Comparison of two carbon-nitrogen regulatory models calibrated with mesocosm data

Marine phytoplankton can regulate their stoichiometric composition in response to variations in the availability of nutrients, light and the pH of seawater. Varying elemental composition of photoautotrophs affects several important ecological and biogeochemical processes, e.g., primary and export production, nutrient cycling, calcification, and grazing. Here we compare two plankton ecosystem models that consider regulatory mechanisms of cellular carbon and nitrogen, driving the physiological acclimation of photoautotrophs. The Carbon:Nitrogen Regulated Ecosystem Model (CN-REcoM) and the optimality-based model (OBM) differ in their representation of phytoplankton dynamics, i.e. nutrient acquisition, synthesis of chlorophyll a, and growth. All other model compartments (zooplankton, detritus, dissolved inorganic and organic matter) and processes (grazing, aggregation, remineralisation) remain identical in both models. We assess the skills of the two models against data from an ocean acidification mesocosm experiment with three CO2 treatments. Neither model accounts for any carbon dioxide (CO2) effects explicitly. Instead, we assimilate data of the different CO2 treatments separately into the models. Thereby we aim at identifying optimal model parameter values that might correlate with differences in CO2 conditions. For the OBM, optimal parameter estimates of Q(min) (subsistence N:C ratio) and V-C(0) (maximum potential photosynthesis rate of photoautotrophs) turned out to be higher for mesocosms exposed to high CO2 compared to those with low CO2 concentrations. By contrast, a similar correlation is not observed for the CN-REcoM. A possible physiological interpretation of higher estimates of Q(min), and V-C(0) according to the OBM is that phytoplankton may experience environmental stress under more acidic conditions, and hence must invest more energy/resources for maintaining basic cellular functions. Our data assimilation reveals that the parameters of the OBM are better constrained by the data than those of the CN-REcoM. Furthermore, the OBM is better able than CN-REcoM to reproduce data that were not used for parameter optimization.

Carbon, oxygen and nitrogen dynamics in a soil profile: Model development and application

David Andrew Barry, Jordi Batlle-Aguilar, Alessandro Brovelli

In order to meet demands for crops, pasture and firewood, the rate of land use change from forested to agricultural uses steadily increased over several decades, resulting in an increased release of nutrients towards groundwater and surface water bodies. In parallel, the degradation of riparian zones has diminished their capacity to provide critical ecosystem functions, such as the ability to control and buffer nutrient cycles. In recent years, however, the key environmental importance of natural, healthy ecosystems has been progressively recognized and restoration of degraded lands towards their former natural state has become an area of active research worldwide. Land use changes and restoration practices are known to affect both soil nutrient dynamics and their transport to neighboring areas. To this end, in order to interpret field experiments and elucidate the different mechanisms taking place, numerical tools are beneficial. Microbial decomposition is the main driving force on biogeochemical transformations of soil organic matter and soil nutrients. The activity of the soil biota is primarily controlled by water availability and by the pore-solution oxygen concentrations, which ultimately depend to a large extent on meteorological conditions, e.g., precipitation. In this work a model is presented that simulates carbon and nitrogen turnover and transport in a 1D profile under variably-saturated conditions. The model is based on the mechanistic batch model of Porporato et al. (Adv. Water Res., 26: 45-58, 2003), but extends its capabilities to simulate the vertical transport of the mobile components. Furthermore, oxygen dynamics are included such that the pore-water concentration is dependent on microbial degradation rates and soil moisture level. The model was applied to simulate the effect of land use change from forested to agricultural soils on pedo-fauna activity and nutrient distribution and abundance across the vertical profile. External forcing, i.e., precipitation time series, were generated stochastically. Modeling results showed that soil tillage practices, which modify soil structure and thus soil aeration, were responsible for higher decomposition and mineralization rates in agricultural soils, thus for the lower soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations. Furthermore, higher plant uptake rates and leaching of agricultural soils contributed also to lower nitrate concentrations in such soils.

2009

Modelling carbon and nitrogen turnover in variably saturated soils

David Andrew Barry, Jordi Batlle-Aguilar, Alessandro Brovelli

Natural ecosystems provide services such as ameliorating the impacts of deleterious human activities on both surface and groundwater. For example, several studies have shown that a healthy riparian ecosystem can reduce the nutrient loading of agricultural wastewater, thus protecting the receiving surface water body. As a result, in order to develop better protection strategies and/or restore natural conditions, there is a growing interest in understanding ecosystem functioning, including feedbacks and nonlinearities. Biogeochemical transformations in soils are heavily inﬂuenced by microbial decomposition of soil organic matter. Carbon and nutrient cycles are in turn strongly sensitive to environmental conditions, and primarily to soil moisture and temperature. These two physical variables affect the reaction rates of almost all soil biogeochemical transformations, including microbial and fungal activity, nutrient uptake and release from plants, etc. Soil water saturation and temperature are not constants, but vary both in space and time, thus further complicating the picture. In order to interpret ﬁeld experiments and elucidate the different mechanisms taking place, numerical tools are beneficial. In this work we developed a 3D numerical reactive-transport model as an aid in the investigation the complex physical, chemical and biological interactions occurring in soils. The new code couples the USGS models (MODFLOW 2000–VSF, MT3DMS and PHREEQC) using an operator-splitting algorithm, and is a further development an existing reactive/density-dependent ﬂow model PHWAT. The model was tested using simplified test cases. Following verification, a process-based biogeochemical reaction network describing the turnover of carbon and nitrogen in soils was implemented. Using this tool, we investigated the coupled effect of moisture content and temperature ﬂuctuations on nitrogen and organic matter cycling in the riparian zone, in order to help understand the relative sensitivity of biological transformations to these processes.

2009

Modelling carbon and nitrogen turnover in variably saturated soils

David Andrew Barry, Jordi Batlle-Aguilar, Alessandro Brovelli

Natural ecosystems provide services such as ameliorating the impacts of deleterious human activities on both surface and groundwater. For example, several studies have shown that a healthy riparian ecosystem can reduce the nutrient loading of agricultural wastewater, thus protecting the receiving surface water body. As a result, in order to develop better protection strategies and/or restore natural conditions, there is a growing interest in understanding ecosystem functioning, including feedbacks and nonlinearities. Biogeochemical transformations in soils are heavily inﬂuenced by microbial decomposition of soil organic matter. Carbon and nutrient cycles are in turn strongly sensitive to environmental conditions, and primarily to soil moisture and temperature. These two physical variables affect the reaction rates of almost all soil biogeochemical transformations, including microbial and fungal activity, nutrient uptake and release from plants, etc. Soil water saturation and temperature are not constants, but vary both in space and time, thus further complicating the picture. In order to interpret ﬁeld experiments and elucidate the different mechanisms taking place, numerical tools are beneﬁcial. In this work we developed a 3D numerical reactive-transport model as an aid in the investigation the complex physical, chemical and biological interactions occurring in soils. The new code couples the USGS models (MODFLOW 2000–VSF, MT3DMS and PHREEQC) using an operator-splitting algorithm, and is a further development an existing reactive/density-dependent ﬂow model PHWAT. The model was tested using simplified test cases. Following verification, a process-based biogeochemical reaction network describing the turnover of carbon and nitrogen in soils was implemented. Using this tool, we investigated the coupled effect of moisture content and temperature ﬂuctuations on nitrogen and organic matter cycling in the riparian zone, in order to help understand the relative sensitivity of biological transformations to these processes.

2009

Modelling carbon and nitrogen turnover in variably saturated soils

David Andrew Barry, Jordi Batlle-Aguilar, Alessandro Brovelli

2009

Modelling carbon and nitrogen turnover in variably saturated soils

David Andrew Barry, Jordi Batlle-Aguilar, Alessandro Brovelli

Natural ecosystems provide services such as ameliorating the impacts of deleterious human activities on both surface and groundwater. For example, several studies have shown that a healthy riparian ecosystem can reduce the nutrient loading of agricultural wastewater, thus protecting the receiving surface water body. As a result, in order to develop better protection strategies and/or restore natural conditions, there is a growing interest in understanding ecosystem functioning, including feedbacks and nonlinearities. Biogeochemical transformations in soils are heavily inﬂuenced by microbial decomposition of soil organic matter. Carbon and nutrient cycles are in turn strongly sensitive to environmental conditions, and primarily to soil moisture and temperature. These two physical variables affect the reaction rates of almost all soil biogeochemical transformations, including microbial and fungal activity, nutrient uptake and release from plants, etc. Soil water saturation and temperature are not constants, but vary both in space and time, thus further complicating the picture. In order to interpret ﬁeld experiments and elucidate the different mechanisms taking place, numerical tools are beneﬁcial. In this work we developed a 3D numerical reactive-transport model as an aid in the investigation the complex physical, chemical and biological interactions occurring in soils. The new code couples the USGS models (MODFLOW 2000–VSF, MT3DMS and PHREEQC) using an operator-splitting algorithm, and is a further development an existing reactive/density-dependent ﬂow model PHWAT. The model was tested using simplified test cases. Following verification, a process-based biogeochemical reaction network describing the turnover of carbon and nitrogen in soils was implemented. Using this tool, we investigated the coupled effect of moisture content and temperature ﬂuctuations on nitrogen and organic matter cycling in the riparian zone, in order to help understand the relative sensitivity of biological transformations to these processes.

2009

Carbon, oxygen and nitrogen dynamics in a soil profile: Model development and application

David Andrew Barry, Jordi Batlle-Aguilar, Alessandro Brovelli

2009