We incorporated peatland dynamics into Arctic version of dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS to understand the long-term evolution of northern peatlands and effects of climate change on peatland carbon balance. We found that the Stordalen mire may be expected to sequester more carbon before 2050 due to milder and wetter climate conditions, a longer growing season and CO₂ fertilization effect, turning into a C source after 2050 because of higher decomposition rates in response to warming soils. Hide

To understand the flooding effects on a pelagic ecosystem in the East China Sea (ECS), a variety of variables were measured in 2009 (non-flood) and 2010 (flood). In 2010, the organic carbon consumption was higher than in 2009; this could be attributed to the vigorous plankton activities observed in low-salinity areas. A huge amount of f CO₂ was also drawn down in the flood. This flood effect might become more pronounced as extreme rainfall events increase dramatically throughout the world. Hide

This study set out to determine the quantity of organic carbon (OC) which is protected from microbial decomposition in macro-aggregates of Siberian steppe soils under different land use. Our results imply that the quantity of macro-aggregate protected OC is smaller than in similar steppe ecosystems like the North American prairies. We conclude that the tillage-induced breakdown of macro-aggregates after grassland to arable land conversion has not reduced the OC contents in the studied soils. Hide

This experimental system simulates future CO₂ conditions in the ocean. It mimics natural processes by allowing the CO₂ to move gently and across the surface of the water though gas exchange, making it well suited for delicate plankton. Researchers can use many small vessels, which allows tracking of the eggs from individual females, for instance. Multiple types of organisms can be grown at once, which facilitates feeding studies and other similar studies of species interactions. Hide

(1) Solid state ¹³C-NMR is a powerful tool to study the nature of soil organic carbon. (2) Moderate mowing improved the stability of the grassland soil organic carbon pool. (3) Heavy mowing decreased the stability of the grassland soil organic carbon pool. (4) Mowing once a year is the most recommended practice in the semiarid grassland. (5) Mowing twice a year should be avoided for the long term in the semiarid grassland. Hide

We used phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) to link specific microbial markers to the spatio-temporal changes of groundwater physico-chemistry. PLFA-based functional groups were directly supported by DNA/RNA results. O₂ resulted in increased eukaryotic biomass and abundance of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria but impeded anammox, sulphate-reducing and iron-reducing bacteria. Our study demonstrates the power of PLFA-based approaches to study the nature and activity of microorganisms in pristine aquifers. Hide