scholarly journals Water-table height and microtopography control biogeochemical cycling in an Arctic coastal tundra ecosystem

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 577-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Lipson ◽  
D. Zona ◽  
T. K. Raab ◽  
F. Bozzolo ◽  
M. Mauritz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Microbial Activity ◽  
Oxidation State ◽  
Pore Water ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Soil Pore Water ◽  
Fe Reduction ◽  
Flooded Areas

Abstract. Drained thaw lake basins (DTLB's) are the dominant land form of the Arctic Coastal Plain in northern Alaska. The presence of continuous permafrost prevents drainage and so water tables generally remain close to the soil surface, creating saturated, suboxic soil conditions. However, ice wedge polygons produce microtopographic variation in these landscapes, with raised areas such as polygon rims creating more oxic microenvironments. The peat soils in this ecosystem store large amounts of organic carbon which is vulnerable to loss as arctic regions continue to rapidly warm, and so there is great motivation to understand the controls over microbial activity in these complex landscapes. Here we report the effects of experimental flooding, along with seasonal and spatial variation in soil chemistry and microbial activity in a DTLB. The flooding treatment generally mirrored the effects of natural landscape variation in water-table height due to microtopography. The flooded portion of the basin had lower dissolved oxygen, lower oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and higher pH, as did lower elevation areas throughout the entire basin. Similarly, soil pore water concentrations of organic carbon and aromatic compounds were higher in flooded and low elevation areas. Dissolved ferric iron (Fe(III)) concentrations were higher in low elevation areas and responded to the flooding treatment in low areas, only. The high concentrations of soluble Fe(III) in soil pore water were explained by the presence of siderophores, which were much more concentrated in low elevation areas. All the aforementioned variables were correlated, showing that Fe(III) is solubilized in response to anoxic conditions. Dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) concentrations were higher in low elevation areas, but showed only subtle and/or seasonally dependent effects of flooding. In anaerobic laboratory incubations, more CH4 was produced by soils from low and flooded areas, whereas anaerobic CO2 production only responded to flooding in high elevation areas. Seasonal changes in the oxidation state of solid phase Fe minerals showed that net Fe reduction occurred, especially in topographically low areas. The effects of Fe reduction were also seen in the topographic patterns of pH, as protons were consumed where this process was prevalent. This suite of results can all be attributed to the effect of water table on oxygen availability: flooded conditions promote anoxia, stimulating dissolution and reduction of Fe(III), and to some extent, methanogenesis. However, two lines of evidence indicated the inhibition of methanogenesis by alternative e- acceptors such as Fe(III) and humic substances: (1) ratios of CO2:CH4 evolved from anaerobic soil incubations and dissolved in soil pore water were high; (2) CH4 concentrations were negatively correlated with the oxidation state of the soluble Fe pool in both topographically high and low areas. A second set of results could be explained by increased soil temperature in the flooding treatment, which presumably arose from the increased thermal conductivity of the soil surface: higher N mineralization rates and dissolved P concentrations were observed in flooded areas. Overall, these results could have implications for C and nutrient cycling in high Arctic areas where warming and flooding are likely consequences of climate change.

scholarly journals Water table height and microtopography control biogeochemical cycling in an Arctic coastal tundra ecosystem

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 6345-6382 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Lipson ◽  
D. Zona ◽  
T. K. Raab ◽  
F. Bozzolo ◽  
M. Mauritz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Microbial Activity ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Land Form ◽  
Dissolved Carbon ◽  
Tundra Ecosystem ◽  
Flooded Areas

Abstract. Drained thaw lake basins (DTLB) are the dominant land form of the Arctic coastal plain in northern Alaska. The presence of continuous permafrost prevents drainage and so water tables generally remain close to the soil surface, creating saturated, suboxic soil conditions. However, ice wedge polygons produce microtopographic variation in these landscapes, with raised areas such as polygon rims creating more oxic microenvironments. The peat soils in this ecosystem store large amounts of organic carbon which is vulnerable to loss as arctic regions continue to rapidly warm, and so there is great motivation to understand the controls over microbial activity in these complex landscapes. Here we report the effects of experimental flooding, along with seasonal and spatial variation in soil chemistry and microbial activity in a DTLB. The flooding treatment generally mirrored the effects of natural landscape variation in water table height due to microtopography. Areas in the flooded areas had lower dissolved oxygen, lower oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and higher pH, as did lower elevation areas of the landscape. Similarly, soil pore water concentrations of dissolved ferric iron (Fe III), organic carbon, and aromatic compounds were higher in flooded and low elevation areas. Dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) concentrations were higher in low elevation areas. In anaerobic laboratory incubations, more CH4 was produced by soils from low and flooded areas, whereas anaerobic CO2 production only responded to flooding in high elevation areas. Seasonal changes in the oxidation state of solid phase Fe minerals showed that significant dissimilatory Fe reduction occurred, especially in topographically low areas. This suite of results can all be attributed to the effect of water table on oxygen availability: flooded conditions promote anoxia, stimulating anaerobic processes, methanogenesis and Fe(III) reduction. Flooding also increased soil temperature, which might account for the higher N mineralization rates and dissolved P concentrations observed in flooded areas, though the latter could also have resulted from solubilization of Fe-P minerals under more reducing conditions. Overall, the results indicate that the microbial community is well-adapted for anaerobic respiration, in particular, dissimilatory Fe(III) reduction, and could have implications for some high Arctic areas where warming and flooding are likely consequences of climate change.

scholarly journals Dissolved Organic Matter Characteristics and Important Site Factors in a Subtropical Mountain Forest in Central China

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Wang ◽  
Chang Liao ◽  
Qiuxiang Tian ◽  
Dongya Wang ◽  
Yu Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Carbon ◽  
Pore Water ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Chemical Components ◽  
Mountain Forest ◽  
Soil Pore Water ◽  
Organic Matter Concentration

Abstract Dissolved organic matter is important in the vertical and lateral translocation of nutrients in forest ecosystems. However, little is known about the changes in dissolved organic matter concentration and chemical components in ecosystem sources in humid mountain forests. Here, we measured the concentration and chemical components of dissolved organic matter at throughfall, stemflow, litter leachate, runoff, and soil pore water (at depths of 10 cm, 30 cm, and 60 cm) in a subtropical humid mountain forest during two growing seasons. The concentration of dissolved organic carbon and dissolved nitrogen showed a clear monthly trend. The dissolved organic carbon concentration and the proportion of hydrophobic organic acid in the surficial water were higher than those in the soil pore water, and this difference was accompanied by a decrease in the hydrophobic organic acid concentration from the surficial water to the soil pore water. We also found that dissolved organic matter properties in surficial water were related to canopy cover, tree species, litter carbon content, and slope, whereas dissolved organic matter in soil pore water was associated with soil C, N, and P content and pH. In addition, the rainfall pattern is important to the dissolved organic matter concentration and partitioning within the seven sources. These findings showed that the dissolved organic carbon movement from surficial water into soil pore water is a significant component of carbon cycling in forest ecosystems, and this is important in estimating the carbon budget in forest ecosystems.

Measurement and Modeling of Energetic-Material Mass Transfer to Soil-Pore Water

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen W. Webb ◽  
James M. Phelan ◽  
Teklu Hadgu ◽  
Joshua S. Stein ◽  
Cedric M. Sallaberry
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Pore Water ◽  
Energetic Material ◽  
Soil Pore Water

Dissolved Phosphorus Losses in Tile Drainage under Subirrigation

2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Stämpfli ◽  
Chandra A. Madramootoo
Keyword(s):  
Water Table ◽  
Residual Effect ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Quality Standard ◽  
Tile Drainage ◽  
Agricultural Field ◽  
Shallow Water Table ◽  
Dissolved Phosphorus ◽  
Water Table Control

Abstract Recent studies have shown subirrigation (SI) to be effective in reducing nitrate losses from agricultural tile drainage systems. A field study was conducted from 2001 to 2002 in southwestern Québec to evaluate the effect of SI on total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) losses in tile drainage. In an agricultural field with drains installed at a 1-m depth, a SI system with a design water table depth (WTD) of 0.6 m below the soil surface was compared with conventional free drainage (FD). Subirrigation increased drainage outflow volumes in the autumn, when drains were opened and water table control was interrupted for the winter in the SI plots. Outflows were otherwise similar for both treatments. Throughout the study, the TDP concentrations in tile drainage were significantly higher with SI than with FD for seven out of 17 of the sampling dates for which data could be analyzed statistically, and they were never found to be lower for plots under SI than for plots under FD. Of the seven dates for which the increase was significant, six fell in the period during which water table control was not implemented (27 September 2001 to 24 June 2002). Hence, it appears that SI tended to increase TDP concentrations compared with FD, and that it also had a residual effect between growing seasons. Almost one-third of all samples from the plots under SI exceeded Québec's surface water quality standard (0.03 mg TDP L-1), whereas concentrations in plots under FD were all below the standard. Possible causes of the increase in TDP concentrations in tile drainage with SI are high TDP concentrations found in the well water used for SI and a higher P solubility caused by the shallow water table.

scholarly journals Mapping the Pollution Plume Using the Self-Potential Geophysical Method: Case of Oum Azza Landfill, Rabat, Morocco

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 961
Author(s):  
Meryem Touzani ◽  
Ismail Mohsine ◽  
Jamila Ouardi ◽  
Ilias Kacimi ◽  
Moad Morarech ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
The Self ◽  
Drainage Network ◽  
Geophysical Method ◽  
Direct Measurements ◽  
Sandy Material ◽  
The City ◽  
Self Potential

The main landfill in the city of Rabat (Morocco) is based on sandy material containing the shallow Mio-Pliocene aquifer. The presence of a pollution plume is likely, but its extent is not known. Measurements of spontaneous potential (SP) from the soil surface were cross-referenced with direct measurements of the water table and leachates (pH, redox potential, electrical conductivity) according to the available accesses, as well as with an analysis of the landscape and the water table flows. With a few precautions during data acquisition on this resistive terrain, the results made it possible to separate the electrokinetic (~30%) and electrochemical (~70%) components responsible for the range of potentials observed (70 mV). The plume is detected in the hydrogeological downstream of the discharge, but is captured by the natural drainage network and does not extend further under the hills.

scholarly journals The Effects of Forest Litter and Waterlogging on the Ecotoxicity of Soils Strongly Enriched in Arsenic in a Historical Mining Site

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 355
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Szopka ◽  
Iwona Gruss ◽  
Dariusz Gruszka ◽  
Anna Karczewska ◽  
Krzysztof Gediga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pore Water ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Vibrio Fischeri ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Forest Litter ◽  
Contaminated Site ◽  
Mining Site ◽  
Soil Pore Water ◽  
Soil Ecotoxicity ◽  
Properties Of Soil

This study examined the effects of waterlogging and forest litter introduced to soil on chemical properties of soil pore water and ecotoxicity of soils highly enriched in As. These effects were examined in a 21-day incubation experiment. Tested soil samples were collected from Złoty Stok, a historical centre of arsenic and gold mining: from a forested part of the Orchid Dump (19,600 mg/kg As) and from a less contaminated site situated in a neighboring forest (2020 mg/kg As). An unpolluted soil was used as control. The concentrations of As, Fe and Mn in soil pore water were measured together with a redox potential Eh. A battery of ecotoxicological tests, including a bioassay with luminescence bacteria Vibrio fischeri (Microtox) and several tests on crustaceans (Rapidtox, Thamnotox and Ostracodtox tests), was used to assess soil ecotoxicity. The bioassays with crustaceans (T. platyurus, H. incongruens) were more sensitive than the bacterial test Microtox. The study confirmed that the input of forest litter into the soil may significantly increase the effects of toxicity. Waterlogged conditions facilitated a release of As into pore water, and the addition of forest litter accelerated this effect thus causing increased toxicity.

scholarly journals Spectral Characterization of Dissolved Organic Matter in Seawater and Sediment Pore Water from the Arctic Fjords (West Svalbard) in Summer

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 202
Author(s):  
Meilian Chen ◽  
Ji-Hoon Kim ◽  
Sungwook Hong ◽  
Yun Kyung Lee ◽  
Moo Hee Kang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
Pore Water ◽  
Phytoplankton Bloom ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Sediment Pore Water ◽  
Ice Edge ◽  
Accumulation Trend ◽  
Arctic Fjords

Fjords in the high Arctic, as aquatic critical zones at the interface of land-ocean continuum, are undergoing rapid changes due to glacier retreat and climate warming. Yet, little is known about the biogeochemical processes in the Arctic fjords. We measured the nutrients and the optical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in both seawater and sediment pore water, along with the remote sensing data of the ocean surface, from three West Svalbard fjords. A cross-fjord comparison of fluorescence fingerprints together with downcore trends of salinity, Cl−, and PO43− revealed higher impact of terrestrial inputs (fluorescence index: ~1.2–1.5 in seawaters) and glaciofluvial runoffs (salinity: ~31.4 ± 2.4 psu in pore waters) to the southern fjord of Hornsund as compared to the northern fjords of Isfjorden and Van Mijenfjorden, tallying with heavier annual runoff to the southern fjord of Hornsund. Extremely high levels of protein-like fluorescence (up to ~4.5 RU) were observed at the partially sea ice-covered fjords in summer, in line with near-ubiquity ice-edge blooms observed in the Arctic. The results reflect an ongoing or post-phytoplankton bloom, which is also supported by the higher levels of chlorophyll a fluorescence at the ocean surface, the very high apparent oxygen utilization through the water column, and the nutrient drawdown at the ocean surface. Meanwhile, a characteristic elongated fluorescence fingerprint was observed in the fjords, presumably produced by ice-edge blooms in the Arctic ecosystems. Furthermore, alkalinity and the humic-like peaks showed a general downcore accumulation trend, which implies the production of humic-like DOM via a biological pathway also in the glaciomarine sediments from the Arctic fjords.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document