Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Institute of Resource Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2021 May 10;768:144387. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144387. Epub 2020 Dec 25.
Carbonate rock weathering coupled with aquatic photosynthesis in karst areas is an important part in the formation of terrestrial carbon sinks. The capacity of photosynthetic carbon sequestration by aquatic microalgae and carbonic anhydrase (CA) is integral in the estimation of carbon sink potential of karst aquatic ecosystems. To date, carbon sequestration by aquatic microalgae in karst areas has been investigated in laboratory experiments. In the present work, the capacity of carbon sequestration by microalgae and CA under natural karst aquatic conditions and the main environmental factors were investigated in field in-situ mesocosms. The Sizhitan Pond of the Huixian karst wetland in Guilin City, Guangxi Province, China, was selected as a typical karst natural water body for this study. The capacity of photosynthetic carbon sequestration varied with microalgal community composition. The microalgal communities with active extracellular CA showed high capacity of carbon sequestration. The average conversion of inorganic carbon to relatively stable organic carbon by microalgae in the Huixian karst wetland aquatic ecosystem was estimated as 4207.5 t C/a. Approximately 28.7% of the bicarbonate fed by the karst underground river was fixed into organic carbon by microalgal photosynthesis. The major environmental factors affecting the capacity of carbon sequestration by microalgae in the karst wetland aquatic ecosystem were the water CA activity, illumination, temperature, total phosphorus and total nitrogen. This study is the first to address the contribution of aquatic microalgae and CA to carbon sequestration under natural karst aquatic conditions. The findings contribute to establishing groundwork for substantiating the carbon sink potential in global karst ecosystems.
碳酸盐岩风化与喀斯特地区水生光合作用相结合是陆地碳汇形成的重要组成部分。水生微藻和碳酸酐酶 (CA) 的光合作用碳固存能力是估算喀斯特水生生态系统碳汇潜力的重要组成部分。迄今为止,已经在实验室实验中研究了喀斯特地区水生微藻的碳固存。本研究在野外原位中观培养箱中,在自然喀斯特水生条件下,调查了微藻和 CA 的碳固存能力及其主要环境因素。选择广西桂林会仙岩溶湿地的四塘池作为典型的喀斯特天然水体进行本研究。光合作用碳固存能力随微藻群落组成而变化。具有活跃细胞外 CA 的微藻群落表现出较高的碳固存能力。会仙岩溶湿地水生生态系统中微藻将无机碳转化为相对稳定有机碳的平均转化率估计为 4207.5 t C/a。约 28.7%的岩溶地下河供应的碳酸氢盐被微藻光合作用固定为有机碳。影响喀斯特湿地水生生态系统中微藻碳固存能力的主要环境因素是水 CA 活性、光照、温度、总磷和总氮。本研究首次在自然喀斯特水生条件下研究了水生微藻和 CA 对碳固存的贡献。研究结果为证实全球喀斯特生态系统的碳汇潜力奠定了基础。