Carbon isotopic composition,turnover and origins of soil CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in a monsoon evergreen broadleaf forest in the Dinghushan Biosphere Reservoir,South China

Carbon isotopic compositions of soil CO2 in rainy season (July) from two natural soil profiles (DHLS & DHS) in the monsoon evergreen broadleaf forest in the Dinghushan Biosphere Reservoir (DBR), South China, are presented. Turnover and origins of soil CO₂ are preliminarily discussed in this paper. Results show that the content of soil CO2 varies between 6120 and 18718 ppmv, and increases with increasing depth until 75 cm, and then it declines. In DHLS, soil CO₂ δ¹³C ranges from −24.71‰ to −24.03‰, showing a significant inverse correlation (R²＝0.91) with the soil CO₂ content in the same layer. According to a model related to soil CO₂ δ¹³C, the soil CO₂ is mainly derived from the root respiration (>80%) in DHLS. While in DHS, where soil CO₂ ? 13C ranges from −25.19‰ to −22.82‰, soil CO₂ is primarily originated from the decomposition of organic matter (51%–94%), excluding the surface layer (20 cm, 90%). Radiocarbon data suggest that the carbon in soil CO₂ is modern carbon in both DHLS and DHS. Differences in ¹⁴C ages between the “oldest” and “youngest” soil CO₂ in DHLS and DHS are 8 months and 14 months, respectively, indicating that soil CO₂ in DHLS has a faster turnover rate than that in DHS. The ¹⁴C values of soil CO₂, which range between 100.0‰ and 107.2‰ and between 102.5‰ and 112.1‰ in DHLS and DHS, respectively, are obviously higher than those of current atmospheric CO₂ and SOC in the same layer, suggesting that soil CO₂ is likely an important reservoir for Bomb-¹⁴C in the atmosphere.     

Comparative study of the net exchange of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in 3 types of vegetation ecosystems on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Using the eddy covariance method, from 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004, we conducted the observation and analysis of ecosystem CO2 flux in 3 types of alpine meadow vegetation （Kobresia humilis, Potentilla fruticosa shrub and Kobresia tibetica swamp meadows） on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The results show that the Kobresia humilis meadow, the shrub meadow and the swamp meadow＇s highest CO2 uptake rates are 16.78, 10.42 and 16.57 μmol·m^-2·-s^-1 respectively, while their highest CO2 release rates are 8.22, 7.73 and 18.67μmol·m^-2·-s^-1 respectively. The Kobresia humilis meadow and shrub meadow＇s annual atmospheric uptakes are 282 g CO2/m^2 and 53 g CO2/m^2, respectively, while swamp meadow＇s annual atmospheric release is 478 g CO2/m^2. This proves that the Kobresia humilis meadow and the shrub meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau have relatively low potential for CO2 uptake and release compared to C4 grasslands, a number of lowland grasslands, and forests. Moreover, swamp meadow has relatively high release potential. This, in turn, reveals clear differences in carbon source/sink between different types of vegetation in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau alpine meadow ecosystem. These differences are mainly brought by differences in the vegetations＇ photosynthetic capacity and soil respiration.     

Effects of Yb^3＋ codoping on visible and near infrared emissions of Er^3＋-Yb^3＋ codoped Al2O3 powders by the sol-gel method

The 0.1 mol% Er^3＋ and 0-2 mol% Yb^3＋ codoped Al2O3 powders were prepared by the sol-gel method, and the phase structure, including only two crystalline types of doped Al2O3 phase, γ-（Al,Er, Yb）2O3 and θ-（Al,Er, Yb）2O3, was detected at the sintering temperature of 1000℃. The visible and near infrared emissions properties depended strongly on the Yb^3＋ codoping, and the corresponding maximal peak intensities centered at about 523, 545, 660 and 1533 nm were obtained respectively for the 0.1 mol% Er^3＋ and 0.5 mol% Yb^3＋ codoped Al2O3 powders, which were composed of θ-（Al,Er,Yb）2O3 and a small amount of γ-（Al,Er, Yb）2O3 phases. The two-photon absorption process was responsible for the visible up-conversion emissions, and the one-photon absorption process was involved in the near infrared emissions of the Er^3＋-yb^3＋ codoped Al2O3 powders.     

Effect of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> concentrations on the activity of photosynthetic CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> fixation and extracelluar carbonic anhydrase in the marine diatom <Emphasis Type="Italic">Skeletonema costatum</Emphasis>

The growth and activity of photosynthetic CO2 uptake and extracellular carbonic anhydrase (CAext) of the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum were investigated while cultured at different levels of CO2 in order to see its physio-logical response to different CO2 concentrations under either a low (30 靘ol·m-2·s-1) or high (210 靘ol·m-2·s-1) irradiance. The changes in CO2 concentrations (4—31 靘ol/L) affected the growth and net photosynthesis to a greater extent under the low than under the high light re-gime. CAext was detected in the cells grown at 4 mol/L CO2 but not at 31 and 12 靘ol/L CO2, with its activity being about 2.5-fold higher at the high than at the low irradiance. Photo- synthetic CO2 affinity (1/ K1/2(CO2)) of the cells de-creased with increased CO2 concentrations in culture. The cells cultured under the high-light show significantly higher photosynthetic CO2 affinity than those grown at the low-light level. It is concluded that the regulations of CAext activity and photosynthetic CO2 affinity are dependent not only on CO2 concentration but also on light availability, and that the de-velopment of higher CAext activity and CO2 affinity under higher light level could sufficiently support the photosyn-thetic demand for CO2 even at low level of CO2.     

Diurnal and monthly variations of carbon dioxide flux in an alpine shrub on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Long-term flux observation is an efficient approachto collect CO2 emission or assimilation data in an ecosys-tem. In cooperation with a series of international coopera-tion programs including those sponsored by IGBP (Inter-national Geosphere-Biosphere Program), WCRP (WorldClimate Research Program), IHDP (International HumanDimension of Global Environment Change), GCTE(Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystem) and LUCC(Land Use and Land Cover Change), a lot of researchwork conce…     

Coral reef ecosystems in the South China Sea as a source of atmospheric CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in summer

Field measurements of air-sea CO2 exchange in three coral reef areas of the South China Sea (i.e. the Yongshu Reef atoll of the Nansha Islands, southern South China Sea (SCS); Yongxing Island of Xisha Islands, north-central SCS; and Luhuitou Fringing Reef in Sanya of Hainan Island, northern SCS) during the summers of 2008 and 2009 revealed that both air and surface seawater partial pressures of CO2 (pCO2) showed regular diurnal cycles. Minimum values occurred in the evening and maximum values in the morning. Air pCO2 in each of the three study areas showed small diurnal variations, while large diurnal variations were ob-served in seawater pCO2. The diurnal variation amplitude of seawater pCO2 was ~70 μmol mol–1 at the Yongshu Reef lagoon, 420–619 μmol mol–1 on the Yongxing Island reef flat, and 264–579 μmol mol–1 on the reef flat of the Luhuitou Fringing Reef, and 324–492 μmol mol–1 in an adjacent area just outside of this fringing reef. With respect to spatial relations, there were large differences in air-sea CO2 flux across the South China Sea (e.g. ~0.4 mmol CO2 m–2 d–1 at Yongshu Reef, ~4.7 mmol CO2 m–2 d–1 at Yongxing Island, and ~9.8 mmol CO2 m–2 d–1 at Luhuitou Fringing Reef). However, these positive values suggest that coral reef ecosystems of the SCS may be a net source of CO2 to the atmosphere. Additional analyses indicated that diurnal variations of surface seawater pCO2 in the shallow water reef flat are controlled mainly by biological metabolic processes, while those of deeper water lagoons and outer reef areas are regulated by both biological metabolism and hydrodynamic factors. Unlike the open ocean, inorganic metabolism plays a significant role in influencing seawater pCO2 variations in coral reef ecosystems.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> gas emplacement age in the Songliao Basin: Insight from volcanic quartz <Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar-<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar stepwise crushing

Due to a lack of suitable minerals, the gas/oil emplacement ages have never been accurately obtained before. CH₄-CO₂-saline- bearing secondary inclusions are found in quartz from the volcanic rocks of the Yingcheng Formation, the container rocks of the deep CO₂ gas reservoir in the Songliao Basin. The inclusion fluid was trapped into microcracks in quartz during the gas emplacement and accumulation, providing an optimal target for the ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar stepwise crushing technique to determine the CO₂ gas emplacement age. ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar dating results of a quartz sample by stepwise crushing yield a highly linear-regression isochron with an age of 78.4±1.3 Ma, indicating that the accumulation of the deep CO₂ gas reservoir in the Songliao Basin occurred in the late Cretaceous. This is the first time to report an exact isotopic age for a CO₂ gas reservoir, which indicates that the ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar dating can serve as a new technique to date the oil/gas emplacement ages.     

Synthesis and modification of well-ordered layered cathode oxide LiNi<Subscript>2/3</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>1/3</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Oxalic-acid-based co-precipitation method was employed to prepare LiNi_2/3Mn_1/3O₂ sample with a high-ordered structure. Li⁺, Ni²⁺ and Mn²⁺ acetates were used as starting materials. The influence of the amount of lithium source in the starting materials on Li⁺ content, disorder of Li⁺-Ni²⁺ ions, and electrochemical performance has been investigated. Rietveld refinement shows that the sample prepared with 20% excess Li-source in the starting materials exhibits a perfect ordered structure. A specific discharge capacity is as high as 172 mAh/g at C/20 in the voltage range of 4.35–2.7 V. However, the cyclability is not satisfactory: about 25.3% fade in capacity was observed over 50 cycles. Chemically stable SiO2 was coated on the surface of LiNi_2/3Mn_1/3O₂ particles. A significant improvement in cyclability was attained with 3 wt% SiO2 coating, which is ascribable to the protection of LiNi_2/3Mn_1/3O₂ particles from being dissolved into the electrolyte.     

Effect of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O on gasification dissolution and deep reaction of coke

To more comprehensively analyze the effect of CO₂ and H₂O on the gasification dissolution reaction and deep reaction of coke, the reactions of coke with CO₂ and H₂O using high temperature gas-solid reaction apparatus over the range of 950-1250℃ were studied, and the thermodynamic and kinetic analyses were also performed. The results show that the average reaction rate of coke with H₂O is about 1.3-6.5 times that with CO₂ in the experimental temperature range. At the same temperature, the endothermic effect of coke with H₂O is less than that with CO₂. As the pressure increases, the gasification dissolution reaction of coke shifts to the high-temperature zone. The use of hydrogen-rich fuels is conducive to decreasing the energy consumed inside the blast furnace, and a corresponding high-pressure operation will help to suppress the gasification dissolution reaction of coke and reduce its deterioration. The interfacial chemical reaction is the main rate-limiting step over the experimental temperature range. The activation energies of the reaction of coke with CO₂ and H₂O are 169.23 kJ·mol-1 and 87.13 kJ·mol-1, respectively. Additionally, water vapor is more likely to diffuse into the coke interior at a lower temperature and thus aggravates the deterioration of coke in the middle upper part of blast furnace.     

Temporal and spatial distribution of tropospheric CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> over China based on satellite observations

Mid-troposphere CO₂ data retrieved by the AIRS (atmospheric infrared sounder) were validated with five ground-based stations and aircraft measurements in the Northern Hemisphere. AIRS CO₂ products show good agreement with ground and aircraft observations. The data had a monthly average accuracy better than 3 ppmv. In this study, the spatial and temporal distribution of mid-troposphere CO₂ from January 2003 to December 2008 was analyzed based on this satellite product. The average concentration of atmospheric CO₂ was higher in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere. The yearly average results show a gradual increase from 2003 to 2008. In China, the annual growth rate was about 2 ppmv/a, similar to the United States, Europe, Australia and India, but was slightly lower than Canada and Russia. Mid-troposphere CO₂ concentrations were higher over northern China than over southern areas, due to differences in natural conditions and industrial layout. There were four centers of high CO₂ concentration between 35° and 45°N over China, with low concentrations over Yunnan Province. There was a significant seasonal CO₂ variation with peak concentration in spring and the lowest concentration in autumn.     

Investigation of the cross-reaction mechanism of C<Subscript>6</Subscript>H<Subscript>5</Subscript>F-HNO<Subscript>2</Subscript> aqueous solution irradiated at 355 nm by transient absorbance spectrum technique

The transient absorption spectrum technique was employed to investigate the cross-reaction mechanism of C6H5F-HNO2 aqueous solution irradiated at 355 nm. The characteristic and the kinetic parameters of transient species were also detected. Hydroxyl radical derived from the photolysis of HNO2 was added to monofluorobenzene with a second-order rate constant of （5.83±0.17）×10^9 L·mol^-1·s^-1 to form an adduct, C6H5F…OH, which was able to react with HNO2 as the main reaction pathway with a rate constant of （8.3±0.1）×10^7 L·mol^-1·s^-1. The C6F6…OH adduct can also be decayed by elimination of H2O to yield monofluorophenyl radical C6H4F-. By GC-MS technique, the final products were identified to be monofluorophenol, nitro-monofluorobenzene, nitro-monofluorophenol and para-fluorobiphenyl.     

Near-infrared to visible up-conversion emissions of Er^3＋ doped Al2O3 powders derived from the sol-gel method

The Er3 doped Al2O3 powders were prepared by the sol-gel method using the aluminium isopropoxide [Al(OC3H7)3]-derived Al2O3 sols with addition of the erbium nitrate [Er(NO3)3.5H2O]. The different phase structure, including three crystalline types of (Al,Er)2O3 phases, γ, θ, α, and two Er-Al-O phases, ErAlO3 and Al10Er6O24, was obtained with the 1 mol% Er3 doped Al2O3 powders at the different sintering temperatures of 600―1200℃. The green and red up-conversion emissions centered at about 523, 545 and 660 nm, corresponding respectively to the 2H11/2, 4S3/2→4I15/2 and 4F9/2→4I15/2 transitions of Er3 , were detected by a 978 nm semiconductor laser diodes excitation. The phase structure and OH content had evident influence on the up-conversion emissions intensity. The maximum intensities of both the green and red emissions were obtained respectively for the Er3 doped Al2O3 powders sintered at 1200 ℃, which was composed mainly of α-(Al,Er)2O3, less of ErAlO3 and Al10Er6O24 phases, and with the least OH content. The two-photon absorption up-conversion process was involved in the green and red up-conversion emissions of the Er3 doped Al2O3 powders.     

Responses of rice growth to copper stress under free-air CO2 enrichment （FACE）

The responses of rice to the second degree contamination of copper were studied by pot experiments under free-air CO2 enrichment （FACE） with 570 μmol ·mol^-1 of CO2. The results showed that the content of copper in rice leaves was reduced with the CO2 concentration reaching 570 μmol· mol^-1 and this happened more significantly under the second degree contamination of copper. Under FACE, activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD） enzyme in rice leaves treated by copper contamination were induced, whereas the contents of glutathione （GSH） and glutathione disulfide （GSSG） had no significant difference from the control. In the presence of ambient CO2, activities of SOD enzyme treated by copper pollution were suppressed during the whole rice growth, however, the contents of GSH and GSSG were induced at tillering and jointing stages, and then restored to the control levels in later growth under the second degree contamination of copper. With the rice growing, the content of malondialdehyde （MDA） rises continuously, but there had been no significant difference between the treatments at the same growth stage. Further studies are needed on the response mechanism of rice to Cu stress under elevated CO2.     

Preparation and luminescence characteristics of Sr3SiO5：Eu^2＋ phosphor for white LED

The Sr3SiO5：Eu^2＋ phosphor was synthesized by high temperature solid-state reaction. The emission spectrum of Sr3SiO5：Eu^2＋ shows two bands centered at 487 and 575 nm, which well agree with the theoretic values of emission spectrum. The excitation spectrum for 575 nm emission center has several excitation bands at 365, 418, 458 and 473 nm. And the results show that the emission spectrum of Sr3SiO5：Eu^2＋ is influenced by the Eu^2＋ concentration. The relative emission spectra of the white-emitting InGaN-based YAG：Ce^3＋ LED and Sr3SiO5：Eu^2＋ LED were investigated. The results show that the color development of InGaN-based Sr3SiO5：Eu^2＋ is better than that of InGaN-based YAG：Ce^3＋, and the CIE chromaticity of InGaN-based Sr3SiO5：Eu^2＋ is （x=0.348, y=0.326）.     

Electronic structures and nonlinear optical properties of XAuPH<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The studies on model systems XAuPH3(X-H,F,Cl,Br,I,CN,CH3)have been carried out by using ab intiol HF and DFT B3LYP methods at pseudopotential and double-zeta LANL2DZ level.The results are compared with those of MP2,The properties of the models.i.e.the atomic net charge populations.the frontier molecular orbitals and nonlinear optical(NLO)properties have been investigated under an applied electric field on the basis of optimized structures.The computational results show that for these models characterized as electron acceptor-metal-electron donor(A-M-D)system,the NLO properties are due to intramolecular charge-transfer interaction between the acceptor and the donor.The more charges transfer gives,the better NLO properties.In the selected model systems,IAuPH3 has the biggest βvec and γof 1184.1942 a.u.and 17341.9214 a.u.,whereas IC6H4PH3^ ,A TYPICAL a-π-D organic conjugated system,has βvec and γof 710.7697 and 11664.1405 a.u.respectively.In comparison.IAuPH3 has significant NLO properties.     

Silicon field emission arrays coated with CN<Subscript>x</Subscript> thin films

Arrays of silicon micro-tips were made by etching the p-type (1 0 0) silicon wafers which had SiO₂ masks with alkaline solution. The density of the micro-tips is 2×10⁴ cm⁻². The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) photos showed that the tips in these arrays are uniform and orderly. The CN_x thin film, with the thickness of 1.27 μm was deposited on the silicon micro-tip arrays by using the middle frequency magnetron sputtering technology. The SEM photos showed that the films on the tips are smoothly without particles. Keeping the sharpness of the tips will benefit the properties of field emission. The X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS) showed that carbon, nitrogen and oxygen are the three major elements in the surfaces of the films. The percents of them are C: 69.5%, N: 12.6% and O: 17.9%. The silicon arrays coated with CN_x thin films had shown a good field emission characterization. The emission current intensity reached 3.2 mA/cm² at 32.8 V/μm, so it can be put into use. The result showed that the silicon arrays coated with CN_x thin films are likely to be good field emission cathode. The preparation and the characterization of the samples were discussed in detail. Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (19975035) Biography: Chen Ming an (1978-), male, Ph. D candidate, research direction: novel functional materials film and ion beam modification of materials.     

I-doping of anodized TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotubes using an electrochemical method

In order to obtain TiO2 with high photocatalytic activity, a cathode reduction was used to dope I⁷⁺ and I⁵⁺ into TiO₂ nanotubes of anodized Ti in C₂H₂O₄•2H₂O + NH₄F electrolyte. SEM images show that the anodization method integrated the preparation with the doping process, which for nonmetals-doping is advantageous to maintain the morphological integrity of TiO₂ nanotubes. I⁷⁺-I⁵⁺-doping enhances the UV response of TiO₂ and result in a red-shift. Under UV/visible irradiation, a I⁷⁺-I⁵⁺-doped sample (400°C) showed the highest I_ph and photocatalytic efficiency. A part of I^– in the I⁷⁺-I⁵⁺-doped sample is involved in the UV response, the red-shift and the higher I_ph.     

Effect of elevated CO2 on CH4 emission

Global CH₄ emission may increase under CO₂ enrichment condition, which is projected for the future. CO₂ enrichment could affect CH₄ emission in two ways: (i) Photosynthesis of plants that also include plants in rice paddies and natural wetlands will be stimulated under CO₂ enrichment condition. CH₄ emission rate may be increased due to the accumulation of more plant biomass, root exudes and soil organic matters. (ii) Combined with other global warming forces, CO₂ enrichment may bring a change of atmospheric temperature and precipitation around the world. CH₄ emission will also be changed with the variation of the area and distribution of rice paddies and natural wetlands.     

Effects of acetylene at low concentrations on nitrification, mineralization and microbial biomass nitrogen concentrations in forest soils

Temperate forest surface soils at the varying distances from main trunks (e.g., Pinus koraiensis and Quercus mongolica) were used to study the effects of acetylene (C₂H₂) at low concentrations on nitrification, mineralization and microbial biomass N concentrations of the soils, and to assess the contribution of heterotrophic nitrification to nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from soils. The use of acetylene at partial pressures within a range from 10 to 100 Pa C₂H₂ in headspace gas gave a significant decrease in N₂O emission at soil moisture of c. 45% water-filled porosity space, and the decrease was almost the same in each soil after exposure of C₂H₂ at low concentrations. Heterotrophic nitrification could account for 21%―48% of total N₂O emission from each soil; the contribution would increase with increasing distances from the Pinus koraiensis trunks rather than from the Quercus mongolica trunks. Under the experimental conditions, the use of C₂H₂ at low concentrations showed no significant influence on soil microbial biomass N, net N mineralization and microbial respiration. However, 100 Pa C₂H₂ in headspace gas could reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from soils. According to the rapid consumption of 10 Pa C₂H₂ by forest soils and convenience for laboratory incubations, 50 Pa C₂H₂ in headspace gas can be used to study the origin of N₂O emissions from forest soils under aerobic conditions and the key associated driving mechanisms. The N₂O and CO₂ emissions from the soils at the same distances from the Quercus mongolica trunks were larger than those from the Pinus koraiensis trunks, and both emissions decreased as the distances from trunks increased. The stepwise regression analysis showed that 95% of the variability in soil CO₂ emissions could be accounted for by the concentrations of soil total C and water soluble organic C and soil pH, and that 72% of the variability in soil N₂O emissions could be accounted for by the concentrations of soil total N, exchangeable NH⁺₄-N and microbial biomass N and 25% of the variability in heterotrophic nitrification by the soil microbial biomass N concentration. The emissions of N₂O and CO₂ from forest soils after exposure of C₂H₂ at low concentrations were positively related to the net nitrification of the soils.     

Kinetic studies of the decomposition reaction of adducts of dinuclear Fe(Ⅱ)/O2

Kinetic studies of the decomposition reaction of dinuclear Fe(Ⅱ) adducts [Fe₂(N-Et-HPTB){O₂P(OPh)₂}](Cl- O₄)₂ (1) and [Fe₂(N-Et-HPTB) {O₂P(Ph)₂}] (ClO₄)₂ (2) with O₂ have been carried out at low temperature using UV-vis spectra. The decomposition reaction of Fe(Ⅱ)/O₂ adducts was first-order in the experimental conditions, and the activation parameters were obtained. ?H^¹ = 85.62 kJ·mol^-1, ?S¹ = 19.43 J·mol^-1·K^-1 for compound (1) and ?H^¹ = 97.97 kJ·mol^-1, ?S^¹ = 55.68 J·mol^-1·K^-1 for compound (2). These results are similar to those of dioxygen adducts of other metals complexes and natural enzymes such as methane mono- oxygenase (MMOH).