Xuefa Wen

Water vapor and precipitation isotope ratios in Beijing, China

The objective of this study is to investigate the characteristics of delta D, delta(18)O, and deuterium excess (d) of precipitation and water vapor in surface air in Beijing, China. The delta D, delta(18)O, and d of atmospheric water vapor in surface air were measured continuously with an in situ technique. Much less day-to-day and diurnal variations in the vapor isotopic contents were observed in the summer monsoon season (June-August) than in the rest of the year. Outside the monsoon season, the vapor delta D and delta(18)O showed a log linear dependence on the vapor mixing ratio, and d showed a negative correlation with the local relative humidity (RH). Both relationships were statistically significant. The vapor mixing ratio and RH were poor predictors of the vapor isotopic temporal variability during the peak summer monsoon activities. In addition, an analysis was presented of the interaction of the isotopic exchange between the vapor and the condensed phase. The delta D and delta(18)O departure from the equilibrium state was positively correlated with RH, and the d departure from the equilibrium state was negatively correlated with RH.

Dew water isotopic ratios and their relationships to ecosystem water pools and fluxes in a cropland and a grassland in China

Dew formation has the potential to modulate the spatial and temporal variations of isotopic contents of atmospheric water vapor, oxygen and carbon dioxide. The goal of this paper is to improve our understanding of the isotopic interactions between dew water and ecosystem water pools and fluxes through two field experiments in a wheat/maize cropland and in a short steppe grassland in China. Measurements were made during 94 dew events of the D and 18O compositions of dew, atmospheric vapor, leaf, xylem and soil water, and the whole ecosystem water flux. Our results demonstrate that the equilibrium fractionation played a dominant role over the kinetic fractionation in controlling the dew water isotopic compositions. A significant correlation between the isotopic compositions of leaf water and dew water suggests a large role of top-down exchange with atmospheric vapor controlling the leaf water turnover at night. According to the isotopic labeling, dew water consisted of a downward flux of water vapor from above the canopy (98%) and upward fluxes originated from soil evaporation and transpiration of the leaves in the lower canopy (2%).

Partitioning of evapotranspiration through oxygen isotopic measurements of water pools and fluxes in a temperate grassland

Stable isotopic measurements of water provide a promising tool for partitioning of ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET). This approach, however, is still facing some challenges due to the uncertainties in estimating the isotopic compositions of ET and its components. In this study, a tunable diode laser analyzer was deployed for in situ measurements of the oxygen isotopic compositions of water vapor. Using these measurements together with samples of water in plant and soil pools, we partitioned ET via estimating the oxygen isotopic compositions of ET ((ET)) and that of its two components, i.e., plant transpiration ((T)) and soil water evaporation ((E)). A new (T) model was developed in this study, which illustrated consistent estimations with the traditional model. Most of the variables and parameters in the new model can be measured directly with high accuracy, making its potential to be used at other sites high. Our results indicate that the ratio of plant transpiration to evapotranspiration (T/ET) illustrates a U shape diurnal pattern. Mean T/ET at 0630-1830 during the sampling days was 83%. Soil depth of 15 cm is a reasonable depth for soil water sampling for estimating (E) at this site. We also investigated the uncertainties in estimating these three terms and their effects on partitioning. Overall, in terms of partitioning, the uncertainties are relatively small from (T) and (E) but quite large from (ET). Quantifying and improving the precision of (ET) should be a priority in future endeavors of ET partitioning via the stable isotopic approach. Key Points A new model is developed to estimate (T) Fifteen centimeter is a reasonable depth for soil water sampling for estimating (E) The (ET) is the most critical member for partitioning

Intercomparison of Four Commercial Analyzers for Water Vapor Isotope Measurement

The d 18 O and dD of atmospheric water vapor are important tracers in hydrological and ecological studies. Isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy (IRIS) provides an in situ technology for measuring d 18 O and d Di n ambient conditions. An intercomparison experiment was carried out with four commercial IRIS analyzers to characterize their performance and transferability of calibration methods. Over a 15-day atmospheric measurement,duringwhichthewatervaporconcentrationrangedfrom14to27 mol mol 21 andtheisotopicratios spanned about 90& and 13& for dD and d 18 O, respectively, these analyzers tracked the natural variability in ambient conditions very well and achieved an average difference between one another within 2& for dD and within 0.1& for d 18 O after calibration at appropriate frequencies. Two of the calibration methods (discrete liquid water injection and continuous dripping) agreed with each other within the tolerance thresholds of 2& for dD and 0.1& for d 18 O. The Rayleigh distillation technique appeared to be acceptable as a calibration standard for dD but not for d 18 O. The dD measurements were less prone to concentration dependence errors than the d 18 O measurements. The concentration dependence underscores the importance of using a calibration procedure at multiple mixing ratios to bracket the range of natural variability.

Temporal variations of atmospheric water vapor δD and δ18O above an arid artificial oasis cropland in the Heihe River Basin

The high temporal resolution measurements of δD, δ18O, and deuterium excess (d) of atmospheric water vapor provide an improved understanding of atmospheric and ecohydrological processes at ecosystem to global scales. In this study, δD, δ18O, and d of water vapor and their flux ratios were continuously measured from May to September 2012 using an in situ technique above an arid artificial oasis in the Heihe River Basin, which has a typical continental arid climate. The monthly δD and δ18O increased slowly and then decreased, whereas the monthly d showed a steady decrease. δD, δ18O, and d exhibited a marked diurnal cycle, indicating the influence of the entrainment, local evapotranspiration (ET), and dewfall. The departures of δD, δ18O, and d from equilibrium prediction were significantly correlated with rain amount, relative humidity (RH), and air temperature (T). The “amount effect” was observed during one precipitation event. δD and δ18O were log linear dependent on water vapor mixing ratio with respective R2 of 17% and 14%, whereas d was significantly correlated with local RH and T, suggesting the less influence of air mass advection and more important contribution of the local source of moisture to atmospheric water vapor. Throughout the experiment, the local ET acted to increase δD and δ18O, with isofluxes of 102.5 and 23.50 mmol m−2 s−1‰, respectively. However, the dominated effect of entrainment still decreased δD and δ18O by 10.1 and 2.24‰, respectively. Both of the local ET and entrainment exerted a positive forcing on the diurnal variability in d.

Soil microbial respiration rate and temperature sensitivity along a north‐south forest transect in eastern China: Patterns and influencing factors

Soil organic matter is one of the most important carbon (C) pools in terrestrial ecosystems, and future warming from climate change will likely alter soil C storage via temperature effects on microbial respiration. In this study, we collected forest soils from eight locations along a 3700 km north-south transect in eastern China (NSTEC). For 8 weeks these soils were incubated under a periodically changing temperature range of 6–30°C while frequently measuring soil microbial respiration rate (Rs; each sample about every 20 min). This experimental design allowed us to investigate Rs and the temperature sensitivity of Rs (Q10) along the NSTEC. Both Rs at 20°C (R20) and Q10 significantly increased (logarithmically) with increasing latitude along the NSTEC suggesting that the sensitivity of soil microbial respiration to changing temperatures is higher in forest soils from locations with lower temperature. Our findings from an incubation experiment provide support for the hypothesis that temperature sensitivity of soil microbial respiration increases with biochemical recalcitrance (C quality-temperature hypothesis) across forest soils on a large spatial scale. Furthermore, microbial properties primarily controlled the observed patterns of R20, whereas both substrate and microbial properties collectively controlled the observed patterns of Q10. These findings advance our understanding of the driving factors (microbial versus substrate properties) of R20 and Q10 as well as the general relationships between temperature sensitivity of soil microbial respiration and environmental factors.

Forest type affects the coupled relationships of soil C and N mineralization in the temperate forests of northern China

Decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) is sensitive to vegetation and climate change. Here, we investigated the influence of changes in forest types on the mineralization of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), and their temperature sensitivity (Q10) and coupling relationships by using a laboratory soil incubation experiments. We sampled soils from four forest types, namely, a primary Quercus liaotungensis forest (QL), Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation (LP), Pinus tabulaeformis plantation (PT), and secondary shrub forest (SS) in temperate northern China. The results showed that soil C and N mineralization differed significantly among forest types. Soil C and N mineralization were closely coupled in all plots, and C:N ratios of mineralized SOM ranged from 2.54 to 4.12. Forest type significantly influenced the Q10 values of soil C and N mineralization. The activation energy (Ea) of soil C and N mineralization was negatively related to the SOM quality index in all forest types. The reverse relationships suggested that the carbon quality-temperature (CQT) hypothesis was simultaneously applicable to soil C and N mineralization. Our findings show that the coupled relationships of soil C and N mineralization can be affected by vegetation change.

Regional variation in the temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter decomposition in China's forests and grasslands

Abstract How to assess the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition and its regional variation with high accuracy is one of the largest uncertainties in determining the intensity and direction of the global carbon (C) cycle in response to climate change. In this study, we collected a series of soils from 22 forest sites and 30 grassland sites across China to explore regional variation in Q10 and its underlying mechanisms. We conducted a novel incubation experiment with periodically changing temperature (5–30 °C), while continuously measuring soil microbial respiration rates. The results showed that Q10 varied significantly across different ecosystems, ranging from 1.16 to 3.19 (mean 1.63). Q10 was ordered as follows: alpine grasslands (2.01) > temperate grasslands (1.81) > tropical forests (1.59) > temperate forests (1.55) > subtropical forests (1.52). The Q10 of grasslands (1.90) was significantly higher than that of forests (1.54). Furthermore, Q10 significantly increased with increasing altitude and decreased with increasing longitude. Environmental variables and substrate properties together explained 52% of total variation in Q10 across all sites. Overall, pH and soil electrical conductivity primarily explained spatial variation in Q10. The general negative relationships between Q10 and substrate quality among all ecosystem types supported the C quality temperature (CQT) hypothesis at a large scale, which indicated that soils with low quality should have higher temperature sensitivity. Furthermore, alpine grasslands, which had the highest Q10, were predicted to be more sensitive to climate change under the scenario of global warming. &NA; Path analysis indicated that environmental variables and substrate properties together explained 52% of total variation in temperature sensitivity (Q10) of soil organic matter decomposition across all sites. Soil pH and soil electrical conductivity (EC) explained most variation in Q10. Figure. No caption available.

Effects of Climatic Factors and Ecosystem Responses on the Inter-Annual Variability of Evapotranspiration in a Coniferous Plantation in Subtropical China

Because evapotranspiration (ET) is the second largest component of the water cycle and a critical process in terrestrial ecosystems, understanding the inter-annual variability of ET is important in the context of global climate change. Eight years of continuous eddy covariance measurements (2003–2010) in a subtropical coniferous plantation were used to investigate the impacts of climatic factors and ecosystem responses on the inter-annual variability of ET. The mean and standard deviation of annual ET for 2003–2010 were 786.9 and 103.4 mm (with a coefficient of variation of 13.1%), respectively. The inter-annual variability of ET was largely created in three periods: March, May–June, and October, which are the transition periods between seasons. A set of look-up table approaches were used to separate the sources of inter-annual variability of ET. The annual ETs were calculated by assuming that (a) both the climate and ecosystem responses among years are variable (Vcli-eco), (b) the climate is variable but the ecosystem responses are constant (Vcli), and (c) the climate is constant but ecosystem responses are variable (Veco). The ETs that were calculated under the above assumptions suggested that the inter-annual variability of ET was dominated by ecosystem responses and that there was a negative interaction between the effects of climate and ecosystem responses. These results suggested that for long-term predictions of water and energy balance in global climate change projections, the ecosystem responses must be taken into account to better constrain the uncertainties associated with estimation.

Irrigation depth far exceeds water uptake depth in an oasis cropland in the middle reaches of Heihe River Basin

Agricultural irrigation in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin consumes approximately 80% of the total river water. Whether the irrigation depth matches the water uptake depth of crops is one of the most important factors affecting the efficiency of irrigation water use. Our results indicated that the influence of plastic film on soil water δ18O was restricted to 0–30 cm soil depth. Based on a Bayesian model (MixSIR), we found that irrigated maize acquired water preferentially from 0–10 cm soil layer, with a median uptake proportion of 87 ± 15%. Additionally, maize utilised a mixture of irrigation and shallow soil water instead of absorbing the irrigation water directly. However, only 24.7 ± 5.5% of irrigation water remained in 0–10 cm soil layer, whereas 29.5 ± 2.8% and 38.4 ± 3.3% of the irrigation water infiltrated into 10–40 cm and 40–80 cm layers. During the 4 irrigation events, approximately 39% of the irrigation and rainwater infiltrated into soil layers below 80 cm. Reducing irrigation amount and developing water-saving irrigation methods will be important strategies for improving the efficiency of irrigation water use in this area.