Browsing by Author "Morrison, RJ"

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    Matrix-bound phosphine in sediments from Lake Illawarra, New South Wales, Australia
    (Elsevier, 2011-08) Song, XX; Morrison, RJ; Feng, ZH; Liu, DY; Harrison, JJ; Yu, ZM
    Matrix-bound phosphine (MBP) has been measured in sediment from two cores in Lake Illawarra on the south east coast of Australia. The sediments were also dated in the upper layers. MBP concentrations found range from 142 to 1813 ng kg−1, dw (dry weight of sediment) with some values being amongst the highest ever measured. Values of MBP in deeper sediments were higher than for near surface samples, but the patterns with depth were not consistent. Strong correlations were noted between MBP and organic phosphorus (OP, r > 0.8) and with total phosphorus (TP, r > 0.7), but only moderate correlations were found with organic carbon (OC, r > 0.5). No correlations were found between MBP concentrations and the age of the sediments. It was confirmed that high MBP concentrations are indicative of a phosphorus rich environment. The results tend to support the premise that MBP is generated by microbial attack on OP under anaerobic conditions. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.
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    Vegetation persistence and carbon storage: implications for environmental water management for Phragmites australis
    (American Geophysical Union, 2015-07-14) Whitaker, K; Rogers, K; Saintilan, N; Mazumder, D; Wen, L; Morrison, RJ
    Environmental water allocations are used to improve the ecological health of wetlands. There is now increasing demand for allocations to improve ecosystem productivity and respiration, and enhance carbon sequestration. Despite global recognition of wetlands as carbon sinks, information regarding carbon dynamics is lacking. This is the first study estimating carbon sequestration for semiarid Phragmites australis reedbeds. The study combined aboveground biomass assessments with stable isotope analyses of soils and modeling of biomass using Normalized Digital Vegetation Index (NDVI) to investigate the capacity of environmental water allocations to improve carbon storage. The study considered relationships between soil organic carbon (SOC), carbon sources, and reedbed persistence in the Macquarie Marshes, a regulated semiarid floodplain of the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia. SOC storage levels to 1 m soil depth were higher in persistent reedbeds (167 Mg ha−1) than ephemeral reedbeds (116–138 Mg ha−1). In situ P. australis was the predominant source of surface SOC at persistent reedbeds; mixed sources of surface SOC were proposed for ephemeral reedbeds. 13C enrichment with increasing soil depth occurred in persistent and ephemeral reedbeds and may not relate to flow characteristics. Despite high SOC at persistent reedbeds, differences in the rate of accretion contributed to significantly higher rates of carbon sequestration at ephemeral reedbeds (approximately 554 and 465 g m−2 yr−1) compared to persistent reedbeds (5.17 g m−2 yr−1). However, under current water regimes, rapid accretion at ephemeral reedbeds cannot be maintained. Effective management of persistent P. australis reedbeds may enhance carbon sequestration in the Macquarie Marshes and floodplain wetlands more generally. © 2015 American Geophysical Union