Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), which contains glycoproteins produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), as well as non-mycorrhizal-related heat-stable proteins, lipids, and humic materials, is generally categorized into two fractions: easily extractable GRSP (EE-GRSP) and total GRSP (T-GRSP). GRSP plays an important role in soil carbon (C) sequestration and can stabilize heavy metals such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and manganese (Mn). Soil contamination by heavy metals is occurring in conjunction with rising atmospheric CO2 in natural ecosystems due to human activities. However, the response of GRSP to elevated CO2 combined with heavy metal contamination has not been widely reported. Here, we investigated the response of GRSP to elevated CO2 in the rhizosphere of Robinia pseudoacacia L. seedlings in Pb- and Cd-contaminated soils. Elevated CO2 (700 μmol mol−1) significantly increased T- and EE- GRSP concentrations in soils contaminated with Cd, Pb or Cd + Pb. GRSP contributed more carbon to the rhizosphere soil organic carbon pool under elevated CO2 + heavy metals than under ambient CO2. The amount of Cd and Pb bound to GRSP was significantly higher under elevated (compared to ambient) CO2; and elevated CO2 increased the ratio of GRSP-bound Cd and Pb to total Cd and Pb. However, available Cd and Pb in rhizosphere soil under increased elevated CO2 compared to ambient CO2. The combination of both metals and elevated CO2 led to a significant increase in available Pb in rhizosphere soil compared to the Pb treatment alone. In conclusion, increased GRSP produced under elevated CO2 could contribute to sequestration of soil pollutants by adsorption of Cd and Pb.

Sediments in lake bays receive the greatest external pollutants mainly including terrestrial plants and river macrophyte detritus. This work investigated response and adaptation of bay sediments to organic matter (OM) decomposition under cold and hot seasons. After three month and incubated at 5 °C, it was found that the total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiencies ranged from 15.4 to 13.1% in bay sediments to 22.6–25.7% in pelagic zone. These results determined that poorer OM decomposition occurred in the bay zone during the winter months compared to pelagic zone in a eutrophic shallow lake. High-throughput sequencing and network interactions revealed that the reactions were mainly due to the changing microbial community structure and species interaction at selected areas during different seasons. The bay zone communities are poorly adapted to utilizing the more recalcitrant carbon pool than the pelagic communities. Also, even though more taxa reside in bay communities, less co-occurrences interaction between taxa occurs, which mean that less inter taxa competition for the same resource. In consideration of our study, the potential harm, such as the terrestrialization process speeding up and water quality worsening will be happened, we need to exploit ways to enhance litter biodegradation in the bay zone in winter.

Mangroves provide vital climate change mitigation and adaptation (CCMA) ecosystem services (ES), yet have suffered extensive tropics-wide declines. To mitigate losses, rehabilitation is high on the conservation agenda. However, the relative functionality and ES delivery of rehabilitated mangroves in different intertidal locations is rarely assessed. In a case study from Panay Island, Philippines, using field- and satellite-derived methods, we assess carbon stocks and coastal protection potential of rehabilitated low-intertidal seafront and mid- to upper-intertidal abandoned (leased) fishpond areas, against reference natural mangroves. Due to large sizes and appropriate site conditions, targeted abandoned fishpond reversion to former mangrove was found to be favourable for enhancing CCMA in the coastal zone. In a municipality-specific case study, 96.7% of abandoned fishponds with high potential for effective greenbelt rehabilitation had favourable tenure status for reversion. These findings have implications for coastal zone management in Asia in the face of climate change.

In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the influences of H2S injection on the capacity of CO2’s solubility trapping and mineral trapping. Results demonstrated that the preferential dissolution of H2S gas into brine (compared with pure CO2) resulted in the decrease of pH, consequently inhibiting the CO2’s solubility trappings to some extent. Then, the lower pH droved more severe corrosion of primary minerals, favored more secondary mineral to be formed. In addition, the discovery of pyrite demonstrated that H2S could precipitate by the formation of sulfide mineral trapping. As the secondary carbon sink minerals, ankerite and dawsonite were observed in the pure CO2-brine-sandstone interaction. However, there were no secondary carbonates found through the SEM images and EDS analyses, implied that the injection of H2S probably may partially inhibit the precipitation of Fe-bearing carbonate minerals such as ankerite in the CO2-H2S-brine-sandstone interaction in this short term experiments.

Woody plants constitute a great sink of carbon storage, mitigating thus the greenhouse effect phenomenon. They are considered key players in ecosystems, and among others, they help in decreasing soil erosion and in maintaining soil moisture. Over the last decades, researches have shown negative effects of the ambient ozone (O₃) on many woody species, not only on canopy but also on belowground part of trees. Negative effects of elevated O₃ (eO₃), which usually refers to any O₃ dosages above the current ambient levels, on belowground structure, function, and processes may have consequences to ecosystem sustainability. We reviewed reports of research published over the past 40 years and dealing with woodies belowground response to eO₃. eO₃ induces changes in C dynamics into plants and alterations in their metabolism accordingly, as a result of different strategies followed by the trees in order to compensate with eO₃ stress effects. In these strategies, phenolics seem to have a detrimental role in shoot/root allometry. Root and soil chemical composition can be also influenced, threatening thus the soil biodiversity, soil fertility, and nutrient cycling. Elevated O₃ impact is discussed with linkage to other potential ecological consequences.

Tidal mangrove wetlands are a source of methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O); but considering the high productivity of mangroves, they represent a significant sink for carbon dioxide (CO₂). An exotic plant Spartina alterniflora has invaded east China over the last few decades, threatening these coastal mangrove ecosystems. However, the atmospheric gas fluxes in mangroves are poorly characterized and the impact of biological invasion on greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in the wetland remains unclear. In this study, the temporal and spatial dynamics of key GHG fluxes (CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O) at an unvegetated mudflat, cordgrass (S. alterniflora), and mangrove (Kandelia obovata) sites along an estuary of the Jiulong River in Southeast China were investigated over a 2-year period. The CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes demonstrated a seasonal and vegetation-dependent variation while N₂O fluxes showed no such dependent pattern. Air temperature was the main factor influencing CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes. Cumulative global warming potential (GWP) ranked in the order of mangrove > cordgrass > mudflat and summer > spring > autumn > winter. Moreover, CH₄ accounted for the largest proportion (68 %) of GWP, indicating its dominant contribution to the warming potential in mangroves. Notwithstanding the lack of information on plant coverage, cordgrass invasion exhibited a minor influence on GHG emissions. These findings support the notion that mangrove forests are net accumulation sites for GHGs. As vegetation showed considerable effects on fluxes, more information about the significance of vegetation type with a special emphasis on the effects of invasive plants is crucial.

The Mar Piccolo is a semi-enclosed basin subject to different natural and anthropogenic stressors. In order to better understand plankton dynamics and preferential carbon pathways within the planktonic trophic web, an integrated approach was adopted for the first time by examining all trophic levels (virioplankton, the heterotrophic and phototrophic fractions of pico-, nano- and microplankton, as well as mesozooplankton). Plankton abundance and biomass were investigated during four surveys in the period 2013–2014. Beside unveiling the dynamics of different plankton groups in the Mar Piccolo, the study revealed that high portion of the plankton carbon (C) pool was constituted by small-sized (<2 μm) planktonic fractions. The prevalence of small-sized species within micro- and mesozooplankton communities was observed as well. The succession of planktonic communities was clearly driven by the seasonality, i.e. by the nutrient availability and physical features of the water column. Our hypothesis is that beside the ‘bottom-up’ control and the grazing pressure, inferred from the C pools of different plankton groups, the presence of mussel farms in the Mar Piccolo exerts a profound impact on plankton communities, not only due to the important sequestration of the plankton biomass but also by strongly influencing its structure.

A hydrologically contained field study, to assess biochar (produced from mixed crop straws) influence upon soil hydraulic properties and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leaching, was conducted on a loamy soil (entisol). The soil, noted for its low plant-available water and low soil organic matter, is the most important arable soil type in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River catchment, China. Pore size distribution characterization (by N₂ adsorption, mercury intrusion, and water retention) showed that the biochar had a tri-modal pore size distribution. This included pores with diameters in the range of 0.1–10 μm that can retain plant-available water. Comparison of soil water retention curves between the control (0) and the biochar plots (16 t ha⁻¹ on dry weight basis) demonstrated biochar amendment to increase soil water holding capacity. However, significant increases in DOC concentration of soil pore water in both the plough layer and the undisturbed subsoil layer were observed in the biochar-amended plots. An increased loss of DOC relative to the control was observed upon rainfall events. Measurements of excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence indicated the DOC increment originated primarily from the organic carbon pool in the soil that became more soluble following biochar incorporation.

Recalcitrant charcoal application is predicted to decelerate global warming through creating a long-term carbon sink in soil. Although many studies have showed high stability of charcoal derived from woody materials, few have focused on the dynamics of straw-derived charcoal in natural environment on a long timescale to evaluate its potential for agricultural carbon sequestration. Here, we examined straw-derived charcoal in an ancient paddy soil dated from ~3700 calendar year before present (cal. year BP). Analytical results showed that soil organic matter consisted of more than 25 % of charcoal in charcoal-rich layer. Similarities in morphology and molecular structure between the ancient and the fresh rice-straw-derived charcoal indicated that ancient charcoal was derived from rice straw. The lower carbon content, higher oxygen content, and obvious carbonyl of the ancient charcoal compared with fresh rice straw charcoal implied that oxidation occurred in the scale of thousands years. However, the dominant aromatic C of ancient charcoal indicated that rice-straw-derived charcoal was highly stable in the buried paddy soil due to its intrinsic chemical structures and the physical protection of ancient paddy wetland. Therefore, it may suggest that straw charcoal application is a potential pathway for C sequestration considering its longevity.