Terrestrial Plant Productivity Research Articles

Metabolic and Transcriptional Analysis Reveals Flavonoid Involvement in the Drought Stress Response of Mulberry Leaves.

Abiotic stress, especially drought stress, poses a significant threat to terrestrial plant growth, development, and productivity. Although mulberry has great genetic diversity and extensive stress-tolerant traits in agroforestry systems, only a few reports offer preliminary insight into the biochemical responses of mulberry leaves under drought conditions. In this study, we performed a comparative metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis on the "drooping mulberry" (Morus alba var. pendula Dippel) under PEG-6000-simulated drought stress. Our research revealed that drought stress significantly enhanced flavonoid accumulation and upregulated the expression of phenylpropanoid biosynthetic genes. Furthermore, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were elevated. In vitro enzyme assays and fermentation tests indicated the involvement of flavonol synthase/flavanone 3-hydroxylase (XM_010098126.2) and anthocyanidin 3-O-glucosyltransferase 5 (XM_010101521.2) in the biosynthesis of flavonol aglycones and glycosides, respectively. The recombinant MaF3GT5 protein was found to recognize kaempferol, quercetin, and UDP-glucose as substrates but not 3-/7-O-glucosylated flavonols and UDP-rhamnose. MaF3GT5 is capable of forming 3-O- and 7-O-monoglucoside, but not di-O-glucosides, from kaempferol. This implies its role as a flavonol 3, 7-O-glucosyltransferase. The findings from this study provided insights into the biosynthesis of flavonoids and could have substantial implications for the future diversified utilization of mulberry.

Effects of rock lithology and soil nutrients on nitrogen and phosphorus mobility in trees in non-karst and karst forests of southwest China

The primary productivity of terrestrial plants is widely limited by nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and the mobility of N and P in plants is the key to predicting plant growth and development. Non-karst and karst forests soil have different nutrient supply capacities due to the difference in soil parent material, but the effect mechanism of the two soil nutrient conditions on the N and P mobility process of trees remains unclear. In this study, forests dominated by three typical tree species, Eucalyptus maideni, Pinus yunnanensis, and Quercus franchetii were selected as the research objects in non-karst and karst areas of southwest China to investigate the effects of soil nutrient conditions on plants’ N and P foraging, transportation and resorption. The results showed that the rock lithology had significant effects on the soil nutrients, plants’ N and P foraging, transportation, and resorption. The soil total N and P concentrations, soil organic carbon concentration, and pH were higher in karst forests than those in the non-karst forests, but the green leaves N and P concentrations exhibited opposite characteristics. The root foraging potential for N and P in non-karst forests was significantly higher than that in karst forests. The N resorption efficiency of trees in karst forests was higher than that in non-karst forests, but the P resorption efficiency was lower than that in non-karst forests. The trade-offs of foraging, transportation and resorption of trees were adjusted according to changes in nutrient conditions, but the trade-offs of the three processes were not continuous in non-karst and karst forests. Compared with non-karst forests, the decreased degree of root nutrient foraging potential in karst forests was greater than the transportation factor and resorption efficiency. The slow-growing Quercus franchetii among the three typical forests showed better adaptability to foraging, transportation, and resorption of N and P in karst areas. The results revealed the response of different forests’ N and P mobility patterns of trees to different nutrient conditions in non-karst and karst areas, which was helpful to improve the prediction and mechanistic understanding of nutrient cycling in local forest ecosystems.

Harnessing Novel Soil Bacteria for Beneficial Interactions with Soybean.

It is claimed that one g of soil holds ten billion bacteria representing thousands of distinct species. These bacteria play key roles in the regulation of terrestrial carbon dynamics, nutrient cycles, and plant productivity. Despite the overwhelming diversity of bacteria, most bacterial species remain largely unknown. Here, we used an oligotrophic medium to isolate novel soil bacteria for positive interaction with soybean. Strictly 22 species of bacteria from the soybean rhizosphere were selected. These isolates encompass ten genera (Kosakonia, Microbacterium, Mycobacterium, Methylobacterium, Monashia, Novosphingobium, Pandoraea, Anthrobacter, Stenotrophomonas, and Rhizobium) and have potential as novel species. Furthermore, the novel bacterial species exhibited plant growth-promoting traits in vitro and enhanced soybean growth under drought stress in a greenhouse experiment. We also reported the draft genome sequences of Kosakonia sp. strain SOY2 and Agrobacterium sp. strain SOY23. Along with our analysis of 169 publicly available genomes for the genera reported here, we demonstrated that these bacteria have a repertoire of genes encoding plant growth-promoting proteins and secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters that directly affect plant growth. Taken together, our findings allow the identification novel soil bacteria, paving the way for their application in crop production.

Marine subsidies produce cactus forests on desert islands

In island systems, nitrogen-rich seabird guano is a marine subsidy that can shape terrestrial plant communities. In zones of nutrient upwelling such as the Gulf of California, copious seabird guano is commonplace on bird islands. Several bird islands host regionally unique cactus forests, especially of the large columnar cactus, cardón (Pachycereus pringlei). We show that a chain of interactions across the land-sea interface yields an allochthonous input of nitrogen in the form of seabird guano, fueling the production of some of the densest cactus populations in the world. Fish, seabird, guano, soil, and cactus samples were taken from the representative seabird island of San Pedro Mártir for nitrogen stable isotope ratio measurements, which were compared to soil and cactus samples from other seabird and non-seabird Gulf islands and terrestrial ecosystems throughout the range of the cardón. Isla San Pedro Mártir δ15N values are distinctively high, ranging from fish + 17.7, seabird + 19.7, guano + 14.8, soil + 34.3 and cactus + 30.3 compared to average values across non-bird sites of + 13.0 (N = 213, S.D. = 3.7) for soil and + 9.8 (N = 212, S.D. = 3.4) for cactus. These δ15N values are among the highest ever reported for plants. Seabird island soil and cactus δ15N values were consistently significantly enriched relative to mainland and non-bird islands, a relationship expected due to the progressive volatilization of 14N rich ammonia from decomposing guano deposits. Our findings demonstrate that seabird-mediated marine nutrient deposits provide the source for solubilized nitrogen on desert islands, which stimulate terrestrial plant production in the cardón cactus beyond that seen in either mainland ecosystems or non-seabird islands.

Impacts of Climate Change on the Plant Water Interactions

Climate change has an impact on ecosystem structure and function globally by altering the relationships between plants and soil organisms. Despite the fact that water is the most plentiful molecule on Earth's surface, water scarcity is the element that most severely limits global terrestrial plant production. Little is known about the climatic factors that drive phenological responses to climate change, and less attention has been paid to the fact that phenology is also responsive to other climatic. The aim of this study was to assess the impacts of climate change on plant water interactions. This study was guided by the specific objectives, which included examining the relationship between climate change and plant function; finding out the impacts of climate change on plant water interactions; and assessing how plants handle water scarcity. It was found that there was a linkage between climate change and plant function. The evaporation of water molecules from the outer surfaces of the mesophyll cells initiates the upward transpiration pull in the leaves, and respiring starches and sugars are created during photosynthetic processes using sunlight energy. Climate change enhanced the most enormous movement of species that has occurred without direct human intervention. It was also found that precipitation was a key driver of phenological changes in desert ecosystems. It was also found that drought was one of the most significant biotic challenges faced by plants, with considerable genetic variation in water deficit responses. There is a need for research on climate change to ease biodiversity conservation. Keywords: Climate change, Plant water interactions, Plant, Water DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/87-01 Publication date: September 30 th 2022

Seafood in Food Security: A Call for Bridging the Terrestrial-Aquatic Divide

The contribution of seafood to global food security is being increasingly highlighted in policy. However, the extent to which such claims are supported in the current food security literature is unclear. This review assesses the extent to which seafood is represented in the recent food security literature, both individually and from a food systems perspective, in combination with terrestrially-based production systems. The results demonstrate that seafood remains under-researched compared to the role of terrestrial animal and plant production in food security. Furthermore, seafood and terrestrial production remain siloed, with very few papers addressing the combined contribution or relations between terrestrial and aquatic systems. We conclude that far more attention is needed to the specific and relative role of seafood in global food security and call for the integration of seafood in a wider interdisciplinary approach to global food system research.

Growth Promotion of Giant Duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza (Lemnaceae) by Ensifer sp. SP4 Through Enhancement of Nitrogen Metabolism and Photosynthesis.

Duckweeds (Lemnaceae) are representative producers in fresh aquatic ecosystems and also yield sustainable biomass for animal feeds, human foods, and biofuels, and contribute toward effective wastewater treatment; thus, enhancing duckweed productivity is a critical challenge. Plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) can improve the productivity of terrestrial plants; however, duckweed-PGPB interactions remain unclear and no previous study has investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying duckweed-PGPB interaction. Herein, a PGPB, Ensifer sp. strain SP4, was newly isolated from giant duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza), and the interactions between S. polyrhiza and SP4 were investigated through physiological, biochemical, and metabolomic analyses. In S. polyrhiza and SP4 coculture, SP4 increased the nitrogen (N), chlorophyll, and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) contents and the photosynthesis rate of S. polyrhiza by 2.5-, 2.5-, 2.7-, and 2.4-fold, respectively. Elevated photosynthesis increased the relative growth rate and biomass productivity of S. polyrhiza by 1.5- and 2.7-fold, respectively. Strain SP4 significantly altered the metabolomic profile of S. polyrhiza, especially its amino acid profile. N stable isotope analysis revealed that organic N compounds were transferred from SP4 to S. polyrhiza. These N compounds, particularly glutamic acid, possibly triggered the increase in photosynthetic and growth activities. Accordingly, we propose a new model for the molecular mechanism underlying S. polyrhiza growth promotion by its associated bacteria Ensifer sp. SP4, which occurs through enhanced N compound metabolism and photosynthesis. Our findings show that Ensifer sp. SP4 is a promising PGPB for increasing biomass yield, wastewater purification activity, and CO2 capture of S. polyrhiza.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Divergent responses of primary production to increasing precipitation variability in global drylands.

Interannual variability in precipitation has increased globally as climate warming intensifies. The increased variability impacts both terrestrial plant production and carbon (C) sequestration. However, mechanisms driving these changes are largely unknown. Here, we examined mechanisms underlying the response of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) to interannual precipitation variability in global drylands with mean annual precipitation (MAP) <500mmyear-1 , using a combined approach of data synthesis and process-based modeling. We found a hump-shaped response of ANPP to precipitation variability along the MAP gradient. The response was positive when MAP<~300mmyear-1 and negative when MAP was higher than this threshold, with a positive peak at 140mmyear-1 . Transpiration and subsoil water content mirrored the response of ANPP to precipitation variability; evaporation responded negatively and water loss through runoff and drainage responded positively to precipitation variability. Mean annual temperature, soil type, and plant physiological traits all altered the magnitude but not the pattern of the response of ANPP to precipitation variability along the MAP gradient. By extrapolating to global drylands (<500mmyear-1 MAP), we estimated that ANPP would increase by 15.2±6.0TgCyear-1 in arid and hyper-arid lands and decrease by 2.1±0.5TgCyear-1 in dry sub-humid lands under future changes in interannual precipitation variability. Thus, increases in precipitation variability will enhance primary production in many drylands in the future.

Survival and Productivity of Culinary Herb Species in a Nutrient Film Technique-type Aquaponic System with Nile Tilapia

Aquaponics is an evolving technology for producing plants and fish (or other aquatic organisms) in an integrated water recirculating system. However, the survival and productivity of terrestrial plants in aquaponic systems have not been evaluated for most plant species. The present study aimed to analyze the survival rate, growth, and biomass production of eight culinary herbs, commonly used in Guatemala, in a Nutrient Film Technique-type (NFT) aquaponic system with Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The investigated herbs included coriander (Coriandrum sativum), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), peppermint (Mentha spicata), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), samat (Eryngium foetidum), oregano (Plectranthus amboinicus), dill (Anethum graveolens), and basil (Ocimum basilicum). A total of 50 individuals of each herb species and 150 juvenile Nile tilapias were distributed in 5 aquaponic modules. The survival rate, growth, and biomass production were measured for herbs and tilapias. All the herb species survived against the NFT aquaponic conditions. The findings indicated that the herb survival was species-dependent and ranged 42-98%. There was a significant effect of the herb species both on height and biomass gains. Post hoc comparison showed interspecific differential abilities to grow biomass in NFT aquaponics conditions. Among the investigated herbs, M. spicata and O. basilicum were the most productive species. Refinement in the selection of initial plants and aquaponic management could improve plant performance.

Lipid biomarker estimates of seasonal variations of aerosol organic carbon sources in coastal Qingdao, China

Aerosols represent a significant source of organic carbon (OC) to China’s marginal seas, but their provenance and chemical composition remain understudied. At the boundary of the East Asian continent and China’s marginal seas, the coastal city of Qingdao is well-situated to study the sources and seasonal variations of organic aerosols and their contribution to marginal seas. Twenty-nine aerosol samples collected in 2015–2016 were analyzed for total OC (TOC), n-alkanes (C17–C33), n-alkanols (C20–C32) and n-fatty acids (n-FAs, C14–C32). Concentrations of TOC (5.7–18 μg/m3), n-alkanes (17.5–143 ng/m3), n-alkanols (18–41 ng/m3) and n-FAs (99.3–160 ng/m3) were highest in winter when total aerosol concentrations were highest. Organic carbon-normalized (OC-normalized) biomarker concentrations were used to apportion different sources of aerosol OC: short- and mid-chain n-alkanes (<C26) for fossil fuel residues; long-chain n-alkanes (≥C26), mid- and long-chain n-alkanols (≥C20) and mid- and long-chain n-FAs (≥C20) for terrestrial plant OC; short-chain n-FAs (<C20) for marine OC. From these we inferred higher fossil fuel OC contributions during cold seasons when aerosols were mainly transported to Qingdao by continental air masses, higher terrestrial plant OC contributions during warm seasons when terrestrial plant productivity was at its peak, and higher marine OC contributions in warm seasons when marine air masses were transported to Qingdao. Comparing these results with those from other continental and marine locations demonstrates the utility of this biomarker approach in providing semi-quantitative estimates of temporal and spatial variations in the sources of organic aerosols at the land-sea interface of marginal seas, where carbon burial rates tend to be high.

Groundwater Depth Overrides Tree-Species Effects on the Structure of Soil Microbial Communities Involved in Nitrogen Cycling in Plantation Forests

Microbial communities found in soil ecosystems play important roles in decomposing organic materials and recycling nutrients. A clear understanding on how biotic and abiotic factors influence the microbial community and its functional role in ecosystems is fundamental to terrestrial biogeochemistry and plant production. The purpose of this study was to investigate microbial communities and functional genes involved in nitrogen cycling as a function of groundwater depth (deep and shallow), tree species (pine and eucalypt), and season (spring and fall). Soil fungal, bacterial, and archaeal communities were determined by length heterogeneity polymerase chain reaction (LH-PCR). Soil ammonia oxidation archaeal (AOA) amoA gene, ammonia oxidation bacterial (AOB) amoA gene, nitrite oxidoreductase nrxA gene, and denitrifying bacterial narG, nirK, nirS, and nosZ genes were further studied using PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Soil fungal and bacterial communities remained similar between tree species and groundwater depths, respectively, regardless of season. Soil archaeal communities remained similar between tree species but differed between groundwater depths in the spring only. Archaeal amoA for nitrification and bacterial nirK and nosZ genes for denitrification were detected in DGGE, whereas bacterial amoA and nrxA for nitrification and bacterial narG and nirS genes for denitrification were undetectable. The detected nitrification and denitrification communities varied significantly with groundwater depth. There was no significant difference of nitrifying archaeal amoA or denitrifying nirK communities between different tree species regardless of season. The seasonal difference in microbial communities and functional genes involved in nitrogen cycling suggests microorganisms exhibit seasonal dynamics that likely impact relative rates of nitrification and denitrification.

Phyconomy: the extensive cultivation of seaweeds, their sustainability and economic value, with particular reference to important lessons to be learned and transferred from the practice of eucheumatoid farming

ABSTRACTKappaphycus and Eucheuma, known collectively as ‘eucheumatoids’, are two related genera of red seaweeds which currently lead the rankings for volume of global production of farmed macroalgae. Since 2009, the combined cultivated volume of these carrageenophytes overtook that of the brown seaweeds Laminaria (Saccharina) and Undaria for global production tonnages, according to statistics of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The Southeast Asian region, particularly Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Tanzania, and East Africa are the major producers of eucheumatoid biomass. Despite several success stories of red seaweed cultivation and the economic and socioeconomic value of their ecosystem services, there remain a number of salutary lessons to be learned from ‘agronomic’ practices applicable to their extensive cultivation. These case studies should be further developed, analysed, and adopted as best-practice recommendations for future socioeconomic prosperity, as well as both economic and environmental sustainability. In this review, we propose the use of the term ‘phyconomy’ (i.e. large-scale production of marine macroalgae for economic and industrial purposes) as an alternative to the term agronomy (i.e. terrestrial plant production).

Cigarette butts have adverse effects on initial growth of perennial ryegrass (gramineae: Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (leguminosae: Trifolium repens L.)

Cigarette filters (butts) are currently the most abundant form of anthropogenic litter on the planet, yet we know very little about their environmental impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, including plant germination and primary production. When discarded, filters contain a myriad of chemicals resulting from smoking tobacco and some still contain unsmoked remnants. A greenhouse experiment was used to assess the impacts of discarded filters of regular or menthol cigarette, either from unsmoked, smoked, or smoked cigarettes with remnant tobacco, on the growth and development of Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) and Trifolium repens (white clover). After 21 days, shoot length and germination success were significantly reduced by exposure to any type of cigarette filter for the grass and clover. Although total grass biomass was not measurably affected, the root biomass and root:shoot ratio were less in the clover when exposed to filters from smoked regular cigarettes and those with remnant tobacco. Cigarette filters caused an increase in chlorophyll-a in clover shoots and an increase in chlorophyll-b in grass shoots. Accordingly, whilst the chlorophyll a:b ratio was increased in the clover exposed to cigarette filters, it was decreased in grass. This study indicates the potential for littered cigarette filters to reduce growth and alter short-term primary productivity of terrestrial plants.

Tuning water-use efficiency and drought tolerance in wheat using abscisic acid receptors.

Water availability is a key determinant of terrestrial plant productivity. Many climate models predict that water stress will increasingly challenge agricultural yields and exacerbate projected food deficits. To ensure food security and increase agricultural efficiency, crop water productivity must be increased. Research over past decades has established that the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is a central regulator of water use and directly regulates stomatal opening and transpiration. In this study, we investigated whether the water productivity of wheat could be improved by increasing its ABA sensitivity. We show that overexpression of a wheat ABA receptor increases wheat ABA sensitivity, which significantly lowers a plant's lifetime water consumption. Physiological analyses demonstrated that this water-saving trait is a consequence of reduced transpiration and a concomitant increase in photosynthetic activity, which together boost grain production per litre of water and protect productivity during water deficit. Our findings provide a general strategy for increasing water productivity that should be applicable to other crops because of the high conservation of the ABA signalling pathway.

A global map of soil bacteria

Biogeography Soil bacteria play key roles in regulating terrestrial carbon dynamics, nutrient cycles, and plant productivity. However, the natural histories and distributions of these organisms remain largely undocumented. Delgado-Baquerizo et al. provide a survey of the dominant bacterial taxa found around the world. In soil collections from six continents, they found that only 2% of bacterial taxa account for nearly half of the soil bacterial communities across the globe. These dominant taxa could be clustered into ecological groups of co-occurring bacteria that share habitat preferences. The findings will allow for a more predictive understanding of soil bacterial diversity and distribution. Science , this issue p. [320][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aap9516

Drivers of terrestrial plant production across broad geographical gradients

AbstractTerrestrial net primary production (NPP) varies across global climate gradients, but the mechanisms through which climate drives this variation remain subject to debate. Specifically, it is debatable whether NPP is primarily influenced by ‘direct’ effects of climate on the kinetics of plant metabolism or ‘indirect’ effects of climate on plant size, stand biomass, stand age structure and growing season length. We clarify several issues in this debate by presenting multiple lines of evidence that support a primarily indirect influence of climate on global variation in NPP across broad geographical gradients. First, we highlight &gt; 60 years of research that suggests leaf area, growing season length, plant biomass and/or plant age are better predictors of NPP than climate or latitude. Second, we refute recent claims that using biomass and age as predictors of NPP represents circular reasoning. Third, we illustrate why effects of climate on the kinetics of plant production must be evaluated using instantaneous (not annualized) rates of productivity. Fourth, we review recent analyses showing that the effects of biomass and age on NPP are much stronger than the effects of climate. Fifth, we present new analyses of a high‐quality NPP dataset that demonstrate further that biomass, age and growing season length are better predictors of global variation in NPP than climate variables. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that variation in NPP across global climate gradients primarily reflects the influence of climate on growing season length and stand biomass, as well as stand age, rather than the effects of temperature and precipitation on the kinetics of metabolism. However, this hypothesis should be evaluated further using larger, high‐quality observational and experimental datasets spanning multiple geographical scales.

Sea-ice induced growth decline in Arctic shrubs.

Measures of increased tundra plant productivity have been associated with the accelerating retreat of the Arctic sea-ice. Emerging studies document opposite effects, advocating for a more complex relationship between the shrinking sea-ice and terrestrial plant productivity. I introduce an autoregressive plant growth model integrating effects of biological and climatic conditions for analysing individual ring-width growth time series. Using 128 specimens of Salix arctica, S. glauca and Betula nana sampled across Greenland to Svalbard, an overall negative effect of the retreating June sea-ice extent was found on the annual growth. The negative effect of the retreating June sea-ice was observed for younger individuals with large annual growth allocations and with little or no trade-off between previous and current year's growth.

Sodium co-limits and catalyzes macronutrients in a prairie food web.

Nitrogen and phosphorus frequently limit terrestrial plant production, but have a mixed record in regulating the abundance of terrestrial invertebrates. We contrasted four ways that Na could interact with an NP fertilizer to shape the plants and invertebrates of an inland prairie. We applied NP and Na to m2 plots in a factorial design. Aboveground invertebrate abundance was independently co-limited by NaCl and NP, but with +NP plots supporting more individuals. We suggest the disparity arises because NP enhanced plant height by 35% (1SD) over controls, providing both food and habitat, whereas NaCl provides only food. Belowground invertebrates showed evidence of serial co-limitation, where NaCl additions alone were ineffectual, but catalyzed access to NP. This suggests the increased belowground food availability in NP plots increased Na demand. Na and NP supply rates vary with climate, land use, and with inputs like urine. The co-limitation and catalysis of N and P by Na thus has the potential for predicting patterns of abundance and diversity across spatial scales.

Corrigendum: Convergence of terrestrial plant production across global climate gradients.

Nature 512, 39–43 (2014); doi:10.1038/nature13470 It has come to our attention that in this Article, while translating the methods of Luo1 (originally written in Chinese), we did not appreciate that plant age (a) and stand biomass (Mtot) had been used to calculate net primary production (NPP). Thus,while the Luo data are appropriate for our analyses that used climate and environmental variables as predictors of NPP, they are not appropriate for those that use plant age and/or stand biomass as independent predictors as in our theoretical model.

Changes in atmospheric carbonyl sulfide over the last 54,000 years inferred from measurements in Antarctic ice cores

AbstractWe measured carbonyl sulfide (COS) in air extracted from ice core samples from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide, Antarctica, with the deepest sample dated to 54,300 years before present. These are the first ice core COS measurements spanning the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the last glacial/interglacial transition, and the early Holocene. The WAIS Divide measurements from the LGM and the last transition are the first COS measurements in air extracted from full clathrate (bubble‐free) ice. This study also includes new COS measurements from Taylor Dome, Antarctica, including some in bubbly glacial ice that are concurrent with the WAIS Divide data from clathrate glacial ice. COS hydrolyzes in ice core air bubbles, and the recovery of an atmospheric record requires correcting for this loss. The data presented here suggest that the in situ hydrolysis of COS is significantly slower in clathrate ice than in bubbly ice. The clathrate ice measurements are corrected for the hydrolysis loss during the time spent as bubbly ice only. The corrected WAIS Divide record indicates that atmospheric COS was 250–300 parts per trillion (ppt) during the LGM and declined by 80–100 ppt during the last glacial/interglacial transition to a minimum of 160–210 ppt at the beginning of the Holocene. This decline was likely caused by an increase in the gross primary productivity of terrestrial plants, with a possible contribution from a reduction in ocean sources. COS levels were above 300 ppt in the late Holocene, indicating that large changes in the COS biogeochemical cycle occurred during the Holocene.