We developed a method to quantify alginate, a polysaccharide unique to brown algae, in marine sediments. This provides direct evidence of brown algal carbon sequestered in ocean sediments. Applying this method to sediments collected from coastal waters around Hokkaido, Japan, we detected different amounts of alginate at each site. These findings highlight the role of coastal macroalgae in long-term carbon storage and contribute to understanding macroalgal blue carbon processes.

This study tests nine eddy covariance methods for separating transpiration and evaporation within evapotranspiration (ET) in moss-covered wetlands. While no method was fully accurate, comparisons with field measurements show many still provide useful insights. High-frequency methods were most consistent, and using multiple approaches improves confidence in the estimates. The results highlight limitations under evaporation-dominated conditions and the need to consider moss effects in ET modeling.

We developed a new way to evaluate how well remote sensing-based methods estimate water quality. Instead of relying on many separate indicators, which can give conflicting results, we created a single score that combines them into one objective measure. This approach makes it easier to compare methods across different conditions and helps researchers and managers choose the best tools for understanding and monitoring our aquatic environments.

Arable soils emit or absorb greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane. This study compared two gas analysis techniques for determining greenhouse gas fluxes under field conditions using the closed chamber method. Fluxes were measured simultaneously using the widely applied gas chromatography (GC) and the emerging mid-infrared laser absorption spectroscopy (LAS) technique. Our results showed that LAS is a reliable alternative to GC, particularly for low flux rates.

This study explores how oxygen moves through tiny pores in leaves, especially when water vapor is also flowing out. We show that under common conditions, oxygen can move from the leaf to the air even when its concentration is higher outside – a surprising effect. Our findings help explain oxygen exchange in still air and support better models of plant–atmosphere interactions.