Investigation of life’s limitations on Earth provides the necessary information to constrain where life outside of Earth may be proliferating or previously existed. This Master’s thesis applied phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis in combination with organic carbon and 16S rRNA gene data to assess and characterize microbial communities through both microcosms and in situ samples of bentonite clay, which is an intended barrier component for the long-term storage of high-grade nuclear waste. Microcosm experiments were set up to test the impact of water activity in as-received, uncompacted bentonite clays using a high (0.99) and low (0.93) water activity over a one month period. Under aerobic incubation water activities of 0.93 and 0.99 had no resolvable effect between water activity levels on the growth of cells of indigenous communities of microbes in as-received uncompacted bentonite. Growth was detected under both water activities by a significant increase in total PLFA abundance. The increase in PLFA over the period of the study suggested an approximate increase in cells from 4x10^6 to 2x10^7 E.coli equivalent cells/g. The distribution of the PLFA and genetics data suggests the community is composed predominantly of gram-positive aerobic heterotrophs with lesser amounts of anaerobic bacteria and eukaryotes potentially in the form of fungi. Similar cell abundances and community structures were identified in the Tsukinuno Mine bentonite DGR analogue site which is a ~12 to 16 Ma deposit approximately 200 m below the surface. Total PLFA recovered from the core subsamples ranged from 32 pmol PLFA/g to 431 pmol PLFA/g, which corresponds to a range from 7.5x10^5 to 1.2x10^7 E.coli equivalent cells/g, across all cores. The community was composed of both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria consisting of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as possible sulfate-reducing bacteria and eukaryotes. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Carbon (C) biogeochemical cycling studies in northern peatlands, in particular the production, consumption, storage and emission of C gases (CO2 and CH4) over space and time between different peatland landforms can help in understanding their current and future role in the global C cycle. In some peatlands, a distinct surface patterning of vegetation, interspersed with open water pools, controls the spatial and temporal variability in CO 2 and CH4 exchange to atmosphere. These open water pools initially develop from shallow, flooded hollows to deeper water bodies and at some point reach a limit in their depth. Observations link pool size to age and spatial location on the peatland surface and over time the proportional cover of pools increases, playing an important role in the long-term peatland C balance. / The processes responsible for the production of CO2 and CH 4 in pools remain unexplored. In particular, the contribution of pools to the peatland C balance over the timeframe of the development of a pool complex is not explained and pools are not incorporated into current peatland models. A field study was carried out to examine the exchange of CO2 and CH4 from pools to atmosphere and to explore the spatial and temporal dynamics in CO2, CH4 and DOC storage in pools of different size and spatial location. This was undertaken to improve the understanding of the processes responsible for the generation of CO 2 and CH4 over the timescale of pool development. The empirical study was carried out during spring, summer and fall over two years in an ombrotrophic, raised bog, Quebec, Canada. A modelling component was carried out to examine the contribution of pools to the long-term peatland C balance. / Measurements of dissolved concentrations and emissions of CO2 and CH4 from pool surfaces to atmosphere were different among pools of different sizes and spatial location. Shallow pools had consistently higher emissions of both CO2 and CH4 and higher water column dissolved CO2 and DOC concentrations. Deeper pools had greater concentrations of sediment CH4. Dissolved organic carbon in pools was allochthonous, with a greater concentrations and proportion from higher plant materials in shallow pools, likely contributing to the observed water column CO2 concentrations and greater CO2 emissions. / All pools were supersaturated with dissolved CO2 and CH 4 at the time of sampling, with shallow pools up to eight times atmospheric equilibrium concentrations for CO2 and concentrations were up to one hundred times greater than CH4, comparable to findings in other global freshwater systems. Results suggest that greater decomposition is occurring in shallow pools due to warmer water and basal sediment temperatures and increased light penetration and dissolved oxygen (00) and that greater CH4 production and oxidation accounts for some of the differences reaching a limit at 0.7 m deep. Even though this range of pools are not as deep as pools found on other northern peatlands, the results provide evidence for the potential processes responsible for the generation of CO2 and CH4 emissions to atmosphere and demonstrate that pools have a significant role in the short and long-term peatland C balance. Modelling the hypothesised processes responsible for the generation of CO2 and CH4 shows that if sediment decomposition is the major source of these gases then the dynamical link between pool sediments, C gas production and pool growth has been demonstrated. Ultimately their role as source or sink is largely determined by their size (depth), the proportional cover on the landscape and their rates of C storage in sediments versus rates of C uptake and exchange.

Accurate estimation of Net Primary Productivity (NPP), which is a key component of the terrestrial carbon cycle, is very important in studies of global climate. Ecosystem models have been used for NPP estimates. Determining how much each source of uncertainty contributes to modeled NPP is veiy important before ecosystem models can be used with confidence over larger areas and time periods. This research has systematically evaluated the boreal ecosystem productivity simulator (BEPS) carbon model in mountainous terrain, Kananaskis, Alberta. After parameterization of the model, sensitivity analysis was conducted as a controlled series of experiments involving sensitivity simulations with BEPS by changing a model input value in separate model runs. The results showed that NPP was sensitive to most model inputs measured in the study area, but that the most important input variables for BEPS were LAI and forest species. In addition, the NPP uncertainty resulting from topographic influence was approximately 3.5 %, which is equivalent to 140 kg C ha"1 yr"1. This suggested that topographic correction for the model inputs was also important for accurate NPP estimation. Using the topographically corrected data, the carbon dynamics were simulated, and average annual NPP production by forests in Kananaskis was estimated at 4.01 T ha"1 in 2003. / xix, 117 leaves : col. ill. ; 29 cm.

Nutrient dynamics in a lodgepole pine forest at Bootleg Mountain, B.C., were investigated through the sampling of soil, snow and groundwater in six one-ha blocks. Nitrogen (NO3-, NH4+, TIN, TDN, TN), phosphorus (PO43-, TDP, TP), and DOC were analyzed in addition to N mineralization and nitrification. Position and dispersion statistics were computed for each variable and correlations (Pearson and Spearman) were computed for each pair of variables. The overall heterogeneities of soil, snow, and groundwater were generally lower between 1-ha blocks than between plots. Productivity in the soil was generally N-limited with low input from snow precipitation. Very little N leached from soil to groundwater. Phosphorus contents were highly variable and were the limiting nutrient in the groundwater. Rates of net and gross N mineralization and nitrification were determined using buried bags and 15N isotope dilutions. Gross rates were greater than net rates and nitrification was low relative to high immobilization rates. The N cycle appears to be tightly regulated, thus further study will be needed to monitor the impact of harvesting on N cycling.

Climate change is one of the largest problems facing this generation. Anthropogenically caused increases of greenhouse gas emissions is a significant culprit to this problem. Although the obvious problems such as cars, industry, and urbanism garnish a significant amount of the criticism, natural sources such as wetlands are also beginning to contribute to this issue. This is becoming increasingly significant as wetlands shift from being sinks of greenhouse gases to becoming sources as various anthropogenic impacts, including global warming itself, begin to affect the health of the wetlands. The aim of this project is to look at four common types of wetlands, being tropical mangroves, temperate coastal marshes, inland meadows, and subarctic peatlands, all located in different climactic areas of the world, and by doing a meta-analysis of available data of greenhouse gas production for each wetland type, observe how differences in their greenhouse gas production may contribute or be affected by climate change and global warming. Results of the meta-analysis revealed that the most significant production of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide occurs in coastal wetlands such as tropical mangroves and coastal marshes, while the greenhouse gas methane is seen to be produced most in subarctic peatlands. These contributions of wetlands to global greenhouse gas production are not as significant as other anthropogenic contributions. However, subarctic wetlands contribute to more than half of the global methane emissions, and the most important aspect of wetland greenhouse gas production is that they are producing more greenhouse gases than they would normally be sequestering, contributing more than the basic greenhouse gas production data can display. Global climate changes such as temperature increase and sea level rise could also make these levels of greenhouse gas production become worse, although measures to decrease the effects of this such as regulations on anthropogenic nitrogen input, macrophyte presence, and prevention of peat burning.

Nutrient dynamics in a lodgepole pine forest at Bootleg Mountain, B.C., were investigated through the sampling of soil, snow and groundwater in six one-ha blocks. Nitrogen (NO3-, NH4+, TIN, TDN, TN), phosphorus (PO43-, TDP, TP), and DOC were analyzed in addition to N mineralization and nitrification. Position and dispersion statistics were computed for each variable and correlations (Pearson and Spearman) were computed for each pair of variables. The overall heterogeneities of soil, snow, and groundwater were generally lower between 1-ha blocks than between plots. Productivity in the soil was generally N-limited with low input from snow precipitation. Very little N leached from soil to groundwater. Phosphorus contents were highly variable and were the limiting nutrient in the groundwater. Rates of net and gross N mineralization and nitrification were determined using buried bags and 15N isotope dilutions. Gross rates were greater than net rates and nitrification was low relative to high immobilization rates. The N cycle appears to be tightly regulated, thus further study will be needed to monitor the impact of harvesting on N cycling.

We investigate the silicon (Si) cycle in the Southern Ocean through two isotopic approaches: (1) 30Si-incubation experiments and (2) natural silicon isotopic composition (ä30Si). 30Si-spiked incubation allows to discriminate the short-term (~ 1 day) net Si-uptake flux in bSiO2 production and dissolution. ä30Si of both biogenic silica and dissolved silicon integrates at seasonal/annual scale bSiO2 production or dissolution and mixing.<p>(1) A new mass spectrometer method (HR-SF-ICPMS) has been developed for 30Si-isotopic abundance measurements. This methodology is faster and easier than the previous available methodologies and has the same precision. A complete set of incubation was coupled with parallel 32Si-incubations and the two methodologies give not significantly different bSiO2 production rates. In the Southern Ocean, especially in the southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the large silicic acid concentration degrades the sensitivity of the method with Si dissolution fluxes staying generally below the detection limit. In contrast, the 28Si-isotopic dilution was sensitive enough to assess low biogenic silica dissolution rates in silicic acid poor waters of the northern ACC. We show that large accumulation of detrital dissolving biogenic silica after productive period implies really efficient silicon loop with integrated (euphotic layer) dissolution:production ratio equal or larger than 1.<p> (2) We largely expand the silicic acid isotopic data in the open ocean. Relatively simple mass and isotopic balances have been performed in the Antarctic Zone and have allowed to apply for the first time ä30Si in a quantitative way to estimate regional net silica production and quantify source waters fueling bSiO2 productivity. We observe that at the end of the productive period as suggested with 30Si-incubation, large accumulation of detrital biogenic silica in the surface waters increase the D:P ratio and subsequently dampens the bSiO2 production mediated isotopic fractionation with residual biogenic silica carrying heavier ä30Si than expected. Seasonal isotopic evolution is simulated and seems in agreement with our observations. These simulations strongly suggest working with non-zero order equations to fully assess the seasonal expression of the different processes involved: mixing, uptake, dissolution. Si-isotopes are also tracking the origin and fates of the different ACC pools across the Southern Ocean meridional circulation. Moreover during the circumpolar eastward pathway, the bSiO2 dissolution in deep water decreases the corresponding ä30Si values and this imprint is further transmitted via the upper limb of the meridional circulation in the intermediate water masses.<p> / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

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