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The ultraviolet–visible absorbance and fluorescence characterization of dissolved organic matter derived from the leaf litter of Populus simonii, Artemisia desertorum, Salix cheilophila, and Populus tomentosa

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Abstract

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from leaf litter plays an important role in maintaining carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) circulation between soils and plants, energy flow, and signaling pathways for plant-microbe interactions of terrestrial ecosystem. In this study, four DOM samples extracted with a 40:1 (v/w) water to sample ratio from the leaf litter of Populus simonii (S1), Artemisia desertorum (S2), Salix cheilophila (S3), and Populus tomentosa (S4) were investigated using the technologies of ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) and excitation–emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy. Results showed that the electricity (EC) values of four DOM extracts were significantly different due to the different composition and salt content of each plant. The values of chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and the sum of values of all peaks’ intensities divided by DOC (FI) indicated the higher contents of organic matter in the acid DOM extracts from S1, S2, and S3 (sand-fixing plants) than the neutral DOM extracted from S4. The absorbance shoulder between 250 and 285 nm in the UV–Vis spectra and EEM fluorescence spectra of each sample suggested the presence of many different chromophores such as aromatic or phenolic compounds in plant DOM. According to fluorescence regional integration (FRI) and peak picking results, the content of protein-like materials was higher than that of humic-like substances in DOM from S1, S2, and S3 while the opposite phenomena occurred in DOM from S4. Hence, the physicochemical and fluorescence characterization of DOM extracted from the genus Populus of the family Salicaceae S1 and S4 growing under different edaphic and climatic conditions changed much. The findings would be of great significance to understand the origin, composition, dynamics, and biotransformation of DOM in soils formed in different climatic environments.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41402216), the Foundation of Key Scientific Research Projects of Henan Colleges and Universities in 2019 (19A170008), the Key Laboratory of Mine Geological Hazards Mechanism and Control and Department of land and resources of Shaanxi Province Foundation (KF2018-06), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2016M602239).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454000, China

    Li Zhao, Congcong Du, Qing Zhang, Chao Sun & Shaohe Luo

  2. Collaborative Innovation Center of Coalbed Methane and Shale Gas for Central Plains Economic Region, Jiaozuo, 454000, Henan Province, China

    Li Zhao, Congcong Du, Qing Zhang, Chao Sun & Shaohe Luo

  3. Key Laboratory of Mine Geological Hazards Mechanism and Control, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Li Zhao, Congcong Du, Qing Zhang, Chao Sun & Shaohe Luo

  4. Xi’an Research Institute of China Coal Technology & Engineering group, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Shidong Wang

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  1. Li Zhao
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  2. Congcong Du
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  3. Qing Zhang
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Correspondence to Qing Zhang or Shidong Wang.

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Highlights

1. The properties of DOM from leaf litter under different climates were obviously different.

2. A linear correlation between DOC and COD was strong for the studied DOM (r2 = 0.96).

3. There was a positive relationship between the contents of acid OM and DOC.

4. The optical properties of plant DOM are related to edaphic and climatic conditions.

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Zhao, L., Du, C., Zhang, Q. et al. The ultraviolet–visible absorbance and fluorescence characterization of dissolved organic matter derived from the leaf litter of Populus simonii, Artemisia desertorum, Salix cheilophila, and Populus tomentosa. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 36439–36449 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09600-8

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