Response of phytoliths in Leymus chinensis to the simulation of elevated global CO2 concentrations in Songnen Grassland, China

Measuring the response of terrestrial ecosystems to elevated CO₂ concentrations is very important for understanding the effects of global change. In this study, OTC (open top chambers) were used to simulate elevated CO₂ concentrations in the Songnen Grassland. As well, phytoliths in Leymus chinensis were extracted to study the relationships between phytoliths and CO₂ concentration. The results show the rondel is abundant in Leymus chinensis, while the trapeziform polylobate is rare. When phytolith production is increased, the rondel phytoliths grow bigger and the proportions of the different phytolith types changes under high CO2 con-centration. These types include elongate hollow, acicular hair cell, square and laminate and are only observed in samples grown under high CO₂ concentrations. All this evidence demonstrates that phytoliths in Leymus chinensis are sensitive to CO₂ concentration, and indicate that phytolith analysis may have potential use in the study of global change, identifying different ecotypes of Leymus chinensis and for the reconstruction of paleoatmospheric CO₂ concentrations.     

Simulation experiments on the reaction system of CH4-MgSO4-H2O

H2S-rich gas in carbonate reservoirs is usually attributed to thermochemical sulfate reduction （TSR）. In this paper, thermal simulation experiments on the reaction system of CH4-MgSO4-H2O were carried out using autoclave at 425℃--525℃. The threshold temperature for initiating TSR is much lower than our previous studies （550℃）. Properties of the reaction products were analyzed by microcoulometry, gas-chromatography （GC）, Fourier transform-infrared spectrometry （FT-IR） and X-ray diffraction （XRD） methods. Thermodynamics and reaction kinetics of TSR processes were investigated on the basis of the experimental data. The results show that thermochemical reduction of magnesium sulfate with methane can proceed spontaneously to produce magnesium oxide, hydrogen sulfur, and carbon dioxide as the main products, and high temperature is thermodynamically favorable to the reaction. Ac- cording to the reaction model, the calculated activation energy of TSR is 101.894 kJ/mol, which is lower than that by most previous studies. Mg^2＋ may have played a role of catalytic action in the process of TSR. The elementary steps of TSR and reaction mechanism were discussed tentatively. The study can provide important information on the explanation of geochemical depth limit for natural gas and on the generation of high H2S gas in deep carbonates reservoirs.     

Responses of plant rhizosphere to atmospheric CO2 enrichment

Plant root growth is generally stimulated under elevated CO₂. This will bring more carbon to the below-ground through root death and exudate. This potential increase in below-ground carbon sink may lead to changes in long-term soil sequestration and relationship between host plants and symbions. On the other hand, changes in litter components due to the changes in plant chemical composition may also affect soil processes, such as litter decomposition, soil organic matter sequestration and hetero-nutritional bacteria activities. These issues are discussed.     

CO2 background concentration in the atmosphere over the Chinese mainland

Based on the long-term monitoring data on CO₂ concentration, variation trend and characteristics of CO₂ background concentration in the atmosphere over the Chinese mainland are analyzed. Results show that the increasing trend of CO₂ background concentration in the atmosphere over the Chinese mainland has appeared during the period of 1991–2000. The average annual CO₂ growth increment is 1.59 μL/L, and the average annual CO₂ growth rate is 0.44%. Distinct seasonal variations of CO₂ background concentration are observed, and the averaged amplitude of CO₂ seasonal variations is 10.35 μL/L. Regional variation characteristics of CO₂ background concentration in the atmosphere and possible impact of human activities on these variations over the Chinese mainland are discussed as well.     

CH2(X3B1)分子的结构与解析势能函数

 运用密度泛函理论(DFT)的B3LYP方法在6-311++G^**水平上,对基态CH₂分子的结构进行了优化计算,得到CH₂分子的稳定结构为C_2v构型,电子态为X³B₁,平衡核间距R_CH=0.1072nm、离解能D_e=8.034eV,用多体项展式理论推导了基态CH₂分子的解析势能函数,其等值势能图准确再现了基态CH₂分子的结构特征及其势阱深度与位置.     

Changes of photosynthetic capacity of some plant species under very high CO2 concentrations in Biosphere 2

Conclusions The initial slope of A/ light curve became steep under high CO₂ (700 μmol · mol^-1) compared with that under low CO₂ (350 μmol · mol^-1) for the C₃ species growing in very high CO₂(>2 200 μmol · mol^-1) for a long period. The light compensation points remained unchanged, but the light saturation points were found increased. The ϕ_m,_app and A_max of the C₃ species increased respectively by 79 % and 80 %, while those of C₄ species decreased by 10% and 14%, respectively. The shape of A/light curve of C₄ species did not change. Such results indicated that C₃ species increased the capacity of photosynthesis, while C₄ did not change, otherwise it decreased a little. This work only compared the changes of capacity in photosynthesis of some species under different CO₂ levels in Biosphere 2. We need further investigation on the effects of high CO₂ on the same species outside Biosphere 2, in order to fully undertand the effects and mechanism of response of plants to the elevated CO₂.     

La对CH_4-CO_2重整反应催化剂性能的影响

采用等体积浸渍法制备了Ni/γ-Al2O3和Ni/La2O3-γ-Al2O3系列催化剂,通过固定床反应、热重分析等方法,考察了催化剂的性能。结果表明:Ni质量分数为10%的Ni/γ-Al2O3催化剂具有较高的活性;稀土元素La的加入,提高了催化剂的抗积炭性能;在相同的反应条件下,10%Ni/3%La2O3-γ-Al2O3催化剂的积炭量比10%Ni/γ-Al2O3催化剂积炭量降低了40%,稳定性大大提高。以Ni/La2O3-γ-Al2O3催化剂中Ni质量分数10%,并且La质量分数3%为最佳,实验条件下制得的合成气CO/H2接近1/1。     

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.     

CoFe2O4/SiO2纳米复合材料的制备及其磁性

采用溶胶-凝胶法制备（CoFe₂O₄）_x/（SiO₂）_1-x纳米复合材料. 利用X射线衍射（XRD）和振动样品磁强计（VSM）研究样品结构、 晶粒尺寸及磁性. 结果表明, 随SiO₂含量增加, 样品的晶粒尺寸减小, 比饱和磁化强度和矫顽力降低.      

Relationship between stomatal density and the changes of atmospheric CO2 concentrations

The relationship between the stomatal density of five woody plants endemic to China, i. e.Eucommia ulmoides, Quercus liaotungensis, Q. glandulifera var.brevipetiolata, Cyclocarya paliurus andFicus heteromorpha, and the atmospheric CO₂ concentrations was studied by observations on leaves of the herbarium-stored specimms(1920s–1990s). The results showed that the stomatal density inEucommia ulmoides, Quercus liaotungensis andQ. glandulifera var.brevipetiolata decreased significantly in response to the elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, while inCyclocarya paliurus it decreased slightly and inFicus heteromorpha there were no responses.     

CH4-CO2的高温半焦重整反应实验

以自制的半焦作为催化剂,研究了在小型的固定床中CH4和CO2的高温重整.实验表明,CH4,CO2在不同的催化剂和不同的温度下有不同的转化率,而且温度越高,CH4,CO2的转化率越高.在采用自制半焦制得的催化剂、温度为900℃且无N2作为平衡气的情况下,CO2和CH4的转化率分别为69.1%,28.9%,在1 050℃时,有N2其转化率则高达95.2%,91.2%.若没有催化剂存在,CO2和CH4转化率明显低于有催化剂存在的情况,如在1 000℃时,有催化剂下CO2和CH4的转化率分别为93.5%,76.6%,无催化剂时,转化率仅为32.0%,11.9%;加入适量的N2,可有效提高CH4的转化率.本实验证明了自制半焦催化剂能满足CH4-CO2高温重整反应的需要.     

Preparation and magnetic properties of CoFe2O4/TiO2 composite films

Using （Ti（OC4H9）4） and metal chlorates as starting materials, CoFe2O4/TiO2 composite films were prepared by sol-gel method. The effects of heat treatment temperature and pH of the precursor on microstructure and magnetic properties were studied. The phase structure of the samples was examined by X-ray diffraction. The microstructure was examined by scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope and polarized microscope. The magnetic property was measured by vibrating sample magnetometer. The results show that the crystals of different phases grow up independently. CoFe2O4 is uniformly embedded into the TiO2 matrix in the prepared composite films, and the growth of composite films is dependent on the heat treatment temperatures and PH of the precursor. The average size of CoFe2O4 crystal is 19 nm in Nanocomposite film prepared when the heat treatment temperature is 800℃ and the pH of the precursor is between 2 and 3. The magnetism of the composite films is enhanced as the heat treatment temperature increases.     

CO2和CH4二元混合气体对页岩 渗透特性的影响

针对CO_2强化页岩气开采新技术中CO_2-CH_4二元混合气体在页岩层中的渗透特性变化的问题,选取四川盆地下志留统龙马溪组页岩试样,基于自主研发的"三轴渗流实验系统",开展不同配比的CO_2-CH_4二元混合气体在2类地应力条件下的渗流试验.试验结果表明:保持二元气体混合比例恒定,页岩渗透率随气体压力的增加而减小;保持气体压力恒定,页岩的渗透率随二元气体混合比例的改变而变化,纯CO_2时渗透率最低,纯CH_4最大,在混合气中CH_4浓度越低,页岩渗透率越低;在注气过程中,气体加压和卸压引起页岩喉道、孔隙产生塑性变形和吸附滞后,造成页岩渗透率的滞后.     

Combined effects of solar UV radiation and CO2-induced seawater acidification on photosynthetic carbon fixation of phytoplankton assemblages in the South China Sea

We carried out short term pCO₂/pH perturbation experiments in the coastal waters of the South China Sea to evaluate the combined effects of seawater acidification (low pH/high pCO₂) and solar UV radiation (UVR, 280–400 nm) on photosynthetic carbon fixation of phytoplankton assemblages. Under photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) alone treatments, reduced pCO² (190 ppmv) with increased pH resulted in a significant decrease in the photosynthetic carbon fixation rate (about 23%), while enriched pCO₂ (700 ppmv) with lowered pH had no significant effect on the photosynthetic performance compared to the ambient level. The apparent photosynthetic efficiency decreased under the reduced pCO₂ level, probably due to C-limitation as well as energy being diverged for up-regulation of carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs). In the presence of UVR, both UV-A and UV-B caused photosynthetic inhibition, though UV-A appeared to enhance the photosynthetic efficiency under lower PAR levels. UV-B caused less inhibition of photosynthesis under the reduced pCO₂ level, probably because of its contribution to the inorganic carbon (Ci)-acquisition processes. Under the seawater acidification conditions (enriched pCO₂), both UV-A and UV-B reduced the photosynthetic carbon fixation to higher extents compared to the ambient pCO₂ conditions. We conclude that solar UV and seawater acidification could synergistically inhibit photosynthesis.     

Leaf cuticular characters of Ginkgo and implications for paleoatmospheric CO2 in the Jurassic

A combination of carbon isotope composition and stomatal characters of fossil leaves provides information about paleoatmospheric CO₂ levels and the physiology of fossil plants. Plant anatomy, physiology, and geochemistry have been employed to reconstruct the paleoatmospheric CO2 concentrations throughout Jurassic time and to investigate the physiological response of fossil Ginkgo to an atmosphere of much higher CO₂ than usual. Our results show that fossil Ginkgo in China lived in an atmosphere with a CO₂ concentration 3—5 times higher than that of today. It used a carbon isotopic discrimination similar to that of the living plant, but had much higher water use efficiency (3—5 times that of the extant). The physiological traits of Ginkgo in different atmospheres suggest that CO₂ might have played a contributory role in the rise and fall of maidenhair trees.     

Leaf cuticular characters of Ginkgo and implications for paleoatmospheric CO2 in the Jurassic

A combination of carbon isotope composition and stomatal characters of fossil leaves provides information about paleoatmospheric CO₂ levels and the physiology of fossil plants. Plant anatomy, physiology, and geochemistry have been employed to reconstruct the paleoatmospheric CO2 concentrations throughout Jurassic time and to investigate the physiological response of fossil Ginkgo to an atmosphere of much higher CO₂ than usual. Our results show that fossil Ginkgo in China lived in an atmosphere with a CO₂ concentration 3—5 times higher than that of today. It used a carbon isotopic discrimination similar to that of the living plant, but had much higher water use efficiency (3—5 times that of the extant). The physiological traits of Ginkgo in different atmospheres suggest that CO₂ might have played a contributory role in the rise and fall of maidenhair trees.     

Degradation of 2, 4-D acid using Mn2+ as catalyst under UV irradiation

In this paper, the oxidative degradation of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D) using Mn²⁺/H₂O₂ reagent under UV irradiation was studied. The results show that 2, 4-D was degraded more completely in Mn²⁺/H₂O₂ solution than traditional Fenton solutions. The effects of the concentration of Mn²⁺, H₂O₂ and pH were also investigated. And under the optimal condition of 1.48×10⁻⁴ mol/L, 8.99×10⁻⁵ mol/L and pH 3.38, the formation of ·OH was the most, both the decomposition rate of H₂O₂ and the degradation rate of 2, 4-D were the fastest. In addition, the photoreaction process was monitored using spin-trapping electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and the results indicated that the oxidative process was predominated mainly by the hydroxyl radical (·OH) gennerated in the system. Biography: HUANG Yingping (1964–), Professor, Ph. D., research direction: pollution ecology and water pollution control.     

Trend, seasonal and diurnal variations of atmospheric CO2 in Beijing

The concentration of atmospheric CO₂ in Beijing increased rapidly at a mean growth rate of 3.7% · a⁻¹ from 1993 to 1995. After displaying a peak of (409.7±25.9) μmol · mol⁻¹ in 1995, it decreased slowly. Both the almost stable anthropogenic CO₂ source and increasing biotic CO₂ sink contribute to the drop of CO₂ concentration from 1995 to 2000. The seasonal variation of CO₂ concentration exhibits a clear cycle with a maximum in winter, averaging (426.8±20.6) μmol · mol⁻¹, and a minimum in summer, averaging (369.1±6.1) μmol·mol⁻¹. The seasonal variation of CO₂ concentration is mainly controlled by phenology. The mean diurnal variation of atmospheric CO₂ concentration for a year in Beijing is highly clear: daily maximum CO₂ concentration usually occurs at night, but daily minimum CO₂ concentration does in the daytime, with a mean diurnal difference more than 34.7 μmol·mol⁻¹. It has been revealed that the interannual variations of atmospheric CO₂ concentration in winter and autumn regulated the interannual trend of atmospheric CO₂, whereas the interannual variation of CO₂ concentration in summer affected the general tendency of atmospheric CO₂ in a less degree.     

CO2-水-方解石相互作用后岩石表观形貌及渗透率变化特征

将CO_2注入地下油藏用于驱替原油是减少温室气体的排放及提高原油采收率的一种有效方法。CO_2注入地层后会与地层流体和岩石发生反应,其中岩石组成中的碳酸盐矿物极易与CO_2和水发生反应导致储层岩石物性发生改变。论文以方解石为代表样品,采用X射线衍射仪(XRD),电诱导双等离子体原子排放光谱测定仪(ICP-AES),扫描电镜(SEM)及在5 MPa压力下填砂模型的试验方法进行评价,分别考察了方解石的矿物学性质、CO_2-水-方解石反应前后方解石的表面物性、反应前后溶液的离子浓度变化及方解石填砂模型与CO_2、水反应后渗透率的变化。实验结果表明,与CO_2和水反应后,方解石出现溶蚀现象;反应压力增加,方解石溶蚀现象增加,反应后溶液中Ca~(2+)、HCO_3~-浓度增加;反应温度增加,方解石溶蚀现象增加,反应后溶液中Ca~(2+)、HCO_3~-浓度先增加,后降低;与CO_2和水反应后的方解石/石英砂填砂模型水测渗透率增加。