Han, Fangyuan. / Thesis submitted in: November 2007. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-72). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Title Page --- p.I / Thesis Committee --- p.II / Acknowledgements --- p.III / Abstract --- p.IV / 摘要 --- p.V / Table of Contents --- p.1 / List of Figures --- p.4 / List of Tables --- p.6 / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.7 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Fourier Transform Spectroscopy --- p.10 / Chapter A. --- The Michelson Interferometer and the Interferogram --- p.10 / Chapter B. --- The Link between the Interferogram and the Spectrum: the Fourier Transform --- p.12 / Chapter C. --- "Resolution, Apodization and Spectral Folding" --- p.13 / Chapter D. --- Advantages and Disadvantages of FTIR Spectroscopy --- p.17 / Chapter E. --- Time-resolved FTIR Spectroscopy --- p.18 / Chapter (1) --- Time-resolved Rapid Scan Scheme --- p.18 / Chapter (2) --- Step-scan Scheme --- p.19 / Chapter F. --- Several Considerations in Step-scan Time-resolved Spectroscopy / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Molecular Fluorescence --- p.24 / Chapter A. --- Transitions Between Electronic States --- p.24 / Chapter B. --- Absorption and Vibrational Relaxation --- p.26 / Chapter C. --- Internal Conversion and Fluorescence --- p.26 / Chapter D. --- Intersystem Crossing and Phosphorescence --- p.27 / Chapter E. --- Fluorescence Lifetime and Quantum Yield --- p.29 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Fourier Transform Spectroscopy of Zinc Phthalocyanine and Derivatives --- p.32 / Chapter A. --- Introduction --- p.32 / Chapter B. --- Apparatus --- p.35 / Chapter (1) --- VERTEX 70 FTIR Spectrometer --- p.35 / Chapter (2) --- Excitation Source --- p.38 / Chapter (3) --- Detectors and the Transient recorder --- p.38 / Chapter (4) --- Samples and Sample Cells --- p.39 / Chapter C. --- Experimental Setup --- p.40 / Chapter (1) --- Absorption Experiments --- p.40 / Chapter (2) --- Emission Experiments --- p.42 / Chapter D. --- Results and Discussion --- p.45 / Chapter (1) --- Absorption and Fluorescence Spectra --- p.45 / Chapter (2) --- Fluorescence Lifetimes and Quantum Yields --- p.51 / Chapter (3) --- Time-resolved Fluorescence Spectra --- p.54 / Chapter E. --- Some Experimental Details --- p.60 / Chapter (1) --- Choice of Windows for Regular Tests of the Instrument Performance --- p.60 / Chapter (2) --- Configurations of the Transient Recorder in OPUS --- p.61 / Chapter (3) --- Configurations of Detectors in OPUS --- p.61 / Chapter (4) --- The Standard Method of Extracting Time Slices --- p.62 / Chapter (5) --- Parameters that Easily Cause Problems --- p.63 / Chapter (6) --- Elimination of Background Noises --- p.64 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Concluding Remarks --- p.66 / Reference --- p.68

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a vital role in biogeochemical processes and can flux CO2 to the atmosphere when labile fractions are degraded, hence DOM degradation is increasingly studied. Some studies have suggested that fluorescence-derived substrate characteristics are useful metrics for estimating bioavailability (as prerequisite condition for biodegradability), however, recent findings on soil organic matter emphasize the importance of ecosystem scale factors such as physical separation of substrate from soil microbial communities and soil physiochemical cycles driving organic matter stability. I extend this principle to soil derived DOM and hypothesize that such environmental conditions, covariant with season, land use and landscape position, impact the composition of soil DOM and activity and abundance of the microbial community, which together govern DOM biodegradability. As a result, DOM bioavailability may not reliably be predicted using substrate characteristics alone. To test these hypotheses, I assessed aqueous soil extracts for water extractable organic carbon (WEOC) content, biodegradability, microbial biomass and fluorescence spectroscopy on water extractable organic matter (WEOM) across a range of environmental conditions in northern Vermont, USA. My results indicate that changes in environmental conditions affect composition, quantity, and biodegradability of DOM. WEOC concentrations were highest in the fall and lowest in the summer, while no significant differences were found between land covers or landscape position, however, DOM biodegradability was significantly higher in the agricultural (AG) site across seasons. Despite a shift in utilized substrate from less aromatic DOM in summer to more aromatic DOM in winter, biodegradability was similar for all seasons. The only exception were cold temperature incubations where microbial activity was depressed, and processing was halted. These results indicate that bioavailability cannot be reliably predicted based on fluorescence-based metric alone, rather, my core findings illustrate a complex picture of how environmental conditions, landscape characteristics, and substrate composition interact to drive the biodegradability of labile carbon pools in the soil environment. This thesis includes i) a background and comprehensive review of literature to inform the reader of any relevant topics, ii) a paper submitted for publication to Biogeochemistry (Chapter 2), and iii) supplemental information containing figures and tables pertinent to the paper.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-126). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-113). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-120). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2008. / "Graduate Program in Chemistry and Chemical Biology." Includes bibliographical references (p. 133-142).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-120). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-113). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-126). Also available on the Internet.