations during the heating period. In contrast, vehicular PAH emissions were allocated to the Aitken mode. Only in Usti nad Labem a significant contribution of photochemical new particle formation (e.g. from sulfur dioxide) to UFP of almost 50% was observed during noontime. UFPs from traffic emissions (nucleation particles) and primary emitted soot particles dominated at both sites during the rest of the day. The methodology of a combined source apportionment of UFP and PM can be adapted to other regions of the world with similar problems of atmospheric pollution to calculate the relative risk in epidemiological health studies for different sub-fractions of PM and UFP. This will enhance the meaningfulness of published relative risks in health studies based on total PM and UFP number concentrations.

Receptor modelling of fine particles in southern England using CMB including comparison with AMS-PMF factors

Abstract. PM2.5 was collected during a winter campaign at two southern England sites, urban background North Kensington (NK) and rural Harwell (HAR), in January–February 2012. Multiple organic and inorganic source tracers were analysed and used in a Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) model, which apportioned seven separate primary sources, that explained on average 53% (NK) and 56% (HAR) of the organic carbon (OC), including traffic, woodsmoke, food cooking, coal combustion, vegetative detritus, natural gas and dust/soil. With the addition of source tracers for secondary biogenic aerosol at the NK site, 79% of organic carbon was accounted for. Secondary biogenic sources were represented by oxidation products of α-pinene and isoprene, but only the former made a substantial contribution to OC. Particle source contribution estimates for PM2.5 mass were obtained by the conversion of the OC estimates and combining with inorganic components ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate and sea salt. Good mass closure was achieved with 81% (92% with the addition of the secondary biogenic source) and 83% of the PM2.5 mass explained at NK and HAR respectively, with the remainder being secondary organic matter. While the most important sources of OC are vehicle exhaust (21 and 16%) and woodsmoke (15 and 28%) at NK and HAR respectively, food cooking emissions are also significant, particularly at the urban NK site (11% of OC), in addition to the secondary biogenic source, only measured at NK, which represented about 26%. In comparison, the major source components for PM2.5 at NK and HAR are inorganic ammonium salts (51 and 56%), vehicle exhaust emissions (8 and 6%), secondary biogenic (10% measured at NK only), woodsmoke (4 and 7%) and sea salt (7 and 8%), whereas food cooking (4 and 1%) showed relatively smaller contributions to PM2.5. Results from the CMB model were compared with source contribution estimates derived from the AMS-PMF method. The overall mass of organic matter accounted for is rather similar for the two methods. However, appreciably different concentrations were calculated for the individual primary organic matter contributions, although for most source categories the CMB and AMS-PMF results were highly correlated (r2 = 0.69–0.91). In comparison with the CMB model, the AMS appears to overestimate the biomass burning/coal and food cooking sources by a factor of around 1.5 to 2 while estimates of the traffic source are rather similar for each model. The largest divergence is in the primary/secondary organic matter split, with the AMS estimating an appreciably smaller secondary component. Possible reasons for these discrepancies are discussed, but despite these substantial divergences, the strong correlation of the two methods gives some confidence in their application.

Origin and sources of dissolved organic matter in snow on the East Antarctic ice sheet.

Polar ice sheets hold a significant pool of the world's carbon reserve and are an integral component of the global carbon cycle. Yet, organic carbon composition and cycling in these systems is least understood. Here, we use ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry to elucidate, at an unprecedented level, molecular details of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in Antarctic snow. Tens of thousands of distinct molecular species are identified, providing clues to the nature and sources of organic carbon in Antarctica. We show that many of the identified supraglacial organic matter formulas are consistent with material from microbial sources, and terrestrial inputs of vascular plant-derived materials are likely more important sources of organic carbon to Antarctica than previously thought. Black carbon-like material apparently originating from biomass burning in South America is also present, while a smaller fraction originated from soil humics and appears to be photochemically or microbially modified. In addition to remote continental sources, we document signals of oceanic emissions of primary aerosols and secondary organic aerosol precursors. The new insights on the diversity of organic species in Antarctic snowpack reinforce the importance of studying organic carbon associated with the Earth's polar regions in the face of changing climate.

Impact of Gobi desert dust on aerosol chemistry of Xi'an, inland China during spring 2009: differences in composition and size distribution between the urban ground surface and the mountain atmosphere

Abstract. Composition and size distribution of atmospheric aerosols from Xi'an city (~400 m, altitude) in inland China during the spring of 2009 including a massive dust event on 24 April were measured and compared with a parallel measurement at the summit (2060 m, altitude) of Mt. Hua, an alpine site nearby Xi'an. EC (elemental carbon), OC (organic carbon) and major ions in the city were 2–22 times higher than those on the mountaintop during the whole sampling period. Compared to that in the non-dust period a sharp increase in OC was observed at both sites during the dust period, which was mainly caused by an input of biogenic organics from the Gobi desert. However, adsorption/heterogeneous reaction of gaseous organics with dust was another important source of OC in the urban, contributing 22% of OC in the dust event. In contrast to the mountain atmosphere where fine particles were less acidic when dust was present, the urban fine particles became more acidic in the dust event than in the non-dust event, mainly due to enhanced heterogeneous formation of nitrate and diluted NH3. Cl− and NO3− in the urban air during the dust event significantly shifted toward coarse particles. Such redistributions were further pronounced on the mountaintop when dust was present, resulting in both ions almost entirely staying in coarse particles. On the contrary, no significant spatial difference in size distribution of SO42− was found between the urban ground surface and the mountain atmosphere, which dominated in the fine mode (&lt;2.1 μm) during the nonevent and comparably distributed in the fine (&lt;2.1 μm) and coarse (&gt;2.1 μm) modes during the dust event.

Impact of grazing intensity on seasonal variations in soil organic carbon and soil CO 2 efflux in two semiarid grasslands in southern Botswana

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are an important source of organic carbon, and affect a range of ecosystem functions in arid and semiarid environments. Yet the impact of grazing disturbance on crust properties and soil CO(2) efflux remain poorly studied, particularly in African ecosystems. The effects of burial under wind-blown sand, disaggregation and removal of BSCs on seasonal variations in soil CO(2) efflux, soil organic carbon, chlorophyll a and scytonemin were investigated at two sites in the Kalahari of southern Botswana. Field experiments were employed to isolate CO(2) efflux originating from BSCs in order to estimate the C exchange within the crust. Organic carbon was not evenly distributed through the soil profile but concentrated in the BSC. Soil CO(2) efflux was higher in Kalahari Sand than in calcrete soils, but rates varied significantly with seasonal changes in moisture and temperature. BSCs at both sites were a small net sink of C to the soil. Soil CO(2) efflux was significantly higher in sand soils where the BSC was removed, and on calcrete where the BSC was buried under sand. The BSC removal and burial under sand also significantly reduced chlorophyll a, organic carbon and scytonemin. Disaggregation of the soil crust, however, led to increases in chlorophyll a and organic carbon. The data confirm the importance of BSCs for C cycling in drylands and indicate intensive grazing, which destroys BSCs through trampling and burial, will adversely affect C sequestration and storage. Managed grazing, where soil surfaces are only lightly disturbed, would help maintain a positive carbon balance in African drylands.

Preface &amp;quot;Sources and rapid biogeochemical transformation of dissolved organic matter in the Atlantic surface ocean&amp;quot;

One of the most important issues needed to be studied to better understand global fluxes of marine organic matter is to resolve its molecular characteristics and mechanisms which convert fresh, labile biomolecules into semi-labile and refractory dissolved organic compounds (Jiao et al., 2010) which resist degradation for an average time of 5000 years (Bauer et al., 1992; Williams and Druffel, 1987). From a chemical point of view, the persistence of marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) is very unusual. The mostly oxygenand nutrient-rich oceanic water column should be conducive to a rapid microbial degradation of organic matter and subsequent release of CO2. Contrary to this expectation, however, a significant portion of the atmospheric carbon remains in the DOM of the oceans and circulates in global currents on long time scales. Despite the importance of gaining better insights into the molecular mechanisms affecting organic carbon dynamics, very little is known about these processes. Thus, recent reports from the intergovernmental panel on climate change (Denman et al., 2007) barely considered potential changes in quality, quantity and fluxes of marine organic matter. In the oceans, dissolved organic substances constitute an important source of organic carbon and organic nitrogen (Hansell et al., 2009). The pool of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exceeds the amount of carbon stored in marine animals, plants and bacteria by a factor of about 200. The majority of DOM in the oceans is originally formed from CO2 by plankton and land plants during photosynthesis. The DOM, resulting from this organic material, is directly released into the water by marine plankton and during the degradation of these organisms. Also, DOM can be transported into the oceans via rivers and atmospheric deposits via aerosols. A small fraction of marine DOM, such as persistent organic pollutants or black carbon derivatives, can be derived from anthropogenic activities. DOM can bind to trace metals such as iron and is therefore also responsible for their distribution in the sea. The complex composition of DOM is an enormous analytical challenge, resulting in sparse information on chemical structures. The DOM complexity prevents resolution of single molecules by chromatographic separation or conventional mass spectrometry. However, within the last 10 years analytical instruments, which can deliver molecular signals, improved tremendously. Namely, improvements of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) opened a new analytical window for the molecular characterization of natural organic matter (e.g. Stenson et al., 2003; Kujawinski et al., 2004; Koch et al., 2005; Hertkorn et al., 2008; Witt et al., 2009). Meridional transits of polar research vessels offer a great opportunity to perform long-distance surface water transects with continuous water and air sampling, since frequent stops for long station work are usually not possible during such transit cruises. Trace metal (Pohl et al., 2011; Helmers, 1996) and plankton studies (Robinson et al., 2009) and a recent GEOTRACES pilot study in the Atlantic Ocean (Rutgers van der Loeff, 2007) are great examples for the importance of such projects. Previous work along the north–south transect also provided a high resolution comparison of bacterial and primary production (Hoppe et al., 2002). The authors suggested that the observed net heterotrophy required