Biogenic silica in intertidal marsh plants and associated sediments of the Yangtze Estuary

Biogenic silica （BSi） contents in the marsh plants （Phragmites australis, Scirpus mariqueter and Spartina alterniflora） and associated sediments in Chongming Island eastern intertidal flat of the Yangtze Estuary were determined. The BSi contents in P. australis, S. mariqueter and S. alterniflora varied from 25.78–42.74 mg/g, 5.71–19.53 mg/g and 6.71–8.92 mg/g, respectively. Over the entire growth season, P. australis and S. mariqueter were characterized by linear accumulation patterns of BSi. The aboveground biomass （leaves and culms） of the marsh plants generally contained more BSi than underground biomass （roots）. BSi contents were relatively higher in dead plant tissues than in live tissues which was probably due to the decomposition and the leaching of labile components of plant tissues such as organic carbon and nitrogen. Comparing with the habitats of S. mariqueter and S. alterniflora, the highest BSi content was recorded in sediments inhabited by P. australis, with an annual average of 15.69 mg/g. Overall, the intertidal marshes in the Yangtze Estuary may act as a net sink of BSi via plant uptake and sedimentary burial.

Distribution and accumulation of biogenic silica in the intertidal sediments of the Yangtze Estuary

Sedimentary biogenic silica is known to be an important parameter to understand biogeochemical processes and paleoenviromental records in estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Consequently, it is of great significance to investigate accumulation and distribution of biogenic silica in sediments. The two-step mild acid-mild alkaline extraction procedure was used to leach biogenic silica and its early diagenetic products in intertidal sediments of the Yangtze Estuary. The results showed that total biogenic silica （t-BSi） in the intertidal sediments varied from 237.7-419.4 μmol Si/g, while the mild acid leachable silica （Si-HCl） and the mild alkaline leachable silica （Si- Alk） were in the range of 25.1-72.9 μmol Si/g and 208.1-350.4 μmol Si/g, respectively. Significant correlations were observed for the grain size distributions of sediments and different biogenic silica pools in intertidal sediments. This confirms that grain size distribution can significantly affect biogenic silica contents in sediments. Close relationships of biogenic silica with organic carbon and nitrogen were also found, reflecting that there is a strong coupling between biogenic silica and organic matter biogeochemical cycles in the intertidal system of the Yangtze Estuary. Additionally, the early diagenetic changes of biogenic silica in sediments are discussed in the present study.

Effects of river damming on biogenic silica turnover:implications for biogeochemical carbon and nutrient cycles

Rivers link terrestrial ecosystems and marine ecosystems, and they transport large amounts of substances into oceans each year, including several forms of silicon(Si), carbon(C), and other nutrients. However, river damming affects the water flow and biogeochemical cycles of Si, C, and other nutrients through biogeochemical interacting processes. In this review, we first summarize the current understanding of the effects of river damming on the processes of biogeochemical Si cycle, especially the source, composition, and recycling process of biogenic silica(BSi). Then, we introduce dam impacts on the cycles of C and some other nutrients. Dissolved silicon in rivers is mainly released from phytolith dissolution and silicate weathering. BSi in suspended matter or sediments in most rivers mainly consists of phytoliths and mainly originates from soil erosion. However, diatom growth and deposition in many reservoirs formed by river interception may significantly increase the contribution of diatom Si to total BSi, and thus significantly influence the biogeochemical Si,C, and nutrient cycles. Yet the turnover of phytoliths and diatoms in different rivers formed by river damming is still poorly quantified. Thus, they should be further investigated to enhance our understanding about the effects of river damming on global biogeochemical Si, C and nutrient cycles.

Contribution of phytoliths to total biogenic silica volumes in the tropical rivers of Malaysia and associated implications for the marine biogeochemical cycle

The contribution of phytoliths to total biogenic silica(BSi) volumes in rivers worldwide,and the associated implications for the biogeochemical cycle,require in-depth study.Based on samples from rivers in Peninsular Malaysia,this project investigated the source and characteristics of B Si found in Asian tropical rivers,as well as the process of reverse weathering taking place in these fluvial systems.Results indicated that BSi samples collected in sediments consisted of phytolith,diatom and sponge spicules.Phytoliths,predominantly of the elongate form,comprised 92.8%-98.3% of BSi in the Pahang River.Diatom BSi in this river consisted mainly of pennatae diatoms,but represented a relatively small proportion of the total BSi volume.However,diatom BSi(predominantly of the Centricae form) was more prevalent in the Pontian and Endau Rivers with shares of 68.8% and 79.3% of the total BSi volumes,respectively,than Pahang River.Carbon contents of the BSi particulates ranged from 1.85% to 10.8% with an average of 4.79%.These values are higher than those recorded in other studies to date,and indicate that BSi plays a major role in controlling permanent carbon burial.This study suggests that phytoliths from terrestrial plants are the primary constituents of BSi in the rivers of Peninsular Malaysia,and therefore represent a significant proportion of the coastal silica budget.

The biogenic silica variation and paleoproductivity evolution in the eastern Indian Ocean during the past 20 000 a

The biogenic silica of sediment samples from Core CJ01-185 which is collected from the eastern India Ocean off the Sunda Strait is analyzed to evaluate the impact of the opening of the Sunda Strait on a paleoproductivity evolution. The new results indicate that the biogenic silica mass values of Core CJ01-185 show the lowest 0.86% in the last glacial period, and reach its maxima of 1.89% in the late Holocene. Furthermore, the biogenic silica mass accumulation rate(MARBSi) values also vary with much higher during the late Holocene than during the last glaciation. The input of additional terrigenous materials from the Java Sea has enhanced the paleoproductivity and increased the biogenic silica mass and MARBSi values after the opening of the Sunda Strait. It is suggested that the paleoproductivity in the study area is mainly influenced by the southeast monsoon and upwelling before the opening of the Sunda Strait. However, the paleoproductivity is dominated by the terrigenous materials input other than by the southeast monsoon or upwelling in the Holocene.

Biogenic silica in surficial sediments of Prydz Bay,Antarctica

The content and distribution of biogenic silica were investigated in sediment cores from Prydz Bay, Antarctica, during the CHINARE-18/2L cruise. The results show that the content of biogenic silica（ BSiO2 ） is ranged from 4.89% to 85. 41% , and the average content of biogenic silica is 30.90%, the highest value oc- curred at the IV-10 station. The profile of BSiO2 in sediment is contrast to that of sili- cate in the interstitial water. The content of biogenic silica and organic carbon in the surface sediments in the central area of Prydz Bay gyre were much higher than those in other area, and closely related to the Chla content and primary productivity of phyto- plankton in the surface water column.

Biogenic silica concentration as a marine primary productivity proxy in the Holsteinsborg Dyb, West Greenland, during the last millennium

We analyzed the biogenic silica(BSi)content and produced a diatom-based summer sea-surface temperature(SST)reconstruction for sediment core GC4 from the Holsteinsborg Dyb,West Greenland.Our aim was to reconstruct marine productivity and climatic fluctuations during the last millennium.Increased BSi content and diatom abundance suggest relatively high marine productively during the interval of AD 1000–1400,corresponding in time to the Medieval Warm Period(MWP).The summer SST reconstruction indicates relatively warm conditions during AD 900–1100,followed by cooling after AD 1100.An extended cooling period during AD 1400–1900 is characterized by prolonged low in reconstructed SST and high sea-ice concentration.The BSi values fluctuated during this period,suggesting varying marine productivity during the Little Ice Age(LIA).There is no significant correlation between the BSi content and SST during the last millennium,suggesting that the summer SST has little influence on marine productively in the Holsteinsborg Dyb.A good correspondence between the BSi content and the element Ti counts in core GC4 suggests that silicate-rich meltwater from the Greenland ice sheet was likely responsible for changes in marine productively in the Holsteinsborg Dyb.

Skeletonema cf.costatum Biogenic Silica Production Rate Determinated by PDMPO Method

Diatoms are the only ecological phytoplankton that require silicic acid for growth.They are also the dominant contributor of ocean's total primary productivity.Generation and circulation with silica walls,which the siliceous organisms form,is an important component of the marine biological pump.It is crucial to the study of the operational mechanisms of biological pump with different sea areas.Moreover,it is the key link to the study of global silicon cycle.This paper introduces the basic mechanism of the formation of diatom silica walls and a new way of researching silicic acid metabolism,namely the 2-(4-pyridyl)-5-((4-(2-dimethylaminoethylaminocarbamoyl)-methoxy)phenyl)oxazole(PDMPO) dyeing method.Under a fluorescence microscope after excitation with bright green fluorescence,it can combine with silicic acid to form a complex into the Si deposition within diatom cells.The advantage of this method is that it can monitor the metabolism of silicate after adding PDMPO.For experimentation and sample collection in each of the specified time points,samples were determinated through the unutilized silicic acid,silica dissoluble intracellular and Si deposition within diatom cells,not only using hot alkaline digestions method but also PDMPO dyeing method.Results showed a good linear relationship between PDMPO fluorescent value and biogenic silica concentration.It was also indicated that PDMPO had no deleterious impact on Skeletonema cf.costatum growth for 34 h and was useful for tracking newly-deposited biogenic silica in diatoms' frustules.

Biogenic Silica Change and Its Environment Response in Shallow Borehole in the Coastal Water at Zhoushan,Zhejiang Province,China

Using a biogenic silica(Bio-Si)alkali extraction method,Bio-Si contents of 100 sedimentary covers from Cx21 borehole in the coastal water of Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province,China are analyzed.Combining with the data materials such as(210)~Pb sedimentation rate,sediment particle size,annual average sea surface temperature near the borehole from 1890 to the present,runoff discharge of Hankou station in

Spatial-temporal dynamics of biogenic silica in the southern Yellow Sea

Concentrations of biogenic silica(BSi) in the southern Yellow Sea were determined during four cruises(spring:April–May 2014;autumn: November 2014;summer: August–September 2015;winter: January 2016). Samples of BSi were measured using the double extraction method. Seasonal and spatial variations of BSi and the potential correlation between chlorophyll a(Chl a) content and BSi in four seasons were measured in this study. Significant spatial variability was observed in seawater BSi concentrations. The average concentration of BSi was highest in winter and lowest in spring. Furthermore, the relationships between concentrations of BSi and hydrological parameters were also discussed. There was a significant positive correlation between Chl a and BSi. The concentrations of BSi showed significant relationships with temperature and the concentrations of silicates, total inorganic nitrogen and total inorganic phosphorus, indicating that distribution of BSi was affected by temperature and nutrient level.

The distribution and concentration of particulate biogenic silica in surface waters of Prydz Bay, Antarctica, during the austral summer of 2011

The concentrations and distributions of particulate biogenic silica （PBSi） in the upper surface waters of Prydz Bay, Antarctica, were investigated during the 27th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition cruises of January 2011. We aimed to characterize the correlations between PBSi and plankton, nutrients and particulate organic carbon. The results showed that the concentrations of biogenic silica ranged from 0.76--19.72 ktmol-dm3 and the average concentration of biogenic silica was 6.06 mol.dm3. The distribution of surface PBSi had significant regional characteristics： The concentrations were higher south of 67S than to the north. The distribution of PBSi, chlorophyll a and particulate organic carbon showed similar patterns, and PBSi distribution had a negative correlation with that of silicate. In the vertical direction, the mole ratio of PBSi and POC （Si/Co） decreased with increasing depth. This trend indicated a higher rate of PBSi dissolution, or a lower rate of organic matter reminer- alization rate, in the upper 200 m.

Effects of Rice Straw Silicification and Characters of Extraction Biogenic Silicon on the Degradation of Fibrous Components in Rice Straw

Straw of seven rice varieties with early-, middle- and late maturity was collected from Huazhong Agricultural University in Hubei. A study was carried out for rice straw in the aspects of the characters of straw silicification and extraction biogenic silica (EBSi), the relationship between characters of EBSi and kinetic characteristics of degradation of fibrous components in fistulated cows, as well as the effect of urea treatment on rice straw desilicification. Although total silica content (ADISi) in rice straw was similar, the efficiency of extraction biogenic silica (EEBSi) and cellulose in early varieties were significantly higher than those in middle (18.9% and 9.1 %) and late ones (26.1% and 11.2%). The degradability of EBSi and cellulose of early varieties were higher than those of middle by 70.0% and 17.5%, and of late varieties by 47.8% and 23.7% , respectively. The in sacco degradability and in vitro VFA production of early varieties were also higher than those of middle by 14.5% and 19.0%, and late by 12.9% and 14.8%. Comparing the morphological fractions of the rice straws, EEBSi, cellulose content, and in vitro VFA production were different with the order of blade < sheath < stem. A significant correlation was found between the contents of EBSi and cellulose (r= 0.86), and the two contents were remarkably correlated with the potential straw degradability (a + b) by r = 0.90 and 0.84 respectively. Therefore, EBSi in rice straw was a main factor affecting the potential degradability of rice straw, rather than the ADISi of straw. Urea treatment improved rice straw degradability, degradation rate and potential degradability by 10.8% , 27.9% , and 10.1% respectively, compared to untreated straws.

Revisiting the dissolution of biogenic Si in marine sediments： a key term in the ocean Si budget

Of the ~240*10^(12)mol year^(-1)of biogenic silica(bSi)produced by diatoms and other silicifying organisms,only roughly 3%–4%escapes dissolution to be permanently buried.At the global scale,how,where and why b Si is preserved in sediment is not well understood.To help address this,I compile 6245 porewater dissolved Si concentrations from 453 sediment cores,to derive the concentration gradient at the sediment–water interface and thus diffusive fluxes out of the sediment.These range from\0.002 to 3.4 mol m^(-2)year^(-1),and are independent of temperature,depth and latitude.When classified by sediment lithology,predominantly siliceous sediments unsurprisingly have higher mean diffusive fluxes than predominantly calcareous or clay-rich sediment.Combined with the areal extent of these lithologies,the‘best-guess’global sedimentary b Si recycling flux is69 9 10^(12)mol year^(-1).

九寨沟箭竹海沉积物中BSi含量及其环境指示意义

通过对九寨沟箭竹海沉积物样品中生物硅(BSi)含量的分析,讨论箭竹海沉积物中BSi含量与总有机碳(TOC)及粒度的关系,进而探讨BSi含量反映自然和人类因素对湖泊水体和沉积物的影响。箭竹海沉积物中BSi含量介于5.5～15.8 mg/g之间,BSi含量与TOC呈显著正相关关系。BSi含量还较显著地受到粒度影响,较细颗粒沉积物对BSi有较强的吸附作用。箭竹海沉积物中BSi含量变化与气温波动关系不密切,主要反映了森林砍伐和旅游开发等人类活动对湖泊水体和沉积物的影响。

大亚湾大鹏澳海域C、N、BSi的沉积记录研究

研究了大亚湾大鹏澳海域鱼类养殖区、贝类养殖区以及核电站附近3个站位50～78cm的柱状沉积物中生物硅（BSi）、总有机碳（TOC）、总氮（TN）等生源要素的垂直变化，以揭示人类活动对海洋环境影响的沉积记录。位于近岸海水养殖区的两个沉积柱中，近年来TOC含量呈明显上升趋势，而核电站附近海域略有下降。从TOC／TN比值判断（三个沉积柱平均分别为9．54、7．42、7．9），该海域TOC是陆源和水生两种来源的混合物。此外，养殖区上表层沉积物中水生有机碳（TOCa）含量呈明显下降趋势，而TOC／TN比值则上升，说明养殖区水生初级生产力及其对总初级生产力的贡献下降；相反，陆源污染所造成的陆源有机碳（TOCl）含量明显增加。在核电站附近海域，TOCa含量明显上升，TOC／TN和TOCtl力的贡献逐年上升，而核电站海域硅藻的贡献则下降。

Source of silica and its implications for organic matter enrichment in the Upper Ordovician-Lower Silurian black shale in western Hubei Province,China:Insights from geochemical and petrological analysis

To improve the understanding of the relationship between silica source and organic matter accumulation,the origin of silica and its implications for organic matter enrichment in the Upper OrdovicianLower Silurian(O_(3)w-S_(1)l)black shale in western Hubei Province in the middle Yangtze area,were investigated through geochemical and petrological analyses.The results show that the O_(3)w-S_(1)l black shale is mainly composed of five lithofacies with varying graptolite abundance,total organic carbon(TOC),and silica contents.Biogenic silica and terrigenous siliciclastic input constitute the main silica sources in O_(3)w-S_(1)l black shale and they exhibit an upward inverse variation trend interpreted to be related to sea-level changes.Moreover,with the increase in biogenic silica content or decrease in terrigenous siliciclastic input,TOC values in black shale initially rise and then fall,which is different from originally expected simple linear relationship.We infer that organic matter enrichment and the distribution of silica from different origins are controlled by sea-level changes and variations in terrigenous input in a continental shelf with little hydrothermal influence.An environment with appropriate sea level and terrigenous input should be most favorable for organic matter accumulation,rather than one with excessive high sea level and less terrigenous input.

基于FTIR对水库沉积物中TOC,TN和BSi含量的快速测定

利用傅里叶变换红外光谱(Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,FTIR)分析了中国西南喀斯特地区岩滩(Yantan,YT)水库中的沉积物,探讨了基于FTIR的沉积物总有机碳(total organic carbon,TOC)、总氮(total nitrogen,TN)和生物硅(biogenic silica,BSi)含量的快速分析方法.采用偏最小二乘回归(partial least squares regression,PLSR)方法,分别建立了TOC/TN/BSi含量的FTIR预测模型,并根据实测数据对这一预测模型的预测精度进行了验证.结果表明:该方法可有效提取水库沉积物中的地球化学信息,应用于高分辨率古环境变化的研究;需要样品量少,预处理过程简单,并因其快速和经济的特点,在测定大量沉积物样品时具有极大的优势.

北极东西伯利亚陆架表层沉积生物硅分布特征及环境意义

揭示北冰洋陆架区初级生产力变化及其控制因素,对评估北极在全球变化中的地位具有重要意义。本文对北极东西伯利亚陆架87个表层沉积生物硅进行了测试与分析,结果显示,东西伯利亚陆架表层沉积生物硅含量为0.42%~14.11%(平均值为3.12%),大致以165°E~170°E为界,界限以西的拉普捷夫海和东西伯利亚海西部生物硅含量较低(平均值为1.56%),界限以东的东西伯利亚海东部和楚科奇海中西部生物硅含量较高(平均值为9.7%)。综合分析表明,生物硅高值区主要是东西伯利亚海东部及楚科奇海受季节性海冰及太平洋入流水携带更多的营养物质造成的,而低值区除受常年海冰覆盖影响外,河流径流量增加和硅质生物的溶解作用也会导致生物硅含量降低。生物泵效率指标揭示东西伯利亚陆架海域,特别是楚科奇海可能是吸收全球大气CO_(2)的重要汇区。

Biogenic silica contents of Lake Qinghai sediments and its environmental significance

Changes in the levels ofbiogenic silica （BSi%） in lake sediments have been widely used in order to study lake productivity and palaeoclimatic changes. However, the provenance of biogenic silica （BSi） needs to be investigated for each lake, especially for large lakes, as does the relationship between levels of BSi and relevant environmental factors. In this study, we measured the percentage of BSi contained in lake sediments, river sediments, and surface soils within the Lake Qinghai catchment, and compared the quantities and shapes of diatoms and phytoliths before and after the extraction processes. The results suggest that BSi in lake sediments is primarily derived from endogenous diatoms; therefore, BSi levels can be used to reflect the changes in primary productivity within the lake. Further comparisons showed that on long-term timescales, the variations in BSi% are generally consistent with those in total organic carbon （TOC） and grain size, reflecting the dominant impacts of precipitation on primary productivity in Lake Qinghai. On short-term timescales, however, the relationship between BSi% and TOC and that between BSi% and grain size are not clear or stable. For example, BSi% sometimes covaried with grain size, but it was sometimes out of phase with or even inversely related to grain size. We speculate that both climate and environmental processes, such as the dilution effect, influence short-term BSi% and its related environmental significance. As a result, BSi% should be used selectively as an indicator of climatic changes on different time scales.

Quartz crystallinity index:New quantitative evidence for biogenic silica of the Late Ordovician to Early Silurian organic-rich shale in the Sichuan Basin and adjacent areas,China

Quartz crystallinity index(QCI)was used to reflect the crystallisation of silica in the Late Ordovician Wufeng(WF)and Early Silurian Longmaxi(LM)Formation shale,as well as the airborne volcanic ash-derived silica in the Lucaogou Formation tuffaceous shale,to distinguish the two types of silica.The silica in different graptolite biozones exhibited different crystallisation.The WF2–3,LM1–4 graptolite biozones showed obviously lower QCI values than the LM5–9 graptolite biozones and the Lucaogou Formation samples.The graptolite organisms played the role of adsorption,fixation,and precipitation in silicon accumulation and enrichment in stratum.The biogenic origin caused the poorest quartz crystallisation in WF2–3 and LM1–4 graptolite biozones samples.The airborne volcanic ash-derived silica in the Lucaogou Formation tuffaceous shale exhibited relatively poor quartz crystallisation because of weaker diagenesis intensity.Generally,although the WF2–3 and LM1–4 graptolite biozones underwent strong diagenesis and contained a small amount of detrital quartz,the silica still exhibited lower QCI values than the airborne volcanic ash-derived silica in the Lucaogou Formation tuffaceous shale.The biogenic silica crystallisation was much poorer than that of the airborne volcanic ash-derived silica.QCI is an effective quantitative index to demonstrate the biogenic silica in the organic-rich and silica-rich shale.