Stable isotopes of modern herbivore tooth enamel in the Tibetan Plateau: Implications for paleoelevation reconstructions

Fossil tooth enamel from herbivores is considered one of the best proxies for paleoclimate and paleoelevation reconstructions, due to its low susceptibility to diagenetic alteration. A synthesis of oxygen and carbon isotope analyses of modern tooth enamel from herbivores such as Tibetan yaks, asses and antelopes is assessed. The average δ 13C(PDB) value of herbivore tooth enamel in the Lhasa and south Qiangtang terrains is-11.3‰± 1.1‰, whereas in the north Qiangtang and Hoh Xil terrains value is-10.2‰± 1.4‰...     

δ13C difference between plants and soil organic matter along the eastern slope of Mount Gongga

Carbon isotope ratios (δ¹³C) of plants, litter and soil organic matter (0–5 cm, 5–10 cm and 10–20 cm) on the eastern slope of Mount Gongga were measured. The results show that δ¹³C values of plants, litter and soil organic matter all decrease first and then increase with altitude, i.e δ¹³C values gradually decrease from 1200 to 2100 m a.s.l., and increase from 2100 to 4500 m a.s.l. The δ¹³C altitudinal variations are related to the distribution of C₃ and C₄ plants on the eastern slope of Mount Gongga, because C₄ plants are observed to grow only below 2100 m, while C3 plants occur at all altitudes. There are significantly positive correla-tions among δ¹³C of vegetation, δ¹³C of litter and δ¹³C of soil organic matter, and litter, 0–5 cm, 5–10 cm and 10–20 cm soil or-ganic matter are 0.56‰, 2.87‰, 3.04‰ and 3.49‰ greater in δ¹³C than vegetation, respectively. Considering the influences of rising concentration of atmospheric CO₂ and decreasing δ¹³C of atmospheric CO₂ since the industry revolution on δ¹³C of plants, 1.57‰ is proposed to be the smallest correction value for reconstruction of paleovegetation using δ¹³C of soil organic matter.     

Distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">δ</Emphasis><Superscript>18</Superscript>O in surface snow along a transect from Zhongshan Station to Dome A,East Antarctica

Surface snow samples were collected during the 14th (1997/1998) and 24th (2007/2008) Chinese National Antarctica Research Expeditions along a transect from Zhongshan Station to Dome A. The stable oxygen isotope ratios of these samples were measured to investigate their relationships with temperature and geographical parameters (latitude, longitude, altitude and distance to the coast). The results reveal a strong positive correlation (R=0.945) between δ¹⁸O and mean annual temperature, with a gradient of 0.84‰°C ^–1, which is a little higher than that in Terre Adelie Land. Regression analyses also show that the δ¹⁸O of surface snow is strongly correlated with distance to the coast (R=0.942), latitude (R=0.942), and altitude (R=0.941). But no significant correlation was found between δ¹⁸O and longitude in study area. Altitude should be the most important factor influencing the δ¹⁸O distribution because of distinctive topography. The δ¹⁸O-altitude and T-altitude gradients along this transect are determined to be –1.1‰/100 m and 1.31°C/100 m, respectively.     

Features of major greenhouse gases in loess, Shanxi Province, China

According to the investigations of five loess sections in Shanxi Province, China, it was found that the concentrations of the major greenhouse gases CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O in loess-paleosol sequences are generally high, even sometimes may be several times or scores of times higher than their atmospheric concentrations respectively. Although the CO₂ concentration in the same loess section shows poor regularity among different layers, it increases slowly from north to south in space. The CH₄ concentration in the layers under Malan Loess is much higher than that in the atmosphere, although it is not high in Malan Loess. Most of the δ¹³C values of CO₂ in loess are -11.14‰—15.48‰ (relative to PDB standard). Analysis of carbon isotopic compositions of CO₂ indicates that the main source of CO₂ in loess section is decomposition of ‘stable’ organic matters by microbes. The δ¹³C_g of CO₂ is a little heavier than organic source for exchanging carbon isotope with carbonate in loess. The abundant carbonate in loess not only makes the loess a huge carbon reservior but also adjusts     

Indicators of δ13C and δ18O of gas hydrate-associated sediments

The analyses of δ13C and δ18O of gas hydrate-associated sediments from two cores on Hydrate Ridge in Cascadia convergent margin offshore Oregon, eastern North Pacific show the values of d 13C from -29.81‰ to -48.28‰ (PDB) and d 18O from 2.56‰ to 4.28‰ (PDB), which could be plotted into a group called typical carbonate minerals influenced by the methane in cold venting. Moreover, the values of d 13C and d 18O show a consistent trend in both cores from top to bottom with increasing of d 13C and decreasing of d 18O. This trend could be explained as an effect caused by the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in depth and the oxygen fraction during the formation of gas hydrate in depth together. These characteristics of d 13C and d 18O indicate that the gas hydrate-associated sediments are significantly different from the normal marine carbonates, and they are deeply influenced by the formation and evolution of gas hydrate. So, the distinct characteristics of d 13C and d 18O of gas hydrate-associated sediments could be undoubtedly believed as one of parameters to determine the presence of gas hydrates in other unknown marine sediment cores.     

Determination of trophic relationships within a Bohai Bay food web using stable δ15N and δ13C analysis

This study measured stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in phytoplankton, zooplankton, five invertebrates species, eight fishes species and three seabirds species collected in Bohai Bay. δ^13C ranged from -25.38‰ to -11.08‰ showing a relative low enrichment in the food web from Bohai Bay. The mean δ^13C of mullet is higher than that of other organisms, and this might be due to that mullet is migration fish and feeds mainly on inshore sources. δ^15N ranged from 4.08‰ to 13.98‰, and showed a step-wise enrichment with trophic level of 3.8‰. The δ^15N enrichment factor was used to construct an isotopic food web model to establish trophic relationships within this marine food web. According to this model, exact trophic levels of all organisms were estimated as 1.46-2.10, 1.91-3.32, 2.55-4.23 and 2.98-4.28 for plankton, invertebrates, fishes, and seabirds.     

Relationship between climatic conditions and the relative abundance of modern C3 and C4 plants in three regions around the North Pacific

Using −24‰ and −14‰ as the endpoints of stable carbon isotopic composition of total organic carbon (δ¹³C_TOC) of surface soil under pure C₃ and C₄ vegetation, and surface soil δ¹³C_TOC data from eastern China, Australia and the Great Plains of North Amer- ica, we estimate the relative abundance of C₃/C₄ plants (i.e., the ratio of C₃ or C₄ biomass to local primary production) in modern vegetation for each region. The relative abundance of modern C₃/C₄ vegetation from each region is compared to the corresponding climatic parameters (mean annual temperature and precipitation) to explore the relationship between relative C₄ abundance and climate. The results indicate that temperature controls the growth of C₄ plants. However, even where temperature is high enough for the growth of C₄ plants, they will only dominate the landscape when precipitation declines as temperatures increase. Our results are consistent with those of other investigations of the geographic distribution of modern C₄ plant species. Therefore, our results provide an important reference for interpretation of past C₃/C₄ relative abundance records in these three regions.     

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.     

Stable isotopic analysis on sus bones from the Wanfabozi site, Tonghua, Jilin

In order to study the sus diets and explore the possibility to distinguish domestic pig from wild boar through dietary analysis, stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of 28 pig bones from archaeological site of Wanfabozi in Tonghua City, Jilin Province were analyzed. The δ^13C and δ^15N values of uncontaminated bones show that the overall pigs in the site were generally herbivores and ate mainly C3 plants. Significant difference of δ^15N values was observed between wild boar and domestic pigs, which may result from the higher consumption of animal protein in domestic pigs other than from that in wild boar, possibly from human leftover or waste,. The dietary difference between wild boar and domestic pigs has great potential to differentiate wild boar and domestic pigs in the early stage of pig domestication.     

High-resolution carbon isotope record for the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum from the Nanyang Basin,Central China

The Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) was a transient episode of global warming, associated with massive atmospheric greenhouse gas input that occurred at the Paleocene/Eocene boundary. Biostratigraphic and isotope stratigraphic studies indicate that the PETM event is well documented in the marl deposits of the Yuhuangding section in the Nanyang Basin, Central China, with a carbon isotope negative excursion of ~6.1‰ within 19-m-thick marl deposits. This is the highest resolution record of the PETM so far found in the world. The PETM event was triggered within 2-cm-thick marl sediments, with a decrease of δ¹³C (stable carbon isotope ratio) from –3.2‰ to –5.2‰, suggesting a massive methane hydrate release for a transient period that was possibly caused by a catastrophic event. A comparison between marine and terrestrial records indicates a “Three-Phase Model” for the PETM event. Initially there is a rapid negative excursion in the δ¹³C record, followed by a slowly decreasing trend, and then a gradual positive recovery, corresponding respectively to a rapid dissociation of oceanic methane hydrate, followed by a slow release of methane and then the consumption of the released methane.     

Export and remineralization of POM in the Southern Ocean and the South China Sea estimated from 210Po/210Pb disequilibria

Disequilibria between ^210Po and ^210Pb in the upper water and their potential applications as a proxy of particle export and remineralization were examined in the Southern Ocean （station IV3） and the South China Sea （NS44）. ^210po was deficit in surface waters but excessive relative to ^210Pb in subsurface waters. Good positive correlation between ^210Po and particulate organic carbon （POC） indicated deficits and excess of ^210Po resulted from particulate organic matter （POM） export and remJneralization respectively, which was also supported by the decreased δ^13C and increased δ^15N downwards as a result of particle remineralization. On the basis of ^210Po/^210Pb box-model, POC export flux out of the surface waters were 1.2 mmol C. m^-2. d^-1 and 2.3 mmol C. m^-2. d^-1 for station NS44 and IV3, respectively. In the subsurface waters, remineralization fluxes of ^210Po were 0.062 Bq. m^-2.d^-1 and 0.566 Bq.m^-2.d^-1 for station NS44 and IV3 along with the recycle efficiency of 52±26% and 119±52%, respectively. Remineralized fluxes of POM derived from ^210Po and exported POC were 0.6 mmol C.m^-2.d^-1 and 2.7 mmol C. m^-2. d^-1 for NS44 and IV3. This study suggested that ^210Po was a powerful tracer of particle export and remineralization.     

Foliar δ^13C and δ^15N values of C3 plants in the Ethiopia Rift Valley and their environmental controls

The foliar C and N stable isotopic compositions （δ^13C and δ^15N） and the relationships between these compositions and environmental factors of C3 plants in the Ethiopia Rift Valley were investigated. There were three distribution patterns for foliar δ^13C with mean values of -26.7‰±0.4‰, -29.7‰ ±0.6‰ , and -26.9‰± 1.2‰ in cold-moist, temperate-moist, and arid-hot environments, respectively. The δ^15N values ranged from -1.4‰ ±1.7‰ to 14.3‰ ± 0.1‰, with higher values under arid-hot conditions and the lowest values in plants growing at higher altitudes under cold-moist conditions. A strong negative relationship between mean annual precipitation and δ^15N explained more than half of the observed variation in the δ^15N values （r2= 0.54, P 〈 0.001）; a modest positive relationship was also found between δ^15N and temperature （r2 = 0.32, P 〈 0.01）. A weakly positive relationship existed between δ^13C and temperature, and changes in δ^13C values with precipitation and altitude followed quadratic curves. This suggests a shift in the effects of water and heat conditions caused by altitude on carbon isotopic discrimination.     

Palaeodietary study of Sanxingcun Site, Jintan, Jiangsu

C and N stable isotope ratios of 19 human bones in Sanxingcun Site, Jintan, Jiangsu Province, were measured to explore the lifestyle and social economic structure. Although the bone collagen degraded to different extents, the atomic ratio of C/N was located in the range of 2.9-3.6, indicating that they were preserved very well. Average δ13C value (20.05±0.21‰), average δ 15N value (9.69 ±0.33‰) and poor positive correlation between each other suggested that rice agriculture was dominant with hunt-ing-fishing supplemented in human lifestyle. Poor negative correlation between δ 15N values and C3 percentages of foods implied relative independence of rice agriculture and hunting-fishing. Compared to Hemudu Site and Qingpu Site, rice agriculture was developed further, but hunting-fishing decreased. The mode for people in Sanxingcun Site to get the meat was still in the initial exploitation.     

14C measurement of forest soils in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve

Organic carbon in forest soils of Qingyunsi and Wukesong profiles can be divided into fast and slow components. Δ 14C values of these profiles decrease with increasing of depth. The Δ 14C values in 30-40 cm depth interval of Wukesong profile are decreasing sharply until a very low value, showing that a strong geological environment change occurred about 1 560 years ago. The 14C apparent ages of Wukesong profile show that the coniferous and broad-leaf mixed forests around Wukesong profile have been developing since 425 a BP, which is consistent with historical documents. The penetrating depths of "bomb 14C" in Qingyunsi and Wukesong profiles are 10 and 20 cm, respectively.     

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.     

Record of environmental change by α-cellulose δ13C of sphagnum peat at Shennongjia, 4000―1000 aBP

The Dajiuhu Basin at Shennongjia, located within typical East Asian Monsoon region, preserves a sub-alpine sphagnum peat deposition in its central area. The topmost 120 cm of the peat covers the last 4000 years according to AMS ^14C dating of pollen concentration. Carbon isotope of a-cellulose, extracted from sphagnum peat, provides a quantitative reconstruction of atmospheric relative humidity, based on transfer functions of C3 plants carbon isotopic fractionation equation and the bryophyte photosynthesis CO2 absorption rate equation. δ^13C, TOC and C/N variations reveal that the Dajiuhu area has experienced a long-term tendency to dry during 4000-1000 aBP, with a major transition happening around 3000 aBP. Four relative dry events are identified at 3400-3200, 3000-2600, 2200-2000 and 1600-1400 aBP, respectively, corresponding to those climate events documented in many global records. Three periodicities, 664 a, 302 a and 277 a enclosed in the atmospheric humidity of Dajiuhu are correlated to the cycles of solar activities. The weakening of East Asia summer monsoon during this period registered in the Dajiuhu peat is consistent with the synchronous weakening of Indian Monsoon. This trend may be attributed to gradual decrease of Northern Hemispheric summer solar insolation and the consequently southward migration of Intertropical Convergent Zone （ITCZ）.     

Carbon isotopic compositions of pore and matrix carbonates in carbonate nodules, and origin of carbonate formation

Carbon isotopes of pedogenic carbonate are often used to study paleoenvironments, but the existence of detrital carbonate changes the carbon isotopic composition. To develop an experimental method to determine existence of detrital carbonate in carbonate nodules, and to avoid it during isotope analysis, 23 pedogenic carbonate nodules in Miocene loess from the Loess Plateau of China were studied through micromorphology and carbon isotope analysis. The difference in carbon isotopic composition between matrix carbonate (B) and pore carbonate (A) (δ¹³C_(B-A)) ranges from 0.27‰ to 0.44‰ in nodules containing detrital carbonate and –0.16‰ to 0.13‰ in nodules where detrital carbonate is absent. The latter is within measurement error, but the former is beyond it. Here we propose an isotopic approach to determine if nodules contain detrital carbonate: if δ¹³C_(B-A) is within the measurement error, the nodules do not contain detrital carbonate, and vice versa. We suggest that it is better to analyze pore carbonate instead of matrix carbonate when using carbon isotope of carbonate nodules to reconstruct paleoenvironments.     

Diets, eco-environments and seasonal variations recorded in the oxygen and carbon isotopic compositions of mammal tooth enamel from the Shunshanji site, Sihong County, Jiangsu Province, China

The carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of the tooth enamel of mammals, including deer, wild pigs, buffaloes and domesticated pigs from the Shunshanji site, Sihong County, Jiangsu Province, China, were analyzed to reconstruct the mammals’ ecoenvironments and diets, and to evaluate seasonal variations in the study area. Carbon isotopic compositions of buck samples revealed that the deer ate completely C₃ plants and the environments they inhabited were relatively open and that wild pigs ate primarily C₃ plants. Oxygen isotopic compositions indicated that the body sources of these two mammals were different, i.e. the deer and pigs lived in different niches within a relatively similar ecosystem. Modern domesticated pigs were isotopically more positive than the ancient wild pigs in carbon δ ¹³C values, suggesting the former ingested more C₃ plants relative to the latter. Although the δ ¹⁸O data showed modern domesticated and ancient pigs had similar oxygen isotope compositions, their water sources were different. The carbon and oxygen isotopic patterns of premolar microsamples of ancient and modern buffaloes indicated that the plants ingested by the ancient buffalo varied with seasonal shifts, but plants ingested by the modern buffalo were relatively constant. The eco-environment of the modern buffalo was more open, warmer and drier than eco-environment of the ancient buffalo, which may be the result of the deforestation and other human activities. Ancient and modern seasonal changes were clearly recorded in the isotopic patterns and the seasonal variation amplitudes of the ancient and modern eco-environments were similar.     

Effect of MTEC1 on the functional expression of TCRaβ+ 3G11− 6C10− CD4+ CD8− thymocyte subset

A murine CD4⁺ thymocyte subset with phenotype of TCRαβ⁺ 3G11⁻ 6C10⁻ CD4⁺ CD8⁻ CD69^+/- HSA^med/lo contains the cells in relatively functional matured status. The functional property of the cells in this subset is characterized by the unique pattern of cytokine production at transitional stage from Th0 to Th2 type with the latter being the dominant type. After being co-cultured with murine thymic medullary epithelial cell line (MTEC1) cells, a murine thymic medullary type epithelial cell line, the TCRαβ⁺ 3G11⁻ 6C10⁻ CD4⁺ CD8⁻ CD69^+/- HSA^med/lo thymocytes, has exhibited significantly higher levels of proliferation capability and IL-6 production, whereas the production of IL-4 and IL-10 is suppressed after co-culturing with MTECl. By contrast, MTECl could not induce thymocytes to secrete Thl type of cytokines. The results suggest that MTECl can regulate functional status of this thymocyte subset and induce them to develop into a specialized Th2 subset.     

A broad deglacial δ13C minimum event in planktonic foraminiferal records in the Okinawa Trough

The equatorial Pacific upwelling zone has been suspected of playing an important role in the global atmospheric CO2 changes associated with glacial-interglacial cycles.In order to assess the influencing scope of the surface water deglacial δ13C minimum in the tropical Iow-latitude Pacific,the core DGKS9603, collected from the middle Okinawa Trough, was examined for δ13C records of planktonic foraminifera N. dutertrei and G. ruber. The planktonic foraminiferal δ13C records show a clear decreasing event from 20 to 6 cal. kaBP., which is characterized by long duration of about 14 ka and amplitude shift of 0.4 × 10-3. Its minimum value occurred at 15.7 cai kaBP. The event shows fairly synchrony with the surface water deglacial δ13C minimum identiffed in the tropical Pacific and its marginal seas. Because there is no evidence in planktonic foraminiferal fauna and δ18O records for upwelling and river runoff enhancement,the broad deglacial δ13C minimum event in planktonic foraminiferal records revealed in core DGKS9603 might have been the direct influencing result of the deglacial surface water of the tropical Pacific. The identification for the event in the Okinawa Trough provides new evidence that the water evolution in the tropical low-latitude Pacific plays a key role in large regional, even global carbon cycle.