The contribution of root respiration to soil CO2 efflux in Puccinellia tenuiflora dominated community in a semi-arid meadow steppe

Rising atmospheric CO2 and temperature are altering ecosystem carbon cycling. Grasslands play an important role in regional climate change and global carbon cycle. Below-ground processes play a key role in the grassland carbon cycle because they regulate …     

Validating a dust production model by field experiment in Mu Us Desert, China

It is essential for validation and improvement of a dust production model to perform field observations on dust emissions. The dust production model (DPM model) consists of two physically explicit sub-models, namely saltation model [1, 2] (eq. (1)) and sandblasting model [3] (eqs. (2) and (3)). Fh is saltation flux, E is fraction of erodible surface, C is a dimensional constant, ρa is air density, g is gravitational acceleration, U* is the wind friction velocity, Ut*(Dp) is threshold frict…     

Effects of nitrogen sources and glucose on the consumption of ethylene and methane by temperate volcanic forest surface soils

There is limited knowledge with regard to the consumption of ethylene (C2H4) and methane (CH4) in volcanic forest soils containing low microbial carbon-to-organic carbon ratio, and to the responses of both consumptions to nitrogen and carbon additions. Temperate volcanic forest surface soils under three forest stands (e.g. Pinus sylvestris L., Cryptomeria japonica and Quercus serrata) were used to compare CH4 and C2H4 consumption by forest soils, and to study the effects of nitrogen sources and glucose on both consumptions. There was a good parallel between CH4 and C2H4 consumption by for- est soils, but mineralization reduced CH4 consumption rather than C2H4 consumption in forest soils, particularly in a Pinus forest soil. The stimulatory effect of glucose addition on both CH4 and C2H4 consumption by forest soils was increased by increasing the pre-incubation period after glucose addi- tion, and a largest stimulation occurred in the Pinus forest soil. The addition of KNO3-N at the rate of 100 μg·g1 significantly reduced the consumptions of both C2H4 and CH4 by forest soils (P≤0.05). In the presence of urea plus dicyandiamide, the consumption rates of C2H4 and CH4 by forest soils were higher than those in the KNO3-N and urea-N treated soils at the same N rate (P≤0.05), but were similar to those of the control. Hence, under experimental conditions, there was a strong inhibitory effect of NO3 rather than NH4 addition on the CH4 and C2H4 consumption in these forest soils. When amount of the added NO3-N increased up to more than 2―3 times the soil initial NO3-N concentrations, both C2H4 and CH4 consumption rates were reduced to 10%―20% of the rates in soils without nitrate addition. By comparing the three forest stands, it was shown that there was a smallest effective concentration of the added nitrate that could inhibit C2H4 and CH4 consumption in the Pinus forest soil, which indicated that C2H4 and CH4 consumption of the soil was more sensitive to NO3-N addition.     

Flow-injection microcolumn on-line preconcentration for the determination of chromium (VI)

A rapid and sensitive on-line preconcentration method for spectrophotometric determination of chromium (VI) in nature water is described. Preconcentration and determination are based on (i) the quantitative and fast adsorption of chromium (VI) on the high surface area nanometer-size TiO₂ (anatase) powders, which prepared by a sol-gel method from hydrolysis of TiCl₄ and (ii) the quantitative and reproducible elution of Cr (VI) by 2.0 mol·L⁻¹ HCl. A mini-column system for preconcentration is developed, Cr(VI) on the mini-column is eluted and merged with a stream water and DPCB (1,5-diphenylcarbazide) as the chromogenic reagent. The proposed system permits throughputs of 6 sample h⁻¹ (0.001 μg·mL⁻¹ Cr(VI)) or 20 sample h⁻¹ (0.1 μg·mL⁻¹ Cr(VI)). The preconcentration factor is 55. The detection limit is 0.8 ng · mL⁻¹ Cr(VI). The reproducibility is satisfactory with a relative standard deviation of less than 3.35% (0.01 μg·mL⁻¹ Cr(VI),n=5). Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Ma Wanhong: born in 1961, Ph. D. Graduate student, Associate professor     

Comparison of the carbon isotope composition of total organic carbon and long-chain <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-alkanes from surface soils in eastern China and their significance

Surface soil samples collected over a high spatial resolution in eastern China were analyzed for carbon isotope composition （δ^13C） of total organic carbon （TOC） and higher plant-derived long-chain n-alkanes, with the latter reported as weighted mean values. The two sets of δ^13C values are significantly correlated and show similar trends in spatial variation. The spatial distribution of δ^13C shows less negative values in the mid-latitudes between 31°N and 40°N and more negative ones at higher and lower latitudes. This is consistent with previously reported carbon isotope data from surface soil phytoliths in the same region and suggests that the mid-latitude area provides relatively favorable growing condi- tions for C4 plants. Furthermore, δ^13C values of both TOC and long-chain n-alkanes from 12 surface soil samples collected from a small grassland in north China displayed similar carbon isotope values and the difference between paired δ^13C of a soil samples remains relatively constant. Our data demonstrate that in eastern China, soil δ^13C composition of both TOC and long-chain n-alkanes is effective indicators of C3/C4 ratios of the prevailing vegetation. This work suggests that -22‰ and -32‰ are good es- timated end members for the weighted mean δ^13C values of long-chain n-alkanes （C27, C29 and C31 n-alkanes） from soils under dominant C4 or C3 vegetation, allowing us to reconstruct paleovegetation trends.     

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.     

川西北高寒草甸土壤呼吸速率日变化及温度影响因子比较

根据远红外气体分析原理,采用Li-6400-09土壤呼吸室和Li-6400光合速率测定仪对川西北高寒草甸土壤呼吸速率日变化进行测定,并同步记录大气温度、0、5、10、15和20 cm地温,探讨温度对土壤呼吸速率的影响.结果表明,在选取的浅丘山地灌丛(US)、浅丘山地草甸(UM)、丘前阶地草甸(TM)3块样地中,土壤呼吸速率日变化均呈单峰型,日均呼吸速率是UM((5.34±0.339)μmol.m-2.s-1)>US((5.14±0.225)μmol.m-2.s-1)>TM((4.49±0.282)μmol.m-2.s-1),差异极显著(P<0.01).大气温度、0和5 cm地温与3块样地土壤呼吸速率相关性最强,以5 cm地温最突出;10 cm地温与呼吸速率相关性较好;15和20 cm地温与呼吸速率相关性很小.基于Q10值,土壤呼吸速率对5 cm地温的变化最敏感,各样地对温度的响应是UM>US>TM.     

Direct determination of trace silicon in lanthanum oxide by using a selective volatility and slurry sampling-FETV-ICP-AES

A new method for determination of trace sillicon in high purity lanthanum oxide by using electrothermal vaporization (ETV)-ICP-AES with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) slurry as a fluorinating reagent has been proposed. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the fluorination reactions of analyte (Si) and matrix(La) with PTFE in the graphite furnace took place at high temperature, and the fractional volatilily between Si and La was observed. Based on this principle the matrix interference could be eliminated. The detection limit of Si was 4.0μg·L⁻¹, and the RSD was 3.4%(C=0.2mg·L⁻¹,n=10). The procedure proposed has been applied successfully to determine trace Si in La₂O₃ without any chemical pre-treatment. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Qin Yongchao: born in Dec. 1953, ph. D., Assciate Professor     

Measurement of ethylene and methane production in a temperate forest soil using inhibition of acetylene and carbon monoxide

We studied in the laboratory the effects of acetylene （C2H2） concentrations on the accumulation and consumption of ethylene and methane in a temperate pine forest soil, and in situ ethylene and methane production and flush effects of nitrogen sources on both productions in the pine forest stand （Pinus sylvestris L.）. The addition of C2H2 at concentrations more than 50 Pa C2H2 in the headspace caused a more than 95% reduction in rates of ethylene and methane consumption in forest soil compared to those with no C2H2. Furthermore, addition of acetylene within a range of 50 to 10, 000 Pa C2H2 induced a similar rate of methane accumulation in forest soil. Hence, it can be concluded that presence of more than 50 Pa C2H2 in the headspace is an effective method to measure methane production in forest soil. The addition of C2H2 at concentrations more than 50 Pa C2H2 induced an increasing concentration of ethylene in the headspace （P≤0.05）, indicating the reduction of acetylene to ethylene in forest soil. Using inhibition of 0.5 kPa C2H2 in combination with 5 kPa carbon monoxide that inhibits the reduction of acetylene in a short term, it was observed that there was a larger in situ methane production rate （218±26 μg C m^-2 h^-1（μg C per square meter per hour, the same below）） than in situ ethylene production rate （92±6 μg C m^-2 h^-1） in the pine forest soil. The addition of nitrogen sources such as urea, urea plus a nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide, and potassium nitrate, could induce a 5-fold greater increase in rates of in situ ethylene and methane production compared to those in the control, particularly in the latter （P≤0.05）. The results can promote in situ measurement of ethylene and methane production in forest soils at different sites.     

Estimation of soil respiration in a paddy ecosystem in the subtropical resion of China

Water vapor, energy exchange, and CO2 flux were measured continuously from 2003 to 2005 using the eddy covariance technique in a paddy ecosystem in the subtropical region of China. The CO2 fluxes at nighttime during fallow periods （from middle October to late April） were used to analyze the dynamics of soil respiration and its relationship with soil temperature, and to simulate the annual dynamics of soil respiration in paddy ecosystems. The variation of soil respiration showed a clear seasonal pattern. The soil respiration rates at night during the fallow periods were 52--398 mg· m^-2· h^-1, and exponentially correlated （P〈0.001） with soil temperatures at different depths of soil （5, 10, and 20 cm）, particularly the temperature measured at a depth of 5 cm. Based on the simulated exponential equations developed, annual average soil respiration rates and total soil respiration of paddy soil in the subtropical region of China were estimated to be 178.5--259.9 mg· m^-2· h^-1 and 1.56--2.28 kg· m^-2· a^-1, respectively. The simulation equations can be applied to evaluating soil respiration in paddy ecosystems during the rice-growing season.     

Variations of organic carbon isotopic composition and its environmental significance during the last glacial on western Chinese Loess Plateau

The last glacial period is characterized by a cold and dry climate with low atmospheric CO2 concentration. The relatively arid climate and low CO2 concentration are favorable to the growth of C4 plants, but the low temperature limits the development of th…     

Standard molar enthalpy of formation of morin studied by rotating-bomb combustion calorimetry

Flavonols are plant pigments that are ubiquitous in nature. Morin and other related plant flavonols have come into recent prominence because of their usefulness as anticancer, anti-tumor, anti-AIDS, and other important therapeutic activities of significant potency and low systemic toxicity. The heat of combustion of morin (molecular formula, C₁₅H₁₀O₇·H₂O) in oxygen was measured by a rotating-bomb type combustion calorimeter, the standard molar enthalpy of combustion of morin at T = 298.15 K was determined to be Δ_c H _m^⦵ (C₁₅H₁₀O₇·H₂O, s) = −(5 937.99 ± 2.99) kJ · mol⁻¹. The derived standard molar enthalpy of the formation of morin in solid powder state at T = 298.15 K, Δ_f H _m^⦵ (C₁₅H₁₀O₇·H₂O, s), was −(1 682.12 ± 3.58) kJ · mol⁻¹, which provide an accurate data of the stability of morin to the pharmacy and pharmacology. Biography: HOU Hanna(1956–), female, Visiting researcher, Associate professor of Hubei University of Education, research direction: thermochemistry.     

Investigation of Ru （ phen ）3^2＋-Hydrazine-Ce（Ⅳ） Chemiluminescence System and Its Analytical Application

0 IntroductionThbiep ycroidmipnlee)xru ctahteinoinu mof(Ⅱ r)u t(he Rniuu(mbip,y m)3ai2n +ly) atrnids- t(r2is -,(21’ -,10-phenanthroline)ruthenium(Ⅱ) (Ru(phen)32 +) ,is a kindof sensitive analytical reagent for electrogenerated chemilumi-nescence(ECL) and chemiluminescence(CL) ,on which a par-ticular review has been presented[1]. The earliest publicationon the synthesis of Ru(bipy)32 +appeared in 1936[2], andduringthefollowing30 years ,theinvestigations relatedtothissubstance were only in…     

Variation of soil Δδ13C values in Xifeng loess-paleosol sequence and its paleoenvironmental implication

The carbon isotopic compositions of soil organic matter （SOM） and total carbonate （TC） in Xifeng Ioess-paleosol sequence have been studied. The δ^13CsoM values vary from -23.8‰ to -20.2‰, which are higher in interglacial than in glacial stages. Contrary to δ^13Csoi values, the δ^13CTc values vary from -8.5‰ to -3.6‰ and are lower in interglacial than in glacial stages. The differences （△δ^13C） between the δ^13CsoM and δ^13CTc values vary from 14.1‰ to 19.4‰. Our results from the Xifeng loesspaleosol sequence indicate that the △δ^13C values represent the ratio of primary carbonate （PC） to secondary carbonate （SC）. The △δ^13C values were high in the loess stages, and the maximal PC-to-SC ratio can reach 6：4. But in the paleosol stages, the △δ^13C values were low, with a small proportion of PC. The △δ^13C values in Ioess-paleosol sequence also indicate the contributions of the dust to the loess sediment in the Chinese Loess Plateau because the dust contains the PC.     

Application of Nanometer-Size Titanium Dioxide in Extreme-Trace V（Ⅴ） Analysis

0Introduction Vanadiumplaysanimportantroleinmodernindustry,es peciallyinsteelandchemicalindustry.Forinstance,itscompoundsarewidelyappliedintheproceduresofvitrioland petroleumchemicalmanufactureascatalyzers[14].Vanadium hasseveralvalences,butgenerallyitslowvalencesturnintohighoneseasilyinenvironment[5].BecauseV(Ⅴ)isthemost stableandpoisonousone,weoftenlayemphasisonitinenvi ronmentalpollutioncontrol.Vanadiumexistsinenvironmentalwaterwithextremelylowconcentration.Inseawateritscontentislessthan…     

Soil erosion rates and characteristics of typical alpine meadow using <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs technique in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Alpine meadow is the predominant ecosystem in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The firm turf of alpine meadow formed by sub-surface anfractuous roots can be effective in conserving water and soil.Alpine meadow is a primary contributor to the Chinese Water Tower.For quantitative assess anti-erosion ability of alpine meadow,this paper selected three typical meadow slopes with>60% vegetation coverage to evaluate soil erosion rates using 137Cs.The results showed that(1)soil erosion intensity of typical alpine meadow was slight to light.Erosion rates were 464 t km–2 a–1 in Malong Village,415 t km–2 a–1 in Yeniugou Town and 875 t km–2 a–1 in Zhenqin Town respectively;(2)soil erosion rates were correlated negatively with vegetation coverage,and the relationship was clearer at the slope scale than plot scale;(3)the relationship between soil erosion and vegetation coverage showed that vegetation coverage was a predominant factor in retaining soil and water on slopes.With complete turf and high vegetation coverage, alpine meadow was of great significance for soil conservation and prevention of soil erosion.     

Diet control on carbon isotopic composition of land snail shell carbonate

Carbon isotope compositions for both the carbonate shells and soft bodies (organic tissue) of living land snails collected mostly from the Loess Plateau, China have been measured. The result shows that δ 13C values range from -13.1‰ to -4.3‰ for the aragonite shell samples and from -26.8‰ to -18.0‰ for the soft body samples. Although the shells are enriched in 13C relative to the bodies averagely by 14.2(±0.8)‰, the shell δ 13Ca values are closely correlated to the body δ 13Corg values, expressed as δ 13Ca = 1.021 δ 13Corg 14.38 (R = 0.965; N = 31). This relationship indicates that δ 13Ca is primarily a function of the isotopic composition of the snail diets since previous studies have proved that the snail body is the same as their food in carbon isotope composition. In other words, carbon isotope compo-sition of the carbonate shell can be used as a proxy to estimate the dietary 13C abundance of the land snails. The data also support that the 13C enrichment of the carbonate shells results mainly from the equilibrium fractionations between the metabolic CO2, HCO3-in the hemolymph and shell aragonite, and partially from kinetic fractionations when snail shells form during their activity.     

Discovery of the superlarge gallium ore deposit in Jungar, Inner Mongolia, North China

Gallium, Ge, V, and U are the associated valuable elements in coal. From the 1950s to the 1970s, some researchers in the departments of coal industry and mineral resources of China investigated these elements in coal during geological explorations. The enrichment mechanism and the environmental influence of trace elements in coal have been deeply studied in recent twenty years. With respect to the ore-forming theories and practical utilizations of metals in coal, germanium was furthest studi…     

Observation of small-scale processes over shelf break in the East China Sea

The turbulent dissipation along with temperature and salinity was measured on board R/V Dong Fang Hong 2 over the shelf break of the East China Sea from March 7 to 9, 2004. Applying the Turner angle, it is found that the ＇diffusive＇ double diffusion, salt-fingering, and stable stratification coexist in the upper water column of about 50 m. Below that depth, there exists weak salt-fingering. The turbulent dissipation rates are enhanced along the ray paths of M2 internal tides emanating from the shelf break with values ranging from 1.0×10^-9 W·kg^-1 to 1.2×10^-6 W·kg^-1. The corresponding diapycnal mixing rates are from 1×10^-6 m^2· s^-1 to 1×10^-2 m^2· s^-1. The spatially averaged mixing rate over the whole observation section is 2.3×10^-3 m^2· s^-1, which is much larger than 1×10^-5 m^2·s^-1 of the background diapycnal mixing rate in the open ocean.     

Directional solidification and physical properties measurements of the zinc-aluminum eutectic alloy

Zn-5wt% Al eutectic alloy was directionally solidified with different growth rates (5.32–250.0 μm/s) at a constant temperature gradient of 8.50 K/mm using a Bridgman-type growth apparatus. The values of eutectic spacing were measured from transverse sections of the samples. The dependences of the eutectic spacing and undercooling on growth rate are determined as λ=9.21V-0.53 and ΔT=0.0245V0.53, respectively. The results obtained in this work were compared with the Jackson-Hunt eutectic theory and the similar experimental results in the literature. Microhardness of directionally solidified samples was also measured by using a microhardness test device. The dependency of the microhardness on growth rate is found as Hv=115.64V0.13. Afterwards, the electrical resistivity (r) of the casting alloy changes from 40×10-9 to 108×10-9 Ω·m with the temperature rising in the range of 300–630 K. The enthalpy of fusion (ΔH) and specific heat (C_p) for the Zn-Al eutectic alloy are calculated to be 113.37 J/g and 0.309 J/(g·K), respectively by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) from heating trace during the transformation from liquid to solid.