Mingzhu Wang

Photobleaching Response of Different Sources of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Exposed to Natural Solar Radiation Using Absorption and Excitation–Emission Matrix Spectra

CDOM biogeochemical cycle is driven by several physical and biological processes such as river input, biogeneration and photobleaching that act as primary sinks and sources of CDOM. Watershed-derived allochthonous (WDA) and phytoplankton-derived autochthonous (PDA) CDOM were exposed to 9 days of natural solar radiation to assess the photobleaching response of different CDOM sources, using absorption and fluorescence (excitation-emission matrix) spectroscopy. Our results showed a marked decrease in total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) concentration under natural sunlight exposure for both WDA and PDA CDOM, indicating photoproduction of ammonium from TDN. In contrast, photobleaching caused a marked increase in total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) concentration for both WDA and PDA CDOM. Thus TDN∶TDP ratios decreased significantly both for WDA and PDA CDOM, which partially explained the seasonal dynamic of TDN∶TDP ratio in Lake Taihu. Photobleaching rate of CDOM absorption a(254), was 0.032 m/MJ for WDA CDOM and 0.051 m/MJ for PDA CDOM from days 0–9, indicating that phototransformations were initially more rapid for the newly produced CDOM from phytoplankton than for the river CDOM. Extrapolation of these values to the field indicated that 3.9%–5.1% CDOM at the water surface was photobleached and mineralized every day in summer in Lake Taihu. Photobleaching caused the increase of spectral slope, spectral slope ratio and molecular size, indicating the CDOM mean molecular weight decrease which was favorable to further microbial degradation of mineralization. Three fluorescent components were validated in parallel factor analysis models calculated separately for WDA and PDA CDOM. Our study suggests that the humic-like fluorescence materials could be rapidly and easily photobleached for WDA and PDA CDOM, but the protein-like fluorescence materials was not photobleached and even increased from the transformation of the humic-like fluorescence substance to the protein-like fluorescence substance. Photobleaching was an important driver of CDOM and nutrients biogeochemistry in lake water.

Dissolved oxygen stratification and response to thermal structure and long-term climate change in a large and deep subtropical reservoir (Lake Qiandaohu, China).

From January 2010 to March 2014, detailed depth profiles of water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were collected at three sites in Lake Qiandaohu, a large, deep subtropical reservoir in China. Additionally, we assessed the changes in DO stratification over the past 61 years (1953-2013) based on our empirical models and long-term air temperature and transparency data. The DO concentration never fell below 2 mg/L, the critical value for anoxia, and the DO depth profiles were closely linked to the water temperature depth profiles. In the stable stratification period in summer and autumn, the significant increase in CDOM in the metalimnion explained the decrease in DO due to the oxygen consumed by CDOM. Well-developed oxygen stratification was detected at the three sites in spring, summer and autumn and was associated with thermal stratification. Oxycline depth was significantly negatively correlated with daily air temperature and thermocline thickness but significantly positively correlated with thermocline depth during the stratification weakness period (July-February). However, there were no significant correlations among these parameters during the stratification formation period (March-June). The increase of 1.67 °C in yearly average daily air temperature between 1980 and 2013 and the decrease of 0.78 m in Secchi disk depth caused a decrease of 1.65 m and 2.78 m in oxycline depth, respectively, facilitating oxygen stratification and decreasing water quality. Therefore, climate warming has had a substantial effect on water quality through changing the DO regime in Lake Qiandaohu.

Effect of phytoplankton community composition and cell size on absorption properties in eutrophic shallow lakes: field and experimental evidence

We investigated phytoplankton absorption properties of Lake Taihu, in the spring and summer of 2005 and 2006, and for 17 days studied laboratory cultures of Scenedesmus obliquus (chlorophyta) and Microcystis aeruginosa (cyanophyta) to determine the effect of phytoplankton community composition and cell size on the absorption properties. There were significant seasonal differences in phytoplankton community composition and absorption coefficients. In spring, the phytoplankton community was dominated by chlorophyta with large cells, whereas in summer was dominated by cyanophyta with small cells. Phytoplankton absorption coefficients increased significantly from spring to summer, with the increase in chlorophyll a (Chla) concentration. In addition, Chla-specific absorption coefficients increased with the phytoplankton community succession from chlorophyta to cyanophyta. In culture, the cells density of S. obliquus was generally lower than that of M. aeruginosa, and Chla concentrations of S. obliquus were significantly higher than those of M. aeruginosa. Correspondingly, the Chla-specific absorption coefficients of S. obliquus were significantly lower than those of M. aeruginosa. Significant exponential correlations were found between absorption and Chla-specific absorption coefficients and Chla concentration for S. obliquus and M. aeruginosa. In addition, we developed a model to predict absorption and Chla-specific absorption coefficients using Chla concentration and cell size when data from two species was grouped together. Field and experimental results both showed that the Chla-specific absorption coefficients of cyanophyta were significantly higher than those of chlorophyta. The variability in specific absorption can attributed to phytoplankton community composition, cell size and pigment composition. As phytoplankton community composition changed significantly with season in the lake, and as variation in the cell sizes and accessory pigments of the phytoplankton community influenced the Chla-specific absorption coefficient, these factors may be considered explicitly in future improvements to bio-optical algorithms to more accurately estimate Chla concentration, primary production and phytoplankton community composition.

A simple optical model to estimate diffuse attenuation coefficient of photosynthetically active radiation in an extremely turbid lake from surface reflectance

Accurate estimation of the diffuse attenuation coefficient is critical for our understanding and modelling of key physical, chemical, and biological processes in water bodies. For extremely turbid, shallow, Lake Taihu in China, we synchronously monitored the diffuse attenuation coefficient of photosynthetically active radiation (Kd(PAR)) and the remote sensing reflectance at 134 sites. Kd(PAR)) varied greatly among different sites from 1.62 to 14.68 m(-1) with a mean value of 5.62 ± 2.99 m(-1). A simple optical model from near-infrared remote sensing reflectance of MODIS channels 2 (859 nm) and 15 (748 nm) was calibrated, and validated, to estimate Kd(PAR). With the simple optical model, the root mean square error and mean relative error were 0.95 m(-1) and 17.0% respectively at 748 nm, and 0.98 m(-1) and 17.6% at 859 nm, based on an independent validation data set. Our results showed a good precision of estimation for Kd(PAR) using the new simple optical model, contrasting with the poor estimations derived from existing empirical and semi-analytical models developed in clear, open ocean waters or slightly turbid coastal waters. Although at 748 nm the model had slightly higher precision than at 859 nm, the spatial resolution at 859 nm was four times that at 748 nm. Therefore, we propose a new model based on the MODIS-derived normalized water-leaving radiances at a wavelength of 859 nm, for accurate retrieval of Kd(PAR) in extremely turbid, shallow lakes with Kd(PAR) larger than 1.5 m(-1).

Effects of temperature on the optical properties of Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus obliquus

Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the response of Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus obliquus to incubation at temperatures of 15 °C, 25 °C, and 35 °C over 15 days. The relationships between chlorophyll a (Chla) concentration, phytoplankton density, and absorption coefficients, aph(λ) and Chla-specific absorption coefficients, were determined. Multivariate linear models were developed that included the maximum photosynthetic efficiency of photosystem II Fv/Fm and Chla concentration, phytoplankton density, and aph(λ), . The differences in aph(λ) and between the two species and their responses to temperature were determined. At 25 °C, the phytoplankton density and Chla concentration of both species increased gradually during the whole experiment. However, at 15 °C, M. aeruginosa was inhibited by the low temperature and at 35 °C the photosynthesis of S. obliquus was disrupted. For both species, phytoplankton density and Chla concentration had significant positive correlations with aph(440) and aph(675) at different temperatures, while there were significant negative correlations between Chla concentration and , . The decreased with increasing temperature in both species. Cell size increased with increasing temperature in M. aeruginosa, and further altered ; in contrast, there were no variations in cell size at different temperatures in S. obliquus. Significant relationships were found between Fv/Fm and Chla concentration, phytoplankton density, aph(440), aph(675) in M. aeruginosa at 25 °C, 35 °C and in S. obliquus at 25 °C.