ALBERT

Description: Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are globally increasing in number and spatial extent. However, their propagation dynamics along environmental gradients and the associated interplay of abiotic factors and biotic interactions are still poorly understood. In this study, a nutrient gradient was established in a linear meta‐ecosystem setup of five interconnected flasks containing an artificially assembled phytoplankton community. The harmful dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella was introduced into different positions along the nutrient gradient to investigate dispersal and spatial community dynamics. Overall, total algal biovolume increased, while community evenness decreased with increasing nutrient concentrations along the gradient. Alexandrium was able to disperse through all flasks. On the regional scale, diatoms dominated the community, whereas on the local scale the dinoflagellate showed higher contributions at low nutrient concentrations and dominated the community at the lowest nutrient concentration, but only when initiated into this flask. A control treatment without dispersal revealed an even stronger dominance of Alexandrium at the lowest nutrient concentration, indicating that dispersal and the associated nutrient exchange may weaken dinoflagellate dominance under low nutrient conditions. This study presents a first approach to experimentally investigate spatial dynamics and ecological interactions of a harmful dinoflagellate along an environmental gradient in a meta‐ecosystem setup, which has the potential to substantially enhance our understanding of the relevance of dispersal for HAB formation and propagation in combination with local environmental factors.

Description: Volkswagen Foundation http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001663

Description: Attenuation of trace organic compounds (TrOCs) in a river occurs to a large extent in its hyporheic zone. A major part of the attenuation of polar TrOCs is of microbial origin. As microbial activity depends on temperature and redox conditions, seasonal differences in TrOC attenuation are likely. We investigated TrOC attenuation at a river influenced by treated wastewater during two sampling campaigns, one in summer and one in winter. In addition to redox conditions and temperature, we also determined residence times of porewater in sediment using three methods: (a) non‐parametric deconvolution of electrical conductivity time series, (b) the model VFLUX 2.0 based on temperature time series (only summer), and (c) applying Darcy's law to differences in hydraulic heads (only summer). Contrary to our expectations, we found higher attenuation for 12 out of 18 TrOCs in winter, while three TrOCs were better attenuated in summer. Sediment conditions varied between seasons as more of the top sandy layer with a higher hydraulic permeability accumulated on the river bed in summer. As a result, residence times in the sediment were shorter in summer. In winter, longer residence times, lower temperatures, and a steeper oxygen gradient in sediment coincided with higher TrOC attenuation. Further research is needed to understand our unexpected findings and underlying mechanisms.

Description: Key Points: The attenuation of 12 out of 18 trace organic compounds (TrOCs) in the hyporheic zone was higher in winter while three TrOCs were attenuated better in summer. Residence times in sediment were longer and more diverse in winter. The extent of the oxic sediment was similar between seasons but the gradient from the oxic to anoxic zone was steeper in winter.

Description: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659

Description: EC | H2020 | H2020 Priority Excellent Science | H2020 Marie Skłodowska‐Curie Actions (MSCA) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100010665

Description: University of Western Australia ‐ University Postgraduate Award

Description: Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship

Description: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002347

Description: https://doi.org/10.18728/igb-fred-578.0

Description: Widespread groundwater pollution with nitrate (NO3−) and the finite and decreasing geogenic NO3− degradation capacity in aquifers require a better understanding of potential treatment methods. This project aimed at exploring and comparing the efficiency of four organic substances as electron donors for heterotrophic denitrification. Circulation column experiments using sediment without NO3− degradation capacity and high agricultural NO3− groundwater were conducted. Acetate, glucose, ascorbic acid, and ethanol were added to these columns in three concentration steps to induce biological denitrification, whereby also temperature dependence of denitrification rates (room temperature and typical groundwater temperature of 10°C) was taken into account. Results show denitrification with all four carbon (C) sources with intensities varying considerably between electron donors. Comparison of the two temperature approaches shows substantial differences between applied organic substances and indicates T as an important variable for denitrification. Ethanol is clearly the most effective electron donor for biodenitrification in groundwater investigated in this study, with a stronger and more effective NO3− degradation at 10°C than at room temperature. In contrast, much higher reaction rates are achieved with glucose at room temperature, compared to 10°C. Denitrification with ascorbic acid is very low at both temperatures; its addition produces biomass which repeatedly led to column clogging. In the entire test series, nitrite (NO2−) accumulation occurred more frequently and in higher concentrations at 10°C. Analysis of microorganisms shows a strong modification in microbial community in reaction to the addition of different organic C as well as between the two temperature approaches.

Description: Key Points: Higher denitrification rate with ethanol at 10°C, consequently, reaction kinetics does not generally increase with rising temperature. Addition of organic substances and temperature strongly modify the denitrifying microbial community. Electron donor selection for induced nitrate reduction depends on the groundwater temperature of the region.

Description: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659

Description: Tropical forests contribute about one third to global annual CH4 uptake by soils. Understanding the factors that control the soil‐atmosphere exchange of CH4 at a large scale is a critical step to improve the CH4 flux estimate for tropical soils, which is presently poorly constrained. Since tropical forest degradation often involves shifts in nutrient availabilities, it is critical to evaluate how this will affect soil CH4 flux. Here, we report how nitrogen (N; 50 kg N ha−1 yr−1), phosphorus (P; 10 kg P ha−1 yr−1), and combined N + P additions affect soil CH4 fluxes across an elevation gradient of tropical montane forests. We measured soil CH4 fluxes in a nutrient application experiment at different elevations over a period of 5 years. Nutrient additions increased soil CH4 uptake after 4–5 years of treatment but effects were not uniform across elevations. At 1,000 m, where total soil P was high, we detected mainly N limitation of soil CH4 uptake. At 2,000 m, where total soil P was low, a strong P limitation of soil CH4 uptake was observed. At 3,000 m, where total P was low in the organic layer but high in mineral soil, we found N limitation of soil CH4 uptake. Our results show that projected increases of N and P depositions may increase soil CH4 uptake in tropical montane forests but the direction, magnitude, and timing of the effects will depend on forests' nutrient status and plant‐microbial competition for N and P.

Description: Plain Language Summary: CH4 is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Tropical forests are a natural sink of CH4 but increasing nutrient depositions due to industrialization may alter the sink strength of tropical forests. Our results show that projected increases of nitrogen and phosphorus depositions may increase soil CH4 uptake in tropical montane forests but the direction, magnitude, and timing of the effects will depend on forests' nutrients and plant‐microbial competition.

Description: Key Points: Projected increases in nitrogen and phosphorus depositions in the tropics will stimulate soil methane uptake in tropical montane forests. The direction, magnitude, and timing of nutrient deposition effects on soil methane uptake will depend on forests' nutrient status. Nutrient limitations on ecosystem processes have to be investigated in actual field conditions.

Description: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659

Description: https://doi.org/10.25625/XLNKNK

Description: Rhodolith beds and bioherms formed by ecosystem engineering crustose coralline algae support the northernmost centres of carbonate production, referred to as polar cold‐water carbonate factories. Yet, little is known about biodiversity and recruitment of these hard‐bottom communities or the bioeroders degrading them, and there is a demand for carbonate budgets to include respective rates of polar carbonate build‐up and bioerosion. To address these issues, a 10‐year settlement and bioerosion experiment was carried out at the Arctic Svalbard archipelago in and downslope of a rhodolith bed. The calcifiers recorded on experimental settlement tiles (56 taxa) were dominated by bryozoans, serpulids and foraminiferans. The majority of the bioerosion traces (30 ichnotaxa) were microborings, followed by attachment etchings and grazing traces. Biodiversity metrics show that calcifier diversity and bioerosion ichnodiversity are both elevated in the rhodolith bed, if compared to adjacent aphotic waters, but these differences are statistically insignificant. Accordingly, there were only low to moderate dissimilarities in the calcifier community structure and bioerosion trace assemblages between the two depth stations (46 and 127 m), substrate orientations (up‐ and down‐facing) and substrate types (PVC and limestone), in that order of relevance. In contrast, surface coverage as well as the carbonate accretion and bioerosion rates were all significantly elevated in the rhodolith bed, reflecting higher abundance or size of calcifiers and bioerosion traces. All three measures were highest for up‐facing substrates at 46 m, with a mean coverage of 78.2% (on PVC substrates), a mean accretion rate of 24.6 g m−2  year−1 (PVC), and a mean bioerosion rate of −35.1 g m−2 year−1 (limestone). Differences in these metrics depend on the same order of factors than the community structure. Considering all limestone substrates of the two platforms, carbonate accretion and bioerosion were nearly in balance at a net rate of −2.5 g m−2 year−1. A latitudinal comparison with previous settlement studies in the North Atlantic suggests that despite the harsh polar environment there is neither a depletion in the diversity of hard‐bottom calcifier communities nor in the ichnodiversity of grazing traces, attachment etchings and microborings formed by organotrophs. In contrast, microborings produced by phototrophs are strongly depleted because of limitations in the availability of light (condensed photic zonation, polar night, shading by sea ice). Also, macroborings were almost absent, surprisingly. With respect to carbonate production, the Svalbard carbonate factory marks the low end of a latitudinal gradient while bioerosion rates are similar or even higher than at comparable depth or photic regime at lower latitudes, although this might not apply to shallow euphotic waters (not covered in our experiment), given the observed depletion in bioeroding microphytes and macroborers. While echinoid grazing is particularly relevant for the bioerosion in the rhodolith bed, respective rates are far lower than those reported from tropical shallow‐water coral reefs. The slow pace of carbonate production but relatively high rates of bioerosion (both promoted by low carbonate supersaturation states in Arctic waters), in concert with high retention of skeletal carbonates on the seafloor and no calcite cements forming in open pore space created by microborers, suggest a low fossilisation potential for polar carbonates, such as those formed in the Mosselbukta rhodolith beds.

Description: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659

Description: Focused fluid flow shapes the evolution of marine sedimentary basins by transferring fluids and pressure across geological formations. Vertical fluid conduits may form where localized overpressure breaches a cap rock (permeability barrier) and thereby transports overpressured fluids towards shallower reservoirs or the surface. Field outcrops of an Eocene fluid flow system at Pobiti Kamani and Beloslav Quarry (ca 15 km west of Varna, Bulgaria) reveal large carbonate‐cemented conduits, which formed in highly permeable, unconsolidated, marine sands of the northern Tethys Margin. An uncrewed aerial vehicle with an RGB sensor camera produces ortho‐rectified image mosaics, digital elevation models and point clouds of the two kilometre‐scale outcrop areas. Based on these data, geological field observations and petrological analysis of rock/core samples, fractures and vertical fluid conduits were mapped and analyzed with centimetre accuracy. The results show that both outcrops comprise several hundred carbonate‐cemented fluid conduits (pipes), oriented perpendicular to bedding, and at least seven bedding‐parallel calcite cemented interbeds which differ from the hosting sand formation only by their increased amount of cementation. The observations show that carbonate precipitation likely initiated around areas of focused fluid flow, where methane entered the formation from the underlying fractured subsurface. These first carbonates formed the outer walls of the pipes and continued to grow inward, leading to self‐sustaining and self‐reinforcing focused fluid flow. The results, supported by literature‐based carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of the carbonates, indicate that ambient seawater and advected fresh/brackish water were involved in the carbonate precipitation by microbial methane oxidation. Similar structures may also form in modern settings where focused fluid flow advects fluids into overlying sand‐dominated formations, which has wide implications for the understanding of how focusing of fluids works in sedimentary basins with broad consequences for the migration of water, oil and gas.

Description: Integrated School of Ocean Sciences (ISOS) Kiel

Description: European Union’s Horizon 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100010661

Description: Bulgarian Science Fund

Description: The influence of the exceptionally strong typhoon Mangkhut on the availability of nutrients and changes in primary production were studied in the northern South China Sea in September 2018. A tight station grid was sampled to analyze major nutrients, chlorophyll_a, particulate and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen. Based on interpolated profiles, nutrients and organic matter budgets were determined for the upper 100 m of the water column prior to and after Mangkhut's passage. An upper layer of 100 m was found to reflect the important changes by the typhoon. Considerable differences between the on‐shelf, shelf edge and the deep‐sea stations were determined. Nitrate and phosphate increased by about 80% and 36% on the shelf, respectively, and both by almost 40% at the shelf edge. The open deep‐sea part of the study area reflects some deviating results that may be caused by just displacement of water or by mixing water of different origin. However, right on Mangkhut's track on the shelf even contact between surface waters and bottom waters was enabled, increasing phosphate and silicate, but declining nitrate. The inventory of organic carbon of the upper 100 m of the study area (138,000 km2) of 92 Gmol had increased within a few days after the typhoon's passage by 5 Gmol on the shelf and about 2 Gmol in the shelf edge area. Chlorophyll_a doubled during our stay and might have reached a factor of 3 increase in the subsequent time by nitrate supply and excess phosphate.

Description: Plain Language Summary: The influence of the super typhoon Mangkhut on the waters of the northern South China Sea was studied in September 2018. Nutrients and organic material were measured on 63 stations from the Chinese research vessel HAI YANG DI ZHI SHI HAO. Amounts of nutrients and biogenic matter were calculated for the on‐shelf, shelf edge and deep‐sea stations for the pre‐ and post‐Mangkhut period. An important finding was that the stations of the different areas, on‐shelf, shelf edge and the deep‐sea appeared to be differently impacted by Mangkhut. Even differences between the stations right on its track and in the other parts of the study area were found. In general, nutrients were supplied in enormous amounts and caused immediate algae growth. Moreover, enough nutrients were supplied to support algae growth for a couple of weeks. In summary, it was found that Manghut's upper water column mixing and shifting caused an almost tripling of primary production compared to the normal situation.

Description: Key Points: The typhoon Mangkhut clearly impacted the water column differently on the continental shelf, at the shelf edge and in the deep sea. On Mangkhut's track a maximum nitrate supply of 162 mmol m−2 was caused by induced upwelling at the shelf edge. The chlorophyll inventory of 2.8 Gg was almost tripled by contributing 4.7 Gg estimated from an additional nutrient supply.

Description: Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002347

Description: National Natural Science Foundation of China http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001809

Description: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.936352

Description: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.936096

Description: Fe(III) hydroxides stabilize organic carbon (OC) and P in soils. Observations of rising stream Fe concentrations are controversially posited to result from a flushing of iron‐rich deeper soil layers or a decrease of competing electron acceptors inhibiting Fe reduction (NO3− $\mathrm{N}{{\mathrm{O}}_{3}}^{-}$ and SO42− $\mathrm{S}{{\mathrm{O}}_{4}}^{2-}$). Here, we argue that catchment topography constrains the release of Fe, OC, and P to streams. We therefore incubated organic topsoil and mineral subsoil and modified the availability of NO3− $\mathrm{N}{{\mathrm{O}}_{3}}^{-}$. We found that Fe leaching was highest in topsoil. Fe, OC, and P released at quantities proportional to their ratios in the source soil. Supply of NO3− $\mathrm{N}{{\mathrm{O}}_{3}}^{-}$ reduced Fe leaching to 18% and increased pore water OC:Fe and P:Fe ratios. Subsoil, however, was an insignificant Fe source (〈0.5%). Here, the leached quantities of Fe, OC and P were highly disproportionate to the soil source with an excess of released OC and P. We tested if experimental findings scale up using data from 88 German catchments representing gradients in NO3− $\mathrm{N}{{\mathrm{O}}_{3}}^{-}$ concentration and topography. Average stream Fe concentrations increased with decreasing NO3− $\mathrm{N}{{\mathrm{O}}_{3}}^{-}$ and were high in catchments with shallow topography where high groundwater levels support reductive processes and topsoils are hydrologically connected to streams; but Fe concentrations were low in catchments with steep topography where flow occurs primarily through subsoils. OC:Fe and P:Fe ratios in the streams similarly varied by NO3− $\mathrm{N}{{\mathrm{O}}_{3}}^{-}$ and topography. This corroborates the findings from the laboratory experiment and suggests that catchment topography and competing electron acceptors constrain the formation of Fe‐reducing conditions and control the release of Fe, OC, and P to streams.

Description: Plain Language Summary: Iron is the second most abundant metal in the crust; its cycle is tightly connected to those of carbon, oxygen, and sulfur. The oxidized form (FeIII) is almost insoluble, but Fe can be mobilized by complexation or microbial Fe reduction. Both processes depend on availability of organic C. We found that Fe concentrations in streams were constrained by the topography of catchments and NO3− $\mathrm{N}{{\mathrm{O}}_{3}}^{-}$ abundance. Shallower catchments are characterized by higher groundwater tables connecting the organic topsoils efficiently to streams. NO3− $\mathrm{N}{{\mathrm{O}}_{3}}^{-}$ suppresses Fe reduction as a competing electron acceptor to Fe. We conclude that trends in soil wetness or atmospheric N deposition can change the stability of Fe and thus the release of PO43− $\mathrm{P}{{\mathrm{O}}_{4}}^{3-}$ and harmful metals to surface waters.

Description: Key Points: Organic topsoils leach substantial amounts of Fe when incubated in the absence of NO3, a competing electron acceptor that inhibits Fe reduction. Shallow catchments with fluvially coupled topsoils and low NO3 availability release 200 fold more Fe than steep ones with high NO3 abundance. Catchment topography and NO3 availability explain 62%–64% of the variability of Fe concentration and OC:Fe and P:Fe ratios across 88 streams.

Description: EFRE‐Europe

Description: https://doi.org/10.4211/hs.43601618877945c5a46b715aa98db729

Description: Microbial organic matter decomposition is a critical ecosystem function, which can be negatively affected by chemicals. Although the majority of organic matter is stored in sediments, the impact of chemicals has exclusively been studied in benthic systems. To address this knowledge gap, we assessed the impact of a fungicide mixture at three concentrations on the decomposition of black alder leaves in the benthic and hyporheic zone. We targeted two sediment treatments characterized by fine and coarse grain sizes (1–2 vs. 2–4 mm). Besides microbial communities' functioning (i.e., decomposition), we determined their structure through microbial biomass estimates and community composition. In absence of fungicides, leaf decomposition, microbial biomass estimates and fungal sporulation were lower in the hyporheic zone, while the importance of bacteria was elevated. Leaf decomposition was reduced (40%) under fungicide exposure in fine sediment with an effect size more than twice as high as in the benthic zone (15%). These differences are likely triggered by the lower hydraulic conductivity in the hyporheic zone influencing microbial dispersal as well as oxygen and nutrient fluxes. Since insights from the benthic zone are not easily transferable, these results indicate that the hyporheic zone requires a higher recognition with regard to ecotoxicological effects on organic matter decomposition.

Description: German Research Foundation, Project AQUA‐REG http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659

Description: Sewage disposal onto agricultural land may result in the high accumulation of organic wastes, which questions the applicability of typical elemental analysis used for the soil components. To monitor the contamination status of agricultural soils at a former sedimentation basin, after the long‐term cessation of wastewater irrigation, 110 locations (15–20 cm depth) and 4 boreholes (up to 100 cm depth) were sampled to determine pH, loss on ignition, and concentration of Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cr. Additionally, the applicability of portable X‐ray fluorescence (pXRF) for the soil samples highly influenced by the organic wastes was evaluated. The study revealed the presence of a relatively homogenous sewage waste layer (depth of 20 cm), characterized by slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.3–7.5), high organic matter (OM) accumulation (up to 49%), and elevated concentration (mg kg −1) ranges between: Pb (5–321), Cu (31–2828), Ni (10–193), Cr (14–966), and Zn (76–6639). The pXRF analysis revealed metal concentration increase in mineral samples (up to 50%). The regression models and correction factors demonstrated high correlation and significance of pXRF measurement with response to increasing OM content, with the lowest r 2 = 0.86 obtained for Ni. Correlation of pXRF and AES measurement illustrated element‐dependent response for soils high in organics. Zn, Cu, and Cr pXRF analysis led to a slight underestimation in lower values, but overall good correlations (0.87; 0.89; and 0.88 respectively). Pb and Ni pXRF measurement revealed higher deviation from the reference in both lower and higher concentrations (0.74 and 0.70, respectively).

Description: German Federation of Industrial Research Associations http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002723

Description: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100006360