Evaluating soil acidification risk and its effects on biodiversity–ecosystem multifunctionality relationships in the drylands of China

Background:Soil acidifcationn caused by anthropogenic activities may aft soil biochemical cydling,bidiversity,productivity,and multiple eosystem-related functions in drylands.However,to date,such information is lacking to support this hypothesis.Methods Based on a transect survey of 78 naturally assembled shrub communities,we caloulated acid deposition flux in Northwest China and evaluated its likely ecological ffets by testing three altemnative hypotheses,namely:.nidche complementarity,mass ratio,and vegetation quantity hypotheses Rao's quadratic entopy and community-weighted mean traits were employed to represent the complementary aspect of niche complementarity and mass ratio effects,respectively.Resulbs:We observed that in the past four decades,the concentrations of exchangeable base cations in soil in Northwest China have decreased significantly to the extent of having faced the risk of depletion,whereas changes in the calium carbonate content and pH of soil were not significant.Adid deposition primani ly increased the aboweground biomass and shrub density in shrublands but had no sigmificant effect on shrub richness and ecasystem multifunctionality(EMF),indicating that acid deposition had positive but weak ecological effects on dryland ecosystems.Community wd ghted mean of functional traits(representing the mass ratio hypothesis)correlated negatively with EMF,whereas both Rao's quadratic entropy(representing the niche complementarity hypothesis)and aboveground biomass(representing the vegetation quantity hypothesis)correlated positively but insignifcantly with EMF.These biodiversity-EMF relationships highlight the fragility and instability of drylands relative to forest ecasystems.Concuions:The findings from this study serve as important reference points to understand the ris of soil acidification in arid regions and its impacts on biodiversity-EMF relationships.

Effect of microwave-assisted acidification on the microstructure of coal:XRD,^(1)H-NMR, and SEM studies

Microwave heating contributes to coal fracturing and gas desorption. However, problems of low penetration depth, local overheating and fracture closure exist. Coal demineralisation by acids has advantages in coal unblocking and permeability improvement, while it is difficult for acid to enter microcracks.Microwave-asisted acidification may offer an alternative. In this work, XRD,^(1)H-NMR, and SEM were used to evaluate the effect of microwave-assisted acidification on the microstructure of coal. Results show that kaolinite, calcite, and dolomite can be dissolved by acid. After microwave irradiation, the graphitization of microcrystalline structure of carbon improves. Microwave-assisted acidification erodes minerals in coal and enhances the graphitization degree of microcrystalline structure. Compared to individual microwave irradiation or acidification, the pore volume and pore connectivity can be greatly enhanced by microwave-assisted acidification. The NMR permeability of coal increased by 28.05%. This study demonstrates the potential of microwave-assisted acidification for coalbed methane recovery.

Treatment of black liquor from the papermaking industry by acidification and reuse

Two different kinds of black liquor from the papermaking industry were treated by acidification and reuse. The experimental parameters and conditions were discussed in detail. The experimental results indicated that the treatment process mentioned in this article is an effective process for the treatment of black liquor from the papermaking industry. By the treatment, the solid materials in black liquor are transferred into two by products and the other components are reused or evaporated. Thus, no wastewater except some condensation water would be discharged in pulping process and the problem of pollution of black liquor would be effectively solved.

Impacts of CO_2-driven seawater acidification on survival,egg production rate and hatching success of four marine copepods

Ecological experiments were conducted to examine the effects of seawater containing elevated par- tial pressure of carbon dioxide （p CO2 800 × 10 -6 , 2 000 × 10 -6 , 5 000 × 10 -6 and 10 000 × 10 -6 ） on the survival and reproduction of female Acartia pacifica, Acartia spinicauda, Calanus sinicus and Centropages tenuiremis, which are the dominant copepods in the southern coastal waters of China. The results show that the effects of elevated p CO2 on the survival rates of copepods were species-specific. C. sinicus, which was a macro-copepod, had a higher survival rate （62.01%–71.96%） than the other three species （5.00%–26.67%） during the eight day exposure. The egg production rates of C. sinicus, A. spinicauda and C. tenuiremis were significantly inhibited by the increased p CO2 and the exposure time duration. There were significantly negative impacts on the egg hatching success of A. spinicauda and C. tenuiremis in the p CO2 2 000 × 10 -6 and 10 000 × 10 -6 groups, and, in addition, the exposure time had noticeably impacts on these rates too. This study indicates that the reproductive performances of copepods were sensitive to elevated p CO2 , and that the response of different copepod species to acidified seawater was different. Furthermore, the synergistic effects of seawater acidification and climate change or other pollutant stresses on organisms should be given more attention.

Effects of Seawater Acidification on Early Development of Clam Cyclina sinensis

Anthropogenic emission of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has led to a rapid increase in atmospheric CO2 concentra- tion. Increasing atmospheric CO2 can reduce seawater pH and carbonate ions, which may adversely affect the survival of the larvae of calcareous animals. Cyclina sinensis is a commercially and ecologically important species in several Asian countries. Living in coast shallow waters, this species has experienced the coastal environmental changes frequently throughout its life cycle. In this study, we simulated possible future seawater pH values including 8.2, 7.8 and 7.4 and examined the effects of ocean acidification on the early development of C. sinensis. Clam embryos were incubated for 48 h (2 d) in control and high-CO2 seawater to compare embryo- genesis, larval growth and swimming behavior. Fertilization rate was quite sensitive to pH, and moderate acidification could induce a significant decrease in fertilization rate. However, only extreme acidification could bring significant negative effect to hatching rate, body size, and average path velocity of trochophora. Moreover, with seawater acidification, C. sinensis needs much more time to reach the same developmental stage, which increases the risk of larva survival. Together with recent studies demonstrating negative impacts of high CO2 on fertilization and larva swimming behavior, the results imply a future decrease of C. sinensis populations in oceans if its acclimation to the predicted environmental alteration does not occur.

Hydrolysis and acidification of activated sludge from a petroleum refinery

The cost-effective treatment of activated sludge that is generated by refining petroleum is a challenging industrial problem.In this study, semi-continuous stirred tank reactors(CSTRs) containing petroleum refinery excess activated sludge(PREAS)were used to comparatively investigate hydrolysis and acidification rates, after the addition of heneicosane(C_(21)H_(44))(R1)and 1-phenylnaphthalene(C16 H12)(R2) to different and individual reactors. Operation of the reactors using a sludge retention time(SRT) of 6 days and a pH of 5.0, resulted in the maintenance of stable biological activity as determined by soluble chemical oxygen demand(SCOD), volatile fatty acids(VFAs) production and oil removal efficiency. The optimum conditions for hydrogen production include a SRT of 8 days, at pH 6.5. Under these conditions, hydrogen production rates in the control containing only PREAS were 1567 mL/L(R0), compared with 1365 mL/L in Rl and 1454 mL/L-PREAS in R2.Coprothermobacter, Fervidobacterium, Caldisericum and Tepidiphilus were the dominant bacterial genera that have the potential to degrade petroleum compounds and generate VFAs. This study has shown that high concentrations of heneicosane and 1-phenylnaphthalene did not inhibit the hydrolytic acidification of PREAS.

Soil Acidification Stimulates the Emission of Ethylene from Temperate Forest Soils

Soil acidification via acid precipitation is recognized to have detrimental impacts on forest ecosystems, which is in part associated with the function of ethylene released from the soil. However, the impacts of acidification on the cycling of ethylene in forest soils have not been fully taken into consideration in global change studies. Forest topsoils （0-5 cm） under four temperate forest stands were sampled to study the effects of a pH change on the emissions of ethylene and carbon dioxide from the soils and concentrations of dissolved organic carbon （DOC） released into the soils. Increasing acidification or alkalinization of forest soils could increase concentrations of DOC released into the soils under anoxic and oxic conditions. The ethylene emission from these forest topsoils could significantly increase with a decreasing pH, when the soils were acidified experimentally to a pH〈4.0, and it increased with an increasing concentration of DOC released into the soils, which was different from the carbon dioxide emission from the soils. Hence, the short-term stimulating responses of ethylene emission to a decreasing pH in such forest soils resulted from the increase in the DOC concentration due to acidification rather than carbon mineralization. The results would promote one to study the effects of soil acidification on the cycling of ethylene under different forest stands, particularly under degraded forest stands with heavy acid depositions.

The Brown Algae Saccharina japonica and Sargassum horneri Exhibit Species-Specific Responses to Synergistic Stress of Ocean Acidification and Eutrophication

Ocean acidification and eutrophication are two important environmental stressors.They inevitably impact marine macroalgae,and hence the coastal ecosystem of China.Saccharina japonica,as the main culture species in China,is suffering the harmful golden tide caused by Sargassum horneri.However,it remains unclear whether the detrimental effects of S.horneri on S.japonica cultivation become more severe in future acidified and eutrophic scenario.In this study,we respectively investigated the effects of pCO_(2)(400μatm and 1000μatm)and nutrients(non-enriched and enriched seawater)on the growth,photosynthesis,respiration,chlorophyll contents,and tissue nitrogen of S.japonica and S.horneri.Results indicated that enrichment of nutrients contributed S.horneri to utilize HCO_(3)^(−).The carbon acquisition pathway shifted from HCO_(3)^(−)to CO_(2) in S.japonica,while S.horneri re-mained using HCO_(3)^(−)regulated by nutrient enrichment.S.horneri exhibited better photosynthetic traits than S.japonica,with a higher level of net photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll contents at elevated pCO_(2) and enriched nutrients.Tissue nitrogen also accumulated richly in the thalli of S.horneri under higher pCO_(2) and nutrients.Significant enhancement in growth was only detected in S.horneri under synergistic stress.Together,S.horneri showed competitive dominance in current study.These findings suggest that increasing risk of golden tide in acidified and eutrophic ocean can most likely result in great damage to S.japonica cultivation.

Hierarchical responses of soil organic and inorganic carbon dynamics to soil acidification in a dryland agroecosystem,China

Soil acidification is a major global issue of sustainable development for ecosystems. The increasing soil acidity induced by excessive nitrogen （N） fertilization in farmlands has profoundly impacted the soil carbon dynamics. However, the way in which changes in soil pH regulating the soil carbon dynamics in a deep soil profile is still not well elucidated. In this study, through a 12-year field N fertilization experiment with three N fertilizer treatments （0, 120, and 240 kg N/（hm-2·a）） in a dryland agroecosystem of China, we explored the soil pH changes over a soil profile up to a depth of 200 cm and determined the responses of soil organic carbon （SOC） and soil inorganic carbon （SIC） to the changed soil pH. Using a generalized additive model, we identified the soil depth intervals with the most powerful statistical relationships between changes in soil pH and soil carbon dynamics. Hierarchical responses of SOC and SIC dynamics to soil acidification were found. The results indicate that the changes in soil pH explained the SOC dynamics well by using a non-linear relationship at the soil depth of 0-80 cm （P=0.006）, whereas the changes in soil pH were significantly linearly correlated with SIC dynamics at the 100-180 cm soil depth （P=0.015）. After a long-term N fertilization in the experimental field, the soil pH value decreased in all three N fertilizer treatments. Furthermore, the declines in soil pH in the deep soil layer （100-200 cm） were significantly greater （P=0.035） than those in the upper soil layer （0-80 cm）. These results indicate that soil acidification in the upper soil layer can transfer excess protons to the deep soil layer, and subsequently, the structural heterogeneous responses of SOC and SIC to soil acidification were identified because of different buffer capacities for the SOC and SIC. To better estimate the effects of soil acidification on soil carbon dynamics, we suggest that future investigations for soil acidification should be extended to a deeper soil depth, e.g., 200 cm.

The Application of the Seaweeds in Neutralizing the “Ocean Acidification” as a Long-Term Multifaceted Challenge

The global effects of ocean acidification (OA) on coral reefs are of growing concern. Carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of burning fossil fuels, not only has an effect on “global warming”, but also on OA which is called the “other CO2 problem”. OA combined with high ocean temperatures has resulted in a massive bleaching of coral reefs in the Indian Ocean and throughout Southeast Asia over the past decade, which is ultimately lethal. Here we discuss the option if innovative seaweed bio-technology—the Ulva lactuca bioreactor option, with its H+ ion-absorbing capacity and its huge green biomass production of around 50 MT/ha/year—which can stabilize our “World Ocean” and our global coral reefs. From our calculations, we came to the conclusion that an area covered with “Ulva lactuca bioreactors” with a production capacity of 250 × 1016 ha of seaweed per year is needed to remove all H+ ions that cause OA in our “World Ocean” since the beginning of the “Industrial Revolution” ≈ 250 years ago. This is a daunting task and therefore we have opted for a multi-faceted approach including variability in seaweed species, avoidance of eutrophication & heavy-metal accumulation, prevention of global warming by more green-biomass production and a better estimation of the huge Kelp seaweed populations in temperate zones in order to protect our coral reefs for the short term.

Treatment of Wastewater from Pharmaceutical Intermittent Production by Fe/C-Fenton-Hydrolysis Acidification-A/O Process

The design and running effect of treatment of wastewater from pharmaceutical intermittent production by iron-carbon（Fe/C）-Fentonhydrolysis acidification-anoxic/aerobic（A/O）process were introduced.The results of continuous operation showed that when the flow rate of the influent wastewater was 300 m^3/d,after the influent high-concentration wastewater（CODCrand NH4＋-N concentration were 35 000 and 1 000 mg/L,respectively）and medium-concentration wastewater（CODCrand NH4＋-N concentration were 1 500 and 100 mg/L,respectively）were treated by the process,CODCrand NH4＋-N concentration in the effluent decreased to 360-410 and 20-25 mg/L,respectively,and the quality of the effluent could meet the Grade III standard of Integrated Wastewater Discharge Standard（GB 8978-1996）.The combined process was proved to be an effective method to treat wastewater from pharmaceutical intermittent production,and its operation was stable.

Use of Corrosion Inhibitor in Solid Form to Prevent Internal Corrosion of Pipelines and Acidification Process

Use of corrosion inhibitors in solid form promotes the development of a new technique for internal corrosion protection of oil & gas pipelines and operations of oil wells acidification, because the controlled dissolution of the corrosion inhibitor forms a surface on metallic parts, a protective film that prevents or minimizes undesirable reactions to corrosion. In addition, this technique has important social and environmental benefits, ensures the operator has a lower risk of contamination when handling the product, changes the type of industrial packing, facilitates transportation, reduces solvent use and consequently reduces the waste that normally results from the use of inhibitors. The purpose of this article is to present a class of solid corrosion inhibitor tested in the laboratory and offer proposals for its application in industrial pipes such as gas and oil pipelines.

Nutrient Enrichment Regulates the Growth and Physiological Responses of Saccharina japonica to Ocean Acidification

Environmental changes,such as ocean acidification and eutrophication,have created threats to kelp mariculture.In this study,the growth,photosynthesis,respiration and nutrient composition of Saccharina japonica were evaluated at different levels of pCO2(400 and 800μL L−1)and nutrients(nutrient-enriched and non-enriched seawater).Elevated pCO2 decreased the relative growth rate(RGR),net photosynthetic rate and contents of tissue carbon and tissue nitrogen under non-enriched nutrient conditions,but it had no significant effect on these parameters under nutrient-enriched conditions.The dark respiration rate was positively affected by elevated pCO2 regardless of the nutrient conditions.However,the C:N was unaffected by elevated pCO2 at both nutrient levels.These results implied that ocean acidification could reduce the production and nutrient contents in the tissues of S.japonica,which was associated with nutrient conditions.

An ocean acidification-simulated system and its application in coral physiological studies

Due to the elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide, ocean acidification(OA) has recently emerged as a research theme in marine biology due to an expected deleterious effect of altered seawater chemistry on calcification. A system simulating future OA scenario is crucial for OA-related studies. Here, we designed an OA-simulated system(OASys) with three solenoid-controlled CO_2 gas channels. The OASys can adjust the pH of the seawater by bubbling CO_2 gas into seawaters via feedback systems. The OASys is very simple in structure with an integrated design and is new-user friendly with the instruction. Moreover, the OASys can monitor and record real-time pH values and can maintain pH levels within 0.02 pH unit. In a 15-d experiment, the OASys was applied to simulate OA in which the expected target pH values were 8.00, 7.80 and 7.60 to study the calcifying response of Galaxea fascicularis. The results showed daily mean seawater pH values held at pH 8.00±0.01, 7.80±0.01 and 7.61±0.01 over15 d. Correspondingly, the coral calcification of G. fascicularis gradually decreased with reduced pH.

Increased light availability enhances tolerance against ocean acidification-related stress in the calcifying macroalga Halimedaopuntia

Although the adverse impacts of ocean acidification(OA)on marine calcifiers have been investigated extensively,the anti-stress capabilities regulated by increased light availability are unclear.Herein,the interactive effects of three light levels(30μmol photons/(m^(2)·s),150μmol photons/(m^(2)·s),and 240μmol photons/(m^(2)·s)combined with two pCO_(2)concentrations(400 ppmv and 1400 ppmv)on the physiological acclimation of the calcifying macroalga Halimeda opuntia were investigated using a pCO_(2)-light coupling experiment.The OA negatively influenced algal growth,calcification,photosynthesis,and other physiological performances in H.opuntia.The relative growth rate under elevated pCO_(2)conditions significantly declined by 13.14%−41.29%,whereas net calcification rates decreased by nearly three-fold under OA conditions.Notably,increased light availability enhanced stress resistance through the accumulation of soluble organic molecules,especially soluble carbohydrate,soluble protein,and free amino acids,and in combination with metabolic enzyme-driven activities,OA stress was alleviated.The carotenoid content under low light conditions increased markedly,and the rapid light curve of the relative electron transport rate was enhanced significantly by increasing light intensities,indicating that this new organization of the photosynthetic machinery in H.opuntia accommodated light variations and elevated pCO_(2)conditions.Thus,the enhanced metabolic performance of the calcifying macroalga H.opuntia mitigated OA-related stress.

Impact of seawater acidification on shell property of the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum grown within and without sediment

Although the impact of ocean acidification on marine bivalves has been previously investigated under mainly controlled laboratory conditions,it is still unclear whether the impact of acidification on sediment-burrowing species differs between those within or without sediment.In order to fill this gap in our knowledge,we compared shell properties of the infaunal Manila clam(Ruditapes philippinarum)exposed to three pH concentrations(7.4,7.7,and 8.0),within and without sediments.In the first experiment(140 d),clams were exposed to seawater in an acidification system without sediment.A decrease in shell weight corresponding to the increase in dissolution rate was observed in the group ofpH 7.4,at which shell color disappeared or whitened.SEM observations confirmed the changes of the external shell surface.In the second experiment(170 d),sediment was placed at the bottom of each exposure chamber.The effects were found obvious in shell dissolution rate and shell color in the shell specimens exposed to overlying seawater but not found in the shell specimens exposed to sediment.Although the experimental period was longer in the second experiment,shell specimens in the first experiment were more seriously damaged than those in the second experiment under acidic seawater conditions.Our results,in relation to the defense function of the shell,show that marine bivalves in burrowing behavior are more adaptable to seawater acidification than those who do not burrow into sediment.

The ecological response of natural phytoplankton population and related metabolic rates to future ocean acidification

Ocean acidifi cation(OA)and global warming-induced water column stratification can signifi cantly alter phytoplankton-related biological activity in the marine ecosystem.Yet how these changes may play out in the tropical Indian Ocean remains unclear.This study investigated the ecological and metabolic responses of the different phytoplankton functional groups to elevated CO_(2) partial pressure and nitrate deficiency in two different environments of the eastern Indian Ocean(EIO).It is revealed that phytoplankton growth and metabolic rates are more sensitive to inorganic nutrients rather than CO_(2).The combined interactive effects of OA and N-limitation on phytoplankton populations are functional groupspecific.In particular,the abundance and calcification rate of calcifying coccolithophores are expected to be enhanced in the future EIO.The underlying mechanisms for this enhancement may be ascribed to coccolithophore’s lower carbon concentrating mechanisms(CCMs)efficiency and OA-induced[HCO^(-)_(3)]increase.In comparison,the abundance of non-calcifying microphytoplankton(e.g.,diatoms and dinoflagellates)and primary productivity would be inhibited under those conditions.Diff erent from previous laboratory experiments,interspecifi c competition for resources would be an important consideration in the natural phytoplankton populations.These combined factors would roughly determine calcifying coccolithophores as“winners”and non-calcifying microphytoplankton as“losers”in the future ocean scenario.Due to the large species-specific differences in phytoplankton sensitivity to OA,comprehensive investigations on oceanic phytoplankton communities are essential to precisely predict phytoplankton ecophysiological response to ocean acidification.

Effects of phosphorus on nutrient uptake and rhizosphere acidification of soybean (G/ycine max L.)

Pot experiment was conducted to examine how application of KH2PO4 （0-165 mg·kg^-1 P） to affect nutrient ion uptake and rhizosphere acidification of soybean （Glycine max L.） grown in greenhouse for 90 days. When supplied of 82 and 165 mg·kg^-1 P, soybeans showed excessive poison. Under all kinds of P levels, the K, Ca, Na and Mg concents in plant tissues were as below order K was nodules 〉 roots 〉 pods 〉 shoots; Ca was shoots 〉 roots 〉 nodules 〉 pods; Na was roots 〉 nodules 〉 pods 〉 shoots and Mg was shoots 〉 nodules 〉 roots 〉 pods. K concent in plant tisssues had greater effect on rhizosphere acidification than other cations in this experiment irrespective of P supply, and was significantly negative to pH. Na concentration was significantly positive to pH. Excessive P supply induced rhizosphere acidification, pH decreased as P supply increased from 82 to 165 mg·kg^-1. Ash alkalinity in shoots and roots was significantly positively correlated with rhizosphere pH irrespective of P supply. All these results suggested that P supply affected nutrient uptake, induced ash alkalinity to increase and rhizosphere pH to decrease in soybean.