Experimental and multivariate analysis of biogeochemical indicators of change in wetland ecosystems

244 Pages·2003·8.9 MB·English

by  Corstanje, Ronald

EXPERIMENTALANDMULTIVARIATEANALYSISOFBIOGEOCHEMICAL
INDICATORSOFCHANGEINWETLANDECOSYSTEMS
By
RONALDCORSTANJE
ADISSERTATIONPRESENTEDTOTHEGRADUATESCHOOL
OFTHEUNIVERSITYOFFLORIDAINPARTIALFULFILLMENT
OFTHEREQUIREMENTSFORTHEDEGREEOF
DOCTOROFPHILOSOPHY
UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA
2003
Dedication:
Voormijnouders,
Wantditistochzowelvanhenalsvanmij
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
charminIgwoaunlddwfiitrshtouatndhefrorIecmouolsdtn’ltikehatvheanpkulElreidntBhoisstoicnebeocutauosfemsyhehatis(ssmhea’rltl,sbmeaauctkifumle,
whenshereadsthis).
Tomyparents,towhomI’vededicatedthisworkandwhohavehadtospendmanya
nightdisagreeingwithmyschoolteachersaboutmyabilities.Tomyoldheadmaster,Mr.
Giles,whowouldnevergiveup.
ToDrReddy:
ThejournalNatureiscurrentlycarryingaseriesinwhichitsubmitsaseriesofquestions
toavarietyofscientists.Oneofthequestionsinvariablyinthisquestionnaireis:
Whatmakesagoodscientificmentor?
TowhichSimonConwayMorris(DeptofEarthSciences,UniversityofCambridge)
answered:
Onewhoremindsyouthatpatienceandaneyelikeaneaglearenobadthings;thatthe
successofothersisamatterofrejoicing:andwhogivesspaceonthesamerunway
(Nature,vol421,p319,2003)
OfthemultipleanswersI’vereadovermultipleseminars,thisparticularonestruckmeas
embodyingtherelationshipIhavehadwithDrReddyoverturbulentandexhilarating
yearsthatencompassaPhD.
ToDrPortier,thereisalwaysaTrippelattheendoftheday,withnoassociated
confidenceintervals.Hisadeptguidancehasmadethischimera(enviro-informatics)a
distinctpossibility.
Andtomycommittee;DrKeenan,DrOgram,DrKoopmanandDrRao;agroupthathas
hadtoweathermanychanges.
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RiverManagementDistrict,theEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyandtheNational
ScienceFoundation.
Workinprogressandyetembeddedineverychapteristheresultofmanyalongnight
spentinconversation. MarkandJoeandhoweverwaswillingtolendusaninebriated
braincell,thankyou.
Forasharedadventureinanewlandandmanyafondmemory,Sara.
iii
Thefinaloutletofallmyfrustration,angerandothernegativeenergieshappenedtobea
tennisball. I’dliketothankJohnforsendingthembacktomeeverytimewithasnippet
ofwisdomfromsomeonewho’sbeenthere,donethat.
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Xiao,Heather,less,andAlan,andtherestofthegang.
Lastbutnotleast,I’dlikethankallthepeoplewhoputupwithmeforfiveyearsthrough
allthetrialsandtribulations. Thankyoufornotchokingme.
IV
1
TABLEOFCONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
iii
LISTOFTABLES viii
LISTOFFIGURES xi
ABSTRACT xv
CHAPTER
1 INTRODUCTION 1
ProblemStatement 2
TheoreticalBackground 3
FunctionalDiversity 8
ChangesinBacterialCommunityResponseDuetoExternalStresses 9
EnzymaticReduction 1
TerminalCarbonMineralization 13
TemporalVariability 15
IntegrationandEvaluationoftheBiogeochemicalMeasures 16
ResearchRationale 18
HypothesisandObjectives 19
DissertationOutline 20
2 MICROBIALINDICATORSOFNUTRIENTENRICHMENT:AMESOCOSM
STUDY 23
Introduction 23
MaterialsandMethods 25
Mesocosmdesign 25
SoilSamplingandAnalysis 26
DataAnalysis 30
Results 31
BiogeochemicalDynamicsinOrganic(peat)versusMineral(sand)
Substrates 31
ResponseofBiogeochemicalMeasurestoExternalNutrientLoading 34
Discussion 41
V
21
3 TYPHALATIFOLIAANDCLADIUMJAMAICENSELITTERDECAYIN
RESPONSETOEXOGENOUSNUTRIENTENRICHMENT 53
Introduction 53
MaterialsandMethods 55
DataAnalysis 57
ResultandDiscussion 58
MesocosmConditions 58
WeightlossKinetics 60
ExtracellularEnzymeActivitiesAssociatedwithLitterDegradation 74
ResponseofMicrobialAssemblagestoLitterSource,Environmental
Conditions 77
SummaryandConclusions 83
4 SEASONALVARIABILITYINMICROBIALCOMMUNITIESAND
ASSOCIATEDPHYSIOLOGICALRESPONSEMEASURESINA
SUBTROPICALWETLAND 86
Introduction 86
MaterialsandMethods 87
SiteDescription 87
SamplingProtocol 89
AnalyticalMethods 91
DataAnalysis 92
Results 93
Discussion 101
TemporalPatterns 104
OrganicMatterMineralizationDynamics 105
Conclusions 107
5 RESPONSEOFBIOGEOCHEMICALINDICATORSTOADRAWDOWNAND
SUBSEQUENTREFLOOD 109
Introduction 109
MaterialsandMethods Ill
SiteDescription&SamplingProtocol 11
IncubationandWaterColumnAnalysis 11
AnalyticalMethods 114
CalculationofNutrientFlux 115
DataAnalysis 116
Results 116
PhysicochemicalPropertiesofSoils 116
NutrientFluxandDynamics 119
MicrobialCommunityResponsetoFloodedSoils 121
DiscussionandConclusions 129
VI
6 SOILMICROBIALECO-PHYSIOLOGICALRESPONSETONUTRIENT
ENRICHMENT 134
Introduction 134
MaterialsandMethods 136
AnalyticalMethods 139
DataAnalysis 141
ResultsandDiscussion 141
ExtracellularEnzymaticActivities(EEA)asaFingerprintoftheMicrobial
CommunityResponses 143
MicrobiallyMediatedNutrientTurnoverRatesandBiomassPatterns 149
ElementalCyclingandMicrobialResponsesMeasures,whatdotheytellus
aboutWCA-2a? 156
7 USINGMULTIVARIATETECHNIQUESTODETERMINETHEMOST
SENSITIVEBIOGEOCHEMICALINDICATOROFNUTRIENTENRICHMENT,...158
Introduction 158
DescriptionofDatabase 162
LMuelvteilvaIrainatdeIIMeIntdhiocdatsors 116664
ResultsandDiscussion 169
ChangesintheBiogeochemicalMeasuresoverDepth 169
MultivariateSelectionofthemostSensitiveIndicatorofNutrient
Enrichment 175
CrossValidationofAnalyticalResults 187
Conclusions 192
8 SYNTHESIS 196
Introduction 196
Thecentralhypothesis 197
LISTOFREFERENCES 203
BIOGRAPHICALSKETCH 226
vii
LISTOFTABLES
Table page
2-1: Mesocosmdesignparameters 27
2-2: Samplingeventsandassociatedcumulativenutrientloads 28
2-3: Soilphysico-chemicalcharacterizationacrossallthreemesocosm
mesocosmsatterminationoftheexperiment 36
22--4: Tdoetaplthnutrientcontentofthelitterandsoilspresentinthemesocosmsby 36
23--5: Formsofphosphoruspresentinthemesocosmsbydepth 37
2-6: Formsinnitrogenpresentinthemesocosmsbydepth 37
2-7: Totalphosphorusandnitrogenbymassintheenrichedandcontrol
mesocosms 42
3-8: Fmoersmoscoofspmhsosapthtohreutseramnidnantiitornogoefnthpereesxepnetriinmetnhtealenpreircihoeddandcontrol 42
4-1: Soilphysico-chemicalcharacterizationacrossallthreemesocosmmesocoms
attheterminationoftheexperiment 60
3-2: Initialphysico-chemicallittercharacteristics 60
3-3: Decompositionmodelsappliedinthisstudy 64
3-4: Kineticanalysisofmassdecomposition 64
3-5: Firstorderdecayrates(negativeexponential)forT.latifoliaandC.
jamaicenselitter 68
6: ChangesintherelativeproportionalchangesofC:P,C:N,andN:PofT.
latifoliaandC.jamaicenselitterdecayundersubmergedconditions 70
1:Geographiccoordinatesofthesamplingstationsintheimpacted(NE)and
unimpacted(NW)sites 90
4-2 Selectedphysicalparametersofsoilsamples 94
4-3:NitrogenandCarboncontent(expressedonadryweightbasis)forselected
soilsamples 95
4-4:Resultsoftherepeatedmeasuresanalysisforthemicrobialbiomasscarbon
(MBC)contentandassociatedanaerobicmicrobialmetabolicactivitiesforthe
twositesinBCMCA 99
viii
4-5:Resultsoftherepeatedmeasuresanalysisfortheextracellularenzyme
activitiesof(3-glucosidaseandacidphosphataseforthetwositesinBCM 101
4-
4-6:Currentandhistoricalsoilmeantotalphosphoruslevelsinthenortheast
5- section(impacted)andthenorthwest(unimpacted)areaofthemarsh 102
5-7:First,secondandthirdorderorthogonalpolynomials(linear,quadraticand
cubicfits)foreachsite 105
6-
1: SCeolnescetrevdatphiyosniAcroechaemicalpropertiesofsoilsfromBlueCypressMarsh 117
2: SelectedphysiochemicalcharacteristicsofthewatersampledatNEandNW
inBCMCAusedasrefloodwater 120
1:Geographiccoordinatesofthesamplingstations 138
6-2: Selectedphysiochemicalpropertiesofthesoilscollectedintheimpacted(FI),
intermediate(F4)andunimpacted(U3)areasinWaterConservationArea2a
(WCA-2A) 142
6-3:Comparisonofoverallenzymeactivitiesintheimpactedandintermediatesite
6- versusthereferencesitebymeta-analysis 145
76--4: MtihcerotbhiraeleAelvloecragtliaodnesofsRiteessourcesamongCommunityIndicatorEnzymesover 148
6-5: Measuresofmicrobialbiomass 150
6-6: PotentialphosphorusmineralizationoverWCA-2aasafunctionoftotal
phosphorus(CumulativepotentialPturnoverrates)andasafunctionof
microbialbiomassP(PMPquotient) 151
6-7: PotentialnitrogenmineralizationoverWCA-2aasafunctionoftotalnitrogen
(CumulativepotentialNturnoverrates)andasafunctionofmicrobial
biomassN(PMNquotient) 152
8: Formsofsoilcarboninsoilscollectedintheimpacted(FI),intermediate(F4)
andunimpacted(U3)areasinWaterConservationArea2a(WCA-2A) 154
1:Descriptionofthesoilgeochemicalparametersusedinthedataanalysis
(LevelIindicators) 165
7-2:DescriptionoftheSoilMicrobialecophysiologicalresponsevariablesusedin
thedataanalysis(LevelIIindicators) 165
7-3: Summarystatisticsofthesoilgeochemicalparametersusedinthedata
analysis(levelIindicators) 168
7-4: Summarystatisticsofthesoilmicrobialecophysiologicalresponsevariables
usedinthedataanalysis(levelIIindicators) 169
IX
7-5; Principalvariablesselectedindiscriminatingbetweenthesurface(0-10cm)
anddeep(10-20cm)soilchemicalcharacteristics 171
7-6: Principalvariablesselectedindiscriminatingbetweenthesurface(0-10cm)
anddeep(10-20cm)soilmicrobiologicalcharacteristics 171
7-7: PCrliunscitpearl3vaforriatbhleessusreflaeccetesdtriantadiscriminatingbetweenCluster1,Cluster2and 178
7-8: PsruirncfiapcaelsvtarraitaablesselectedindiscriminatingbetweenFI,F4andU3forthe 179
7-9: PsruinbcsiupraflavcaerisatbrlateasselectedindiscriminatingbetweenFI,F4andU3forthe 182
7-10: PrincipalvariablesselectedindiscriminatingbetweenCluster1,Cluster2
andCluster3forthesurfacestrata 183
7-11:sPurrifnaccipealstvraatraiablesselectedindiscriminatingbetweenFI,F4andU3forthe 183
7-12:aPnrdincCilpuasltevrar3iafbolretshesesluercftaecdeisntdriastacr(i0m-i1n0atcimng)breeftlweecteinngCjlaucsktkenrif1e,Cclruosstser2
validationofthestepwisediscriminationemployingchemicalcharacteristics 188
7-13:aPnrdincCilpuasltevrar3iafbolretshesesluercftaecdeisntdriastacr(i0m-i1n0atcimng)breeftlweecteinngCjlaucsktkenrif1e,Cclruosstser2
validationofthestepwisediscriminationemployingmicrobiological
characteristics 190
X