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Manninen S, Zverev V, Kozlov MV. Foliar stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen in boreal forest plants exposed to long-term pollution from the nickel-copper smelter at Monchegorsk, Russia. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:48880-48892. [PMID: 35199271 PMCID: PMC9252950 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19261-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Long-term exposure to primary air pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), alters the structure and functions of forest ecosystems. Many biochemical and biogeochemical processes discriminate against the heavier isotopes in a mixture; thus, the values of δ13C and δ15N (i.e. the ratio of stable isotopes 13C to 12C and that of 15 N to 14 N, respectively) may give insights into changes in ecosystem processes and identify the immediate drivers of these changes. We studied sources of variation in the δ13C and δ15N values in the foliage of eight boreal forest C3 plants at 10 sites located at the distance of 1-40 km from the Monchegorsk nickel-copper smelter in Russia. From 1939‒2019, this smelter emitted over 14,000,000 metric tons (t) of SO2, 250,000 t of metals, primarily nickel and copper, and 140,000 t of NOx. The δ13C value in evergreen plants and the δ15N value in all plants increased near the smelter independently of the plant mycorrhizal type. We attribute the pollution-related increase in the foliar δ13C values of evergreen species mainly to direct effects of SO2 on stomatal conductance, in combination with pollution-related water stress, which jointly override the potential opposite effect of increasing ambient CO2 concentration on δ13C values. Stomatal uptake of NOx and root uptake of 15N-enriched organic N compounds and NH4+ may explain the increased foliar δ15N values and elevated foliar N concentrations, especially in the evergreen trees (Pinus sylvestris), close to Monchegorsk, where the soil inorganic N supply is reduced due to the impact of long-term SO2 and heavy metal emissions on plant biomass. We conclude that, despite the uncertainties in interpreting δ13C and δ15N responses to pollution, the Monchegorsk smelter has imposed and still imposes a great impact on C and N cycling in the surrounding N-limited subarctic forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirkku Manninen
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, P.O. Box 65 , 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vitali Zverev
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Mikhail V Kozlov
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.
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Hai X, Li J, Li J, Liu Y, Dong L, Wang X, Lv W, Hu Z, Shangguan Z, Deng L. Variations in Plant Water Use Efficiency Response to Manipulated Precipitation in a Temperate Grassland. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:881282. [PMID: 35665164 PMCID: PMC9162798 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.881282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Water use efficiency (WUE) plays important role in understanding the interaction between carbon and water cycles in the plant-soil-atmosphere system. However, little is known regarding the impact of altered precipitation on plant WUE in arid and semi-arid regions. The study examined the effects of altered precipitation [i.e., ambient precipitation (100% of natural precipitation), decreased precipitation (DP, -50%) and increased precipitation (IP, +50%)] on the WUE of grass species (Stipa grandis and Stipa bungeana) and forb species (Artemisia gmelinii) in a temperate grassland. The results found that WUE was significantly affected by growth stages, precipitation and plant species. DP increased the WUE of S. grandis and S. bungeana generally, but IP decreased WUE especially in A. gmelinii. And the grasses had the higher WUE than forbs. For different growth stages, the WUE in the initial growth stage was lower than that in the middle and late growth stages. Soil temperature, available nutrients (i.e., NO3 -, NH4 +, and AP) and microorganisms under the altered precipitations were the main factors affecting plant WUE. These findings highlighted that the grasses have higher WUE than forbs, which can be given priority to vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuying Hai
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Jianping Li
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Jiwei Li
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, China
| | - Yulin Liu
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, China
| | - Lingbo Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xiaozhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Wenwen Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Zhenhong Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Zhouping Shangguan
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Lei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, China
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Leonelli G, Bollati IM, Cherubini P, Saurer M, Vergari F, Del Monte M, Pelfini M. Tree-ring stable isotopes indicate mass wasting processes at Radicofani in the upper Orcia Valley (Tuscany, Italy). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 812:152428. [PMID: 34942253 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Tree-ring carbon (C) and oxygen (O) stable isotope (SI) chronologies spanning the period 1983-2012 were analysed at three Pinus nigra Arn. sites located in the upper Orcia Valley (Tuscany, Italy) in a badlands landscape. The goal of the study was to determine the extent to which tree-ring stable isotopes (SI) can serve as a proxy for mass wasting processes. To this end, we applied an established dual-isotope model to detect physiological changes between trees growing at three sites, one along the upper border of a well-studied shallow landslide, one on the landslide, and one in a stable area, as control. We further analysed whether trees at the three sites showed different δ18O responses to climate and to precipitation δ18O. Tree-ring δ13C and δ18O variations and trends revealed impairments of the photosynthetic process at the landslide site. We found that trees growing on the landslide show signs of reduced photosynthetic capacity since the onset of the landslide in 1993, whereas since 2000, while producing compression wood during periods of landslide activity, the trees show trends of higher average maximum net photosynthesis. The correlation analysis performed between the SI chronologies and the climatic variables revealed that the climatic signals at the site located on the landslide are masked by growth stress induced by the mass wasting processes. The most distinct differences in climate responses between sites were found in tree-ring δ13C in response to mean temperature and to mean temperature range, and in tree-ring δ18O in response to precipitation δ18O. Our research confirms that it is possible to reconstruct mass-wasting processes on forested slopes and to date geomorphological events by considering the trees' physiological conditions as recorded by stable C and O isotopes in tree rings, and by comparing affected with unaffected sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Leonelli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Università di Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 157/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Irene Maria Bollati
- Earth Sciences Department "A. Desio", Università di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 34, 20133 Milano, Italy.
| | - Paolo Cherubini
- WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada
| | - Matthias Saurer
- WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Francesca Vergari
- Earth Science Department, Università La Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Maurizio Del Monte
- Earth Science Department, Università La Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Manuela Pelfini
- Earth Sciences Department "A. Desio", Università di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 34, 20133 Milano, Italy
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Simion CA, Mocanu N, Gaza O, Stanciu IM, Sava GO, Stefan BM, Sava TB, Pacesila DG, Chiriloaei F, Nechita C. Semi-automatic combustion of environmental and biological samples on Oxidizer M307 and equivalents: New solutions for background reduction. J Labelled Comp Radiopharm 2019; 62:758-767. [PMID: 31378987 DOI: 10.1002/jlcr.3797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The aim is to introduce and characterize a new experimental demonstrative model contributing to the increase of measurement accuracy, in terms of minimum detectable activity (MDA) and background reduction, for the analysis of samples having low concentrations in tritium and radiocarbon on Quantulus 1220. The clue is related to the qualitative and quantitative differences between tritium and carbon-14 inventories of the pulp used to manufacture the cups involved in noncatalytic combustion of samples by flame oxidation method. The quality of the experimental results depends on the temporal origin of the wood from which the pulp/cellulose was extracted/purified, the specific inventory contributing to the threshold level of the MDA for the beta-emitting radionuclide to be investigated. Finally, the aim is to create and to use such a 100% old cellulose combustion cups for determining low concentrations of these radionuclides. It may be obtained by an adapted technology following the literature data and may be recommended for routine analyses of environmental samples coming from areas with no nuclear or minor nuclear influences, and also for low-level biological samples. This first attempt resulted in improvement of measurement performances up to 400% for carbon-14 and by approximately 50% for tritium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corina A Simion
- Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Magurele, Ilfov, Romania; The Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DFVM) and Tandem Accelerators Department (DAT)
| | - Nicolae Mocanu
- Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Magurele, Ilfov, Romania; The Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DFVM) and Tandem Accelerators Department (DAT)
| | - Oana Gaza
- Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Magurele, Ilfov, Romania; The Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DFVM) and Tandem Accelerators Department (DAT)
| | - Iuliana M Stanciu
- Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Magurele, Ilfov, Romania; The Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DFVM) and Tandem Accelerators Department (DAT)
- Physik Department, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
| | - Gabriela O Sava
- Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Magurele, Ilfov, Romania; The Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DFVM) and Tandem Accelerators Department (DAT)
| | - Bianca M Stefan
- Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Magurele, Ilfov, Romania; The Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DFVM) and Tandem Accelerators Department (DAT)
| | - Tiberiu B Sava
- Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Magurele, Ilfov, Romania; The Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DFVM) and Tandem Accelerators Department (DAT)
| | - Doru Gh Pacesila
- Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Magurele, Ilfov, Romania; The Department of Life and Environmental Sciences (DFVM) and Tandem Accelerators Department (DAT)
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Sensuła BM. The Impact of Climate, Sulfur Dioxide, and Industrial Dust on δ 18O and δ 13C in Glucose from Pine Tree Rings Growing in an Industrialized Area in the Southern Part of Poland. WATER, AIR, AND SOIL POLLUTION 2016; 227:106. [PMID: 27057072 PMCID: PMC4789193 DOI: 10.1007/s11270-016-2808-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The mass spectrometric analysis of the impact of sulfur dioxide and dust emission on carbon and oxygen stable isotopic compositions of glucose hydrolysed from α-cellulose samples extracted from Scots pine growing in the vicinity of "Huta Katowice" steelworks was the main aim of this study. The annual rings covered the time span from 1975 to 2012 AD. The relationships between climatic conditions, sulfur dioxide, and industrial dust emission and oxygen and carbon isotopic compositions were analyzed using correlation function methods. This study shows the first analysis of carbon and oxygen stable isotopes in glucose as the bio-indicators of CO2, sulfur dioxide, and industrial dust emission. The anticoincidence trend of δ18O and δ13C and dust and sulfur dioxide confirms that the decreases of dust and sulfur dioxide industrial emission increase δ18O and δ13C values in glucose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara M. Sensuła
- Institute of Physics-Center for Science and Education, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 22B, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
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Sensuła BM. δ 13C and Water Use Efficiency in the Glucose of Annual Pine Tree Rings as Ecological Indicators of the Forests in the Most Industrialized Part of Poland. WATER, AIR, AND SOIL POLLUTION 2016; 227:68. [PMID: 26893529 PMCID: PMC4735232 DOI: 10.1007/s11270-016-2750-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In this study, stable carbon isotope ratios in the glucose samples were extracted from annual pine tree rings as bio-indicators of contemporary environmental changes in heavily urbanized areas. The sampling sites were located in close proximity to point source pollution emitters, such as a heat and power plant "Łaziska" and steelworks "Huta Katowice" in Silesia (Poland). The analysed samples covered the time span from 1975 to 2012 AD, the time period of the development of industrialization and the modernization in the industrial sector in Poland, similarly as in Eastern Europe. This modernization was connected with EU legislation and the implementation of restrictive governmental regulations on emissions. The carbon isotope discrimination has been proposed as a method for evaluating water use efficiency. The measurements of carbon isotopes were carried out using the continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometer coupled to the elemental analyser. The δ13C values were calibrated relative to the C-3 and C-5 international standards. Diffuse air pollution caused the variation in δ13C and iWUE (the ratio between CO2 assimilation and stomatal conductance) dependency on the type of emitter and some local effects of other human activities. In this study, the first results of water use efficiency in glucose are presented. In the period of time from 1975 to 2012, the water use efficiency values increased from 98 to 122 μmol/mol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara M. Sensuła
- Institute of Physics - Center for Science and Education, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 22B, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
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