scholarly journals Molecular evidence for sediment nitrogen fixation in a temperate New England estuary

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e1615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia E. Newell ◽  
Kaitlyn R. Pritchard ◽  
Sarah Q. Foster ◽  
Robinson W. Fulweiler

Primary production in coastal waters is generally nitrogen (N) limited with denitrification outpacing nitrogen fixation (N2-fixation). However, recent work suggests that we have potentially underestimated the importance of heterotrophic sediment N2-fixation in marine ecosystems. We used clone libraries to examine transcript diversity ofnifH(a gene associated with N2-fixation) in sediments at three sites in a temperate New England estuary (Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, USA) and compared our results to net sediment N2fluxes previously measured at these sites. We observednifHexpression at all sites, including a site heavily impacted by anthropogenic N. At this N impacted site, we also observed mean net sediment N2-fixation, linking the geochemical rate measurement withnifHexpression. This same site also had the lowest diversity (non-parametric Shannon = 2.75). At the two other sites, we also detectednifHtranscripts, however, the mean N2flux indicated net denitrification. These results suggest that N2-fixation and denitrification co-occur in these sediments. Of the unique sequences in this study, 67% were most closely related to uncultured bacteria from various marine environments, 17% to Cluster III, 15% to Cluster I, and only 1% to Cluster II. These data add to the growing body of literature that sediment heterotrophic N2-fixation, even under high inorganic nitrogen concentrations, may be an important yet overlooked source of N in coastal systems.

2007 ◽  
Vol 36 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 238-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sasha C. Reed ◽  
Timothy R. Seastedt ◽  
Colin M. Mann ◽  
Katharine N. Suding ◽  
Alan R. Townsend ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Jean-Luc Menet

The implantation of wind turbines generally follows a wind potential study which is made using specific numerical tools; the generated expenses are only acceptable for great projects. The purpose of the present paper is to propose a simplified methodology for the evaluation of the wind potential, following three successive steps for the determination of (i) the mean velocity, either directly or by the use of the most occurrence velocity (MOV); (ii) the velocity distribution coming from the single knowledge of the mean velocity by the use of a Rayleigh distribution and a Davenport-Harris law; (iii) an appropriate approximation of the characteristic curve of the turbine, coming from only two technical data. These last two steps allow calculating directly the electric delivered energy for the considered wind turbine. This methodology, called the SWEPT approach, can be easily implemented in a single worksheet. The results returned by the SWEPT tool are of the same order of magnitude than those given by the classical commercial tools. Moreover, everybody, even a “neophyte,” can use this methodology to obtain a first estimation of the wind potential of a site considering a given wind turbine, on the basis of very few general data.


1994 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barrios E. ◽  
Herrera R.

ABSTRACTSeasonally flooded forests represent a transition between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The Mapire river, a tributary of the Orinoco river, floods its surrounding forests during the wet season (May–December). The soils are very acid and the total nitrogen concentration (0.1%) is only half that found in nearby soils flooded by Orinoco waters. Ammonium-nitrogen predominates in the soil during the flooded period while nitrate-nitrogen concentrations are higher in the dry period. Wide fluctuations in the inorganic nitrogen fractions did not considerably affect the annual course of soil nitrogen.The predominance of mineralization versus nitrification (56 and 5 μgsoil month−1respectively) and possibly the synchronization of nitrogen availability with plant demand could be considered as nitrogen conserving mechanisms.In synchrony with the hydrologic cycle, the seasonally flooded forest studied shows a nitrogencycle where inputs and accumulation are maximized when the system is under minimum stress (dry season). During flooding, the system enters a period of dormancy making minimal use of nutrient and energy to avoid or tolerate anaerobiosis.


2001 ◽  
Vol 47 (156) ◽  
pp. 147-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
He Yuanqing ◽  
Wilfred H. Theakstone ◽  
Yao Tandong ◽  
Shi Yafeng

AbstractStratigraphic variations of oxygen isotopes in the snow which accumulates during the winter at the Norwegian glacier Austre Okstindbreen are not entirely eliminated after 1–2 months of ablation in the following summer. The relationship between regional temperature changes and δ18O values in the snowpack is affected by many natural factors, but 1989/90 winter air temperatures were reflected in the snow which remained on Austre Okstindbreen at 1350 m a.s.l. in July 1990. There were many variations of δ18O values in the 4.1m of snow above the 1989 summer surface, but variations in the underlying firn were relatively small. Meltwater percolation modifies the initial variations of δ18O values in the snowpack. At a site below the mean equilibrium-line altitude on Austre Okstindbreen, increased isotopic homogenization within a 10 day period in July accompanied an increase of the mean δ18O value. Although the isotopic record at a temperate glacier is likely to be influenced by more factors than is that at polar glaciers, it can provide an estimate of the approximate trend of local temperature variations.


2007 ◽  
Vol 386 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 103-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeroen Vandenbruwane ◽  
Stefaan De Neve ◽  
Robert G. Qualls ◽  
Joost Salomez ◽  
Georges Hofman

1987 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1486-1489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm Drury ◽  
Alan Taylor

Borehole heat-flow measurements are reported from six new sites in the Superior Province of the Canadian Shield. Values adjusted for glaciation effects, but not for Holocene climatic variations, range from 42 to 56 mW/m2. When these new values are combined with 21 previously published borehole values the mean is 42 mW/m2 with a standard deviation of 11 mW/m2. The data for a site on the Lac du Bonnet batholith suggest that the batholith has a thin veneer, less than 3 km, of rock of high radiogenic heat production at the surface.


1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. Fritz-Sheridan ◽  
D. S. Coxson

AbstractStereocaulon virgatum Ach. has colonized lava flows deposited on the west flank of the volcano La Soufrière. The mean annual rate of acetylene reduction was 43·4 nmol C2H4 gdw−1 h−1 with maximum rates during the prevalent cloud/shroud meteorology of 101 and minimum rates during rare high insolation events of 0·63 nmol gdw−1 h−1. Percentage thallus moisture was the major variable controlling nitrogenase activity. During cloud/shroud conditions the upper 90% of the lichen canopy reduced 85% of the acetylene. Canopy shading reduced intra-canopy temperatures allowing the basal 10% of the canopy to fix nitrogen during insolation shocks. Basal portions of pseudopodetia exhibited reduced rates of ethylene production when exposed to canopy surface light intensities during cloud/shroud conditions. The recovery pattern of nitrogenase following desiccation during an insolation shock is presented. Rates of photosynthesis during cloud/shroud conditions were high, reaching 50% of those attained during saturating light intensities.


1972 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 991-996 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. S. JOHNSON ◽  
D. J. HUME

The effects of two sources of nitrogen and ground corn cobs, applied either alone or in combination, on nitrogen fixation and seed yield of Glycine max (L.) Merr. cult Altona were investigated in an area where control plants fixed only 7.5 kg N2/ha. Treatments were: N, 280 kg N/ha as NH4NO3; organic matter (O.M.), 14 T (dry wt)/ha of ground corn cobs as an organic matter source; N + O.M.; M1; 88 T/ha of liquid cattle manure; M1 + O.M.; M2, 176 T/ha of liquid cattle manure; M2 + O.M.; and C, control. Treatment effects on nitrogen fixation, measured as acetylene reduction rates, and seed yield were related to the levels of available N supplied to the plants. Nitrogen fixation was progressively increased by treatments M1, M2 + O.M., M1 + O.M., and O.M., with the latter two fixing seven times as much nitrogen as the control. Final seed yield, however, was increased by treatments supplying the highest levels of inorganic nitrogen to plants, with N and N + O.M. producing higher yields than the control plots.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 268 (3) ◽  
pp. 209 ◽  
Author(s):  
SHUANG-XI YAN ◽  
HUI-JIE LIU ◽  
LE-LE LIN ◽  
SHUAI LIAO ◽  
JIN-YU LI ◽  
...  

The morphologically based taxonomic status of Clematis acerifolia var. elobata has been controversial. This study used two nuclear (ITS and ETS) and six plastid (rps16, rpl16, accD, trnS-trnG, atpB-rbcL, and trnV-atpE) molecular markers, and a DNA barcoding analysis to address the taxonomic status of C. acerifolia var. elobata and the relationship among other Clematis species. Our results showed that the discrimination power of ITS, ETS, and atpB-rbcL was better than that of the other tested DNA regions. When all tested sequences combined, most of the sampled taxa were resolved. Though the two taxa are closely related, they have differentiated clearly and formed two clades respectively. The mean divergence of the two taxa was 0.78%, which was higher than closely related Clematis species such as C. heracleifolia and C. pinnata (0.50 %). Considering molecular divergence, morphological differences, and distribution area, we raised C. acerifolia var. elobata to species level.


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