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Atmospheric CO2 Levels (atmospheric + co2_level)
Selected AbstractsTree-Ring Carbon Isotopic Constraints on Carbon-Water Exchanges between Atmosphere and Biosphere in Drought Regions in Northwestern ChinaACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 2 2000WANG Shilu Abstract The comparison between the carbon isotope and the index of ring width of a pine disc from the Tuomuer Peak region in Xinjiang shows that the effects of climate changes on the tree-ring growth and carbon isotopic fractionation varies with time. The reason is probably relative to the characters of climate changes and adaptability of the tree-ring growth to climate changes. The relationships between the atmospheric CO2 level and the revised ,13Cair by the tree-ring carbon isotope indicate that the carbon cycle is not in a steady state, but under a stage-change condition in this area. It also can be concluded that the ratio of CO2 from the terrestrial eco-system has increased, and the flux of CO2 exchange between the atmosphere and the biosphere was gradually increasing over the past century. In addition, the results also confirm the validity and superiority of the carbon isotope to the research of the water-use efficiency. [source] Large annual net ecosystem CO2 uptake of a Mojave Desert ecosystemGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 7 2008GEORG WOHLFAHRT Abstract The net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) between a Mojave Desert ecosystem and the atmosphere was measured over the course of 2 years at the Mojave Global Change Facility (MGCF, Nevada, USA) using the eddy covariance method. The investigated desert ecosystem was a sink for CO2, taking up 102±67 and 110±70 g C m,2 during 2005 and 2006, respectively. A comprehensive uncertainty analysis showed that most of the uncertainty of the inferred sink strength was due to the need to account for the effects of air density fluctuations on CO2 densities measured with an open-path infrared gas analyser. In order to keep this uncertainty within acceptable bounds, highest standards with regard to maintenance of instrumentation and flux measurement postprocessing have to be met. Most of the variability in half-hourly NEE was explained by the amount of incident photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). On a seasonal scale, PAR and soil water content were the most important determinants of NEE. Precipitation events resulted in an initial pulse of CO2 to the atmosphere, temporarily reducing NEE or even causing it to switch sign. During summer, when soil moisture was low, a lag of 3,4 days was observed before the correlation between NEE and precipitation switched from positive to negative, as opposed to conditions of high soil water availability in spring, when this transition occurred within the same day the rain took place. Our results indicate that desert ecosystem CO2 exchange may be playing a much larger role in global carbon cycling and in modulating atmospheric CO2 levels than previously assumed , especially since arid and semiarid biomes make up >30% of Earth's land surface. [source] Growth, photosynthetic properties and Rubisco activities and amounts of marine macroalgae grown under current and elevated seawater CO2 concentrationsGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2002Alvaro Israel Abstract Growth rates, photosynthetic responses and the activity, amount and CO2 affinity of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) were determined for common marine macroalgae grown in seawater (containing 14.5 ± 2.1 µM CO2) or CO2 -enriched seawater (averaging 52.8 ± 19.2 µM CO2). The algae were grown in 40 L fiberglass tanks (outdoor) for 4,15 weeks and in a field experimental setup for 5 days. Growth rates of the species studied (representing the three major divisions, i.e. Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta and Phaeophyta) were generally not significantly affected by the increased CO2 concentrations in the seawater medium. Rubisco characteristics of algae cultivated in CO2 -enriched seawater were similar to those of algae grown in nonenriched seawater. The lack of response of photosynthetic traits in these aquatic plants is likely to be because of the presence of CO2 concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) which rely on HCO3, utilization, the inorganic carbon (Ci) form that dominates the total Ci pool available in seawater. Significant changes on the productivity of these particular marine algae species would not be anticipated when facing future increasing atmospheric CO2 levels. [source] Response of multiple generations of cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera Hübner, feeding on spring wheat, to elevated CO2JOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2006G. Wu Abstract:, The growth, development and consumption of three successive generations of cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), reared on milky grains of spring wheat grown under elevated CO2 (double-ambient vs. ambient) in open-top chambers (OTCs) were examined. Decreases in protein, total amino acid, water and nitrogen content, and increases in total non-structure carbohydrates (TNCs) and ratio of TNC : nitrogen were found in wheat milky grains grown under elevated CO2 conditions. Changes in quality of wheat grains affected the growth, development and food utilization of H. armigera. Significantly longer larval lifespan for the third generation and lower pupal weight for all generations were observed in cotton bollworm fed on milky grains of spring wheat grown under elevated CO2 conditions. Bollworm fecundity was significantly decreased for the second and third generations under elevated CO2 levels. The consumption, frass per larva and relative consumption rate significantly increased in elevated CO2 compared with ambient CO2 conditions. However, the potential population consumption was significant reduced by elevated CO2 in the second and third generations. The results of this study indicate that elevated CO2 levels adversely affect grain quality, resulting in consistently increased consumption per larva for a longer period to produce less fecund bollworm through generations, suggesting that net damage of cotton bollworm on wheat will be less under elevated atmospheric CO2 levels because increased consumption is offset by slower development and reduced fecundity. [source] The Ordovician Biodiversification: revolution in the oceanic trophic chainLETHAIA, Issue 2 2008THOMAS SERVAIS The Early Palaeozoic phytoplankton (acritarch) radiation paralleled a long-term increase in sea level between the Early Cambrian and the Late Ordovician. In the Late Cambrian, after the SPICE ,13Ccarb excursion, acritarchs underwent a major change in morphological disparity and their taxonomical diversity increased to reach highest values during the Middle Ordovician (Darriwilian). This highest phytoplankton diversity of the Palaeozoic was possibly the result of palaeogeography (greatest continental dispersal) and major orogenic and volcanic activity, which provided maximum ecospace and large amounts of nutrients. With its warm climate and high atmospheric CO2 levels, the Ordovician was similar to the Cretaceous: a period when phytoplankton diversity was at its maximum during the Mesozoic. With increased phytoplankton availability in the Late Cambrian and Ordovician a radiation of zooplanktonic organisms took place at the same time as a major diversification of suspension feeders. In addition, planktotrophy originated in invertebrate larvae during the Late Cambrian,Early Ordovician. These important changes in the trophic chain can be considered as a major palaeoecological revolution (part of the rise of the Palaeozoic Evolutionary Fauna of Sepkoski). There is now sufficient evidence that this trophic chain revolution was related to the diversification of the phytoplankton, of which the organic-walled fraction is partly preserved. [source] Interaction of UV Radiation and Inorganic Carbon Supply in the Inhibition of Photosynthesis: Spectral and Temporal Responses of Two Marine Picoplankters,PHOTOCHEMISTRY & PHOTOBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Cristina Sobrino ABSTRACT The effect of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on inhibition of photosynthesis was studied in two species of marine picoplankton with different carbon concentration mechanisms: Nannochloropsis gaditana Lubiįn possesses a bicarbonate uptake system and Nannochloris atomus Butcher a CO2 active transport system. Biological weighting functions (BWFs) for inhibition of photosynthesis by UVR and photosynthesis vs irradiance (PI) curves for photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) were estimated for both species grown with an enriched CO2 supply (high dissolved inorganic carbon [DIC]: 1% CO2 in air) and in atmospheric CO2 levels (low DIC: 0.03% CO2). The response to UVR and PAR exposures was different in each species depending on the DIC treatment. Under PAR exposure, rates of maximum photosynthesis were similar between treatments in N. gaditana. However, the cultures growing in high DIC had lower sensitivity to UVR than the low DIC cultures. In contrast, N. atomus had higher rates of photosynthesis under PAR exposure with high DIC, but the BWFs were not significantly different between treatments. The results suggest that one or more processes in N. gaditana associated with HCO3, transport are target(s) for UV photodamage because there was relatively less UV inhibition of the high DIC-grown cultures in which inorganic carbon fixation is supplied by passive CO2 diffusion. Time courses of photochemical efficiency in PAR, during UV exposure and during subsequent recovery in PAR, were determined using a pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer. The results were consistent with the BWFs. In all time courses, a steady state was obtained after an initial decrease, consistent with a dynamic balance between damage and repair as found for other phytoplankton. However, the relationship of response to exposure showed a steep decline in activity that is consistent with a constant rate of repair. A novel feature of a model developed from a constant repair rate is an explicit threshold for photosynthetic response to UV. [source] | |||||||||||||