The impacts of ‘05.6’ extreme flood event on riverine carbon fluxes in Xijiang River

An extreme flood event with a frequency of nearly 200 year occurred in June of 2005 in the Xijiang River, the main trunk stream of the Zhujiang River. Samples were systematically collected during the flood event, and water quality parameters, including total suspended sediment (TSS), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and particulate organic carbon (POC) were analyzed, and riverine carbon concentrations associated with its changing pattern through the flood process were discussed. These parameters reflect the changes in basin surface flow and subsurface flow dur-ing the flood. This flood event influenced annual flux estimations of POC, DOC, and DIC to great extents. Based on carbon flux estimations for the year 2005 and the flood event (June 21-28) in the Xijiang River, it was found that DIC, DOC, and POC fluxes during ‘05.6’ flood event are 1.52×106 g.km?2.a?1, 0.24×106 g.km?2.a?1, and 0.54×106 g.km?2.a?1, and account for 14.87%, 24.75% and 44.89% of the annual fluxes in 2005, respectively. The results suggested that carbon exports during extreme flood events had great contributions to the total carbon fluxes and composition of various carbon components, be-ing important for accurate estimates of annual carbon fluxes in rivers with frequent floods.     

Apparent ages of suspended sediment and soil erosion of the Pearl River (Zhujiang) drainage basin

The carbon isotopic composition (Δ 14 C,δ 13 C) and apparent ages of suspended sediment were determined in the Pearl River in the years 1998,2000 and 2005.These results indicate that suspended POC consists mostly of young carbon and some old carbon.Apparent ages of suspended POC range from 540 to 2050 a BP.The apparent ages are older in the Xijiang and Beijiang Rivers,while these values are variable in the Dongjiang River,including old and young samples.The suspended POCδ 13 C values increase with increasin...     

Distribution and partition of polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） in water of the Zhujiang River Estuary

The spatial, temporal, and vertical distributions of polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） in water columns from the Zhujiang River Estuary were examined, and the partition behavior of PBDEs between particle and dissolved phases was investigated in the present study. The results show that the distributions of PBDEs concentrations in the water varied with the sampling seasons. The PBDEs concentrations in water samples were lower in May 2005, when the brackish water was dominant in the estuary, than in October 2005, when fresh water from river runoff dominated the estuary. The spatial distribution of PBDEs in October 2005 indicated that the river runoff was the major mode to input PBDEs to the estuary, and the concentration of PBDEs in water might be dissolved organic carbon （DOC） dependence. The spatial and vertical distributions of PBDEs in May 2005 were relatively homogeneous, and SPM was the major factor on controlling the levels of PBDEs in this sampling time. Both DOC and POC could play certain roles in determining the distribution and partition of PBDEs between particle and dissolved phases, but their effects varied with the water properties.     

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.     

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.     

The impact of damming on geochemical behavior of dissolved inorganic carbon in a karst river

To determine the impact of damming on the geochemical behavior of dissolved inorganic carbon （DIC） in the Wujiang River basin, field measurements and samples were collected semimonthly for a year. The surface waters of the reservoirs contained concentrations of chlo- rophyll a up to 5.6 times higher than the upstream river. Compared with the entering waters, the contributions of HCO3- and dissolved CO2 to DIC decreased, and the contribution of CO32- to DIC and the carbon isotopic composition of DIC （δ13CDIc） increased in the surface waters of the reservoirs, while in the waters released, the DIC species showed reverse geochemical behaviors. The δ13CDIc ranged from -10.2 %o to 2.5 %0, indicating that significant contributions were from carbonate weathering, photosynthesis, and respiration. After the damming of a river, the bioactivity of phytoplankton was enhanced, and this affected the geochemistry of DIC compared to an unimpacted river and δ13CDIC can be used to discern these changes. High-frequency monitoring of river-reservoir systems is necessary to evaluate the efflux of CO2 and provide a better understanding of the carbon sinks and sources in the impounded river.     

Identification of the deposited layers in landslides reservoir and investigation of the sediment yields during the later sixteenth century on the Hill Loess Plateau,China

There are many sediment trapping reservoirs in the Hill Loess Plateau. The Huangtuwa small catchment is selected as a research field where samples were collected in a sediment deposit profile with a vertical length of 12.73 m. By the variation of fine particle content and pollen concentration, 54 flood couples were identified. Taking the freeze-thawing disturbed texture as the sign of the latest flood couple in a year, it is ascertained that those 54 floods should happen in 31 years. Using pyramid volume calculation formula, the sediment yields of flood ranged between 716-30376 t· km^-2, The average sediment yield was 7106 t· km^-2, The annual sediment yields varied between 968-55579 t· （km^2· a）^-1, and the average value is 12629 t· （km^2· a）^-1. Compared with the modern annual sediment discharge of the Huaining River, the erosion rate in the Huangtuwa region 450 years ago was similar to the modern erosion rate. In the period from the 27th year to the 31st year, the average annual sediment yield increased sharply to 31309 t· （km^2· a）^-1. It implied that re-reclamation of the abandoned land in the catchment since the landslide disaster, where vegetation had rehabilitated already, caused very severe soil erosion in the catchment.     

A study on responses of soil erosion and sediment yield to closing cultivation on sloping land in a small catchment using ^137Cs technique in the Rolling Loess Plateau, China

By comparison of volumes and ^137Cs Contents of the deposited sediments before and after 1993,changes of specific sediment yields and relative sediment contributions from the gully area and from the inter gully area after closing cultivation on the later area on a small catchment of Zhaojia Gully,in the Rolling Loess Plateau,are analyzed in this paper.Closing cultivation in a large scale has not resulted in decrease but increase of specific sediment yield and the relative sediment contribution of the inter-gully area,and in increase of the sediment yield and the contribution of the gully area,for a short term.The mean specific sediment yield of 29650 t km^-2a^-1 of 1994-1996 in the catchment was 2.2 times the average value of 13413 t km^-2 a^-1 for a long term.The specific sediment yield of the inter-gully area decreased from the 14335t km^-2a^-1 in 1994 to 7034 t km^-2 a^-1 in 1995 and 3517 t km^-1a^-1 in 1996 which was much greater than the value of 21118 t km^-2 a^-1 before 1993.The relative sediment contribution from the inter-gully area decreased form 23% in 1994 to 15% in 1995 and 6% in 1996,while the contribution from the gully area increased form 77% in 1994 to 85% in 1995 and 94% in 1996.It is suggested that compacting of ploughed soils resulted in increasing of the erosion resistance but in decreasing of the precipitation infiltration,therefore,the soil erosion reduced but the runoff amount increased on the inter-gully area.Increase of delivering runoff from the inter-gully area to the gully area should result in activeness of gully erosion and mass movements,consequently,in increase of the total sediment yield from the catchment.     

Using 137Cs tracing technique to estimate wind erosion rates in the typical steppe region,northern Mongolian Plateau

Wind erosion is one of the major factors of land degradation in the typical steppe region, northern Mongolian Plateau. Using ^137Cs tracing technique, we estimated the wind erosion rates of different pastures and abandoned farmland at Bayannur and Karakorum in Mongolia. The pastures and cutting grassland at Bayannur were slightly eroded by wind, with the rates of 64.58-169.07 t·km^-2.a^-1. The abandoned farmland in Karakorum, however, was strongly eroded by wind, with annual surface soil loss of 4.05 mm. a^-1, and wind erosion rates up to 6723.06 t· km^-2. a^-1. The total loss of surface soil due to wind erosion has been 17.4 cm since the cultivation of the steppe land in the 1960s. The wind ero- sion rate at the abandoned farmland was much higher than that at the typical steppe sites, showing that the cultivation led to serious wind erosion in the typical steppe region, northern Mongolian Plateau. By contrast, traditional livestock grazing resulted in less disturbance to the surface soil, and did not induce to devastating wind erosion, which plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the steppe ecosystem in the northern Mongolian Plateau.     

An estimation of ozone flux in a stratosphere-troposphere exchange event

A new method based on mass fluxes and observed ozone profiles was developed to estimate crosstropopause ozone flux. Using this method, we estimated the cross-tropopause ozone flux in a stratospheric-tropospheric exchange event that occurred over East Asia in March 2001.The result revealed that the ozone flux across the tropopause in this event was an order of magnitude higher than the global and hemispheric average. Compared to the traditional method using a linear relationship between ozone mixing ratio and potential vorticity near the tropopause, the cross-tropopause ozone flux evaluated with ozonesonde data was somewhat higher, although the orders of the two values were the same.     

Estimation of soil respiration in a paddy ecosystem in the subtropical region 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 exponen- tially 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.     

Daily variation of carbon flux in soils of Populus euphratica forests in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River

In order to lucubrate the daily variation of respiration in soils of Populus euphratica forests and analyze its relationship with environmental factors in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River, the LI-8100 instrument of soil CO2 flux system was used to measure the parameters of soil carbon flux and air temperature 10 cm above ground surface along the profiles of Usyman, Archy River, Yengisu and Karday, and the relationships between the soil carbon flux and the soil moisture content were analyzed. The nonlinear regression analysis was carried out with the software SPSS13.0. We observed that: (1) soil respiration began to be restrained when the air temperature was up to 30℃ 10 cm above the ground surface; (2) the rates of soil respiration under the forests of Populus euphratica were significantly different at various moisture contents, the soil carbon flux was high along the Usyman profile,which has a high soil moisture content, and it was low along the profiles of Archy River, Yengisu and Karday, which has a low soil moisture content; (3) the exponential model can be used to explain the relationship between soil respiration and air temperature 10 cm above the ground surface. The average Q10 values along the profiles of Usyman, Archy River, Yengisu and Karday are 0.61, 0.16, 0.22 and 0.35 respectively, much lower than the average of the world; (4) there is a positive correlation between the soil carbon flux and the soil moisture content     

Deep-water Earliest Oligocene Glacial Maximum （EOGM） in South Atlantic

The most prominent cooling event of the Earth surface during Cenozoic in the long-term transition from a non-glaciated planet, or “green-house world”, to a polar, glaciated planet, or “ice-house world”, is the Earliest Oligocene Glacial Maximum (EOGM) above the Eocene/Oligocene boundary at about 33.7 Ma. Planktonic and benthic foraminiferal oxygen and carbon isotopes, carbonate content, and coarse fraction, along with high-resolution color reflectance and magnetic susceptibility records during 35-30 Ma, from deep-water Sites 1262 and 1265, Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 208 in South Atlantic, reveal the global cooling event occurring in both surface and deep oceans. The results show that the earliest Oligocene δ^18O values during 33.5-33.1 Ma represent the magnitude of continental ice sheets on east Antarctica and indicate the large decrease in both surface and deep water temperatures of worldwideoceans. The δ^13C records show the large excursion during the period of EOGM event and indicate some types of shift in global carbon reservoir, probably demonstrating the sudden increase in organic carbon burial rates and the changes in the distribution and timing of production. At the same time, lithologic composition, carbonate content, color reflectance, and coarse fraction brought about significant changes close to the Eocene/Oligocene boundary, reflecting the abrupt deepening in the carbonate compensation depth (CCD). Changes in carbonate content were revealed from the color reflectance identify periodicities associated with eccentricity of the Earth‘s orbit (100 and 400 ka), further indicating orbitally forced global climate variations in the Early Oligocene.     

Distribution, fluxes and decadal changes of nutrients in the Jiulong River Estuary, Southwest Taiwan Strait

The Jiulong River Estuary (JRE) is a typical subtropical macro-tide estuary on the southwest coast of the Taiwan Strait (TWS),which has been greatly impacted by human activities over the past 30 years.To understand nutrient dynamics and fluxes under such a heavy background of anthropogenic perturbation,eight cruises were conducted from April 2008 to April 2011,covering both wet (May to September) and dry (October to April next year) seasons.Nutrient concentrations were very high for the freshwater end-member in the upper reach of the JRE (nitrate (NO 3-N):120-230 mol L-1 ;nitrite (NO 2-N):5-15 mol L-1 ;ammonium (NH 4-N):15-170 mol L-1 ;soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP):1.2-3.5 mol L-1 ;dissolved silicate (DSi):200-340 mol L-1).In dry seasons,concentrations of these nutrients were higher than in wet seasons.Nitrate was the dominant chemical species of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN),with percentages of 67%-96% in wet seasons and 55%-72% in dry seasons.Distributions of NO 3-N and DSi against salinity were nearly constant during all cruises,and showed generally conservative mixing behaviors in the estuary (1相似文献   

Daily variation of carbon flux in soils of Populus euphratica forests in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River

In order to lucubrate the daily variation of respiration in soils of Populus euphratica forests and analyze its relationship with environmental factors in the middle and lower reaches of the Tarim River, the LI-8100 instrument of soil CO2 flux system was used to measure the parameters of soil carbon flux and air temperature 10 cm above ground surface along the profiles of Usyman, Archy River, Yengisu and Karday, and the relationships between the soil carbon flux and the soil moisture content were analyzed. The nonlinear regression analysis was carried out with the software SPSS13.0. We observed that: (1) soil respiration began to be restrained when the air temperature was up to 30℃10 cm above the ground surface; (2) the rates of soil respiration under the forests of Populus euphratica were significantly different at various moisture contents, the soil carbon flux was high along the Usyman profile, which has a high soil moisture content, and it was low along the profiles of Archy River, Yengisu and Karday, which has a low soil moisture content; (3) the exponential model can be used to explain the relationship between soil respiration and air temperature 10 cm above the ground surface. The average Q10 values along the profiles of Usyman, Archy River, Yengisu and Karday are 0. 61, 0.16, 0. 22 and 0. 35 respectively, much lower than the average of the world; (4) there is a positive correlation between the soil carbon flux and the soil moisture content.     

Rare earth elements and carbon isotope geochemistry of the Doushantuo Formation in South China: Implication for middle Ediacaran shallow marine redox conditions

The middle Ediacaran Shuram excursion, the largest negative δ 13 C carb excursion in Earth history, has been interpreted as indirect evidence for episodic oxidation and remineralization of deep ocean DOC (dissolved organic carbon). It has been hypothesized that such oxidation event may have occurred when anoxic DOC-laden deep water was brought to shallow shelves during oceanic upwelling, which is expected to cause localized anoxia in shallow environments. To test this prediction, we systematically analyzed rare earth elements (REE) and δ 13 C carb of the upper Doushantuo Formation carbonates in the Yangtze Gorges area of South China, which were deposited in an inner shelf environment and record a large negative δ 13 C carb excursion correlated to the Shuram event. The REE data show a significant positive shift in Ce/Ce* values, synchronous with a pronounced negative δ 13 C carb shift. This positive Ce/Ce* shift is interpreted to represent an oceanic anoxia event in shallow shelf environments, which may have been caused by the upwelling or impingement of oxygen-depleted and 12 C-enriched deep water onto shelves. This anoxia event coincides with a sharp decline in the abundance and diversity of Ediacaran acanthomorphic acritarchs, raising the possibility that these two geobiological events may be causally related.     

Variable diffusion boundary layer and diffusion flux at sediment-water interface in response to dynamic forcing over an intertidal mudflat

The diffusion boundary layer (DBL) significantly limits the exchange between sediment and overlying water and therefore becomes a bottleneck of diffusive vertical flux at the sediment-water interface (SWI). Variable DBL thickness and diffusion flux in response to dynamic forcing may influence replenishment of nutrients and secondary pollution in coastal waters. In situ measurements of velocity in the bottom boundary layer (BBL) and oxygen concentration in the DBL were made over an intertidal mudflat, using an acoustic Doppler current and mini profiler. A linear distributed zone in the oxygen profile, the profile slope discontinuity and variance of concentration can be used to derive accurate DBL thickness. Diffusion fluxes calculated from the water column and sediment are identical, and their bias is less than 6%. A numerical model PROFILE is used to simulate the in situ dissolved oxygen profile, and layered dissolved oxygen consumption rates in the sediment are calculated. The DBL thickness (0.10-0.35 mm) and diffusion flux (15.4-53.6 mmol m 2 d 1) vary with a factor of 3.5 during a tidal period. Over an intertidal mudflat, DBL thickness is controlled by flow speed U in the BBL, according to δDBL=1686.1DU 1+0.1 (D is the molecular diffusion coefficient). That is, the DBL thickness δDBL increases with decreasing flow speed U. Changes of diffusion flux at the SWI are caused by variations in the water above the sediment and the turbulent mixing intensity. The diffusion flux is positively related to the turbulent dissipation rate, friction velocity and turbulent energy. Under the influence of dynamics in the BBL, DBL thickness and flux vary significantly.     

Anaerobic oxidation of methane: Geochemical evidence from pore-water in coastal sediments of Qi’ao Island (Pearl River Estuary), southern China

The concentrations of CH4 and SO4^2- in pore-water and the carbon isotope compositions of total dissolved inorganic （TCO2） and OH4 were determined for three coastal sedimentary cores collected from Qi＇ao Island （Pearl River Estuary）, southern China. Results show that methane concentration changes dramatically at the base of the sulfate-reducing zone and sulfate concentration gradients are linear for all stations. In addition, the carbon isotope of methane becomes heavier at the sulfate-methane transition （SMT）, which causes ∑CO2-δ^13C to become the minimum. The geochemical profiles of pore-water render indirect evidence for anaerobic oxidation of methane （AOM）. Based on numerical modeling of AOM and sulfate-reducing rates, the portion of total sulfate reduction occurring via AOM is 9.0%, 84% and 45.5%, respectively, and the percentage of TCO2 added to the pore-water is 4.7%, 72.4% and 29.45% correspondingly for three sites. Furthermore, it is found that the methane concentration, methane diffusive flux and the depth of SMT are controlled by the quantity and quality of sedimentary organic matter incorporated into the sediments. The great amount of organic material is favorable for rapid depletion of sulfate via sedimentary organic matter degradation, and on the other hand, causes the increase of the methane flux in the SMT, which results in a portion of sulfate reduction supported by AOM. Accordingly, the SMT was shifted towards the sediment surface.     

Phytolith carbon sequestration in bamboos of different ecotypes: a case study in China

Occlusion of carbon （C） within phytoliths （PhytOC） is becoming one of the most promising terrestrial C sequestration mechanisms. This study explored the production of PhytOC within 35 bamboo species belonging to three ecotypes using methods of microwave digestion. The aim of this study is to explore the present and potential C sequestration rate within phytoliths of bamboo species from three ecotypes. PhytOC content in bamboos of three ecotypes ranges from 0.07 % to 0.42 %. The mean PhytOC production flux decreases as： clustered bamboo （0.050 ± 0.016 t CO2 ha^-1 a^-1） ≈ mixed bamboo （0.049 ± 0.016 t CO2 ha^-1 a^-l） 〉 scattered bamboo （0.038 ± 0.020 t CO2 ha^-1 a^-1）. The phytolith carbon sequestration in Chinese bamboo is estimated to be 0.293±0.127 Tg （1 Tg = 1012 g） CO2 a^-1; approximately 75 %, 3 %, and 22 % of which is contributed from scattered, mixed and clustered bamboo, respectively. Taking the PhytOC production flux of 0.18 ± 0.12 t CO2 ha^-1 a^-1 and current annual area increasing rate of 3 %, global bamboo phytoliths would sequester 11.9 ± 7.9 Tg CO2 a^-1 by 2050. Consequently, bamboo forests have significant potential to mitigate the increasing concentration of atmospheric CO2 by maximizing PhytOC production flux and expanding bamboos.     

Biodegradation of dissolved organic carbon in soil extracts and leachates from a temperate forest stand and its relationship to ultraviolet absorbance

The amount and biodegradability of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in forest floors can contribute to carbon sequestration in soils and the release of CO 2-C from soil to the atmosphere.There is only limited knowledge about the biodegradation of DOC in soil extracts and leachates due to the limitations inherent in degradation experiments.Differences in the biodegradation of DOC were studied in forest soil extracts using cold and hot water and 4 mmol/L CaCl 2 solution and in soil leachates sampled under different conditions over a wide range of DOC concentrations.From these results,we developed a simple and rapid method for determining the biodegradable organic C in forest floors.The hot water extracts and CaCl 2 extracts after CH 3 Cl fumigation contained higher concentrations of biodegradable organic C than the cold water extracts and CaCl 2 extracts before fumigation,with rapid DOC degradation occurring 24-48 h after incubation with an inoculum,followed by slow DOC degradation till 120-168 h into the incubation.During a 7-d incubation with an inoculum,the variation in DOC degradation in the different soil extracts was consistent with the change in special UV absorbance at 254 nm.Relatively higher levels of biodegradable organic C were detected in soil leachates from the forest canopy than in forest gaps between April and October 2008 (P <0.05).Relatively lower concentrations of DOC and biodegradable organic C were observed in soil leachates from N-fertilized plots during the growing season compared with the control,with the exception of the plot treated with KNO 3 at a rate of 45 kg N ha 1 a 1.Around 77.4% to 96.3% of the variability in the biodegradable organic C concentrations in the forest floors could be accounted for by the initial DOC concentration and UV absorbance at 254 nm.Compared with the conventional inoculum incubation method,the method of analyzing UV absorbance at 254 nm is less time consuming and requires a much smaller sample volume.The results suggest that the regression models obtained using the initial DOC concentration and UV absorbance can provide a rapid,simple and reliable method for determining the biodegradable organic C content,especially in field studies involving relatively large numbers of samples.