scholarly journals Differentiation in Aquatic Metabolism between Littoral Habitats with Floating-Leaved and Submerged Macrophyte Growth Forms in a Shallow Eutrophic Lake

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Stefanidis ◽  
Elias Dimitriou

The metabolic balance between gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (R) is known to display large spatial and temporal variations within shallow lakes. Thus, although estimation of aquatic metabolism using free-water measurements of dissolved oxygen concentration has become increasingly common, the explanation of the variance in the metabolic regime remains an extremely difficult task. In this study, rates of GPP, respiration (R) and the metabolic balance (net ecosystem production, NEP) were estimated in four littoral habitats with different macrophyte growth forms (floating-leaved vs submerged) over a 28-month period in lake of Kastoria (Greece), a shallow eutrophic lake. Our results showed that net heterotrophy prevailed over the studied period, suggesting that allochthonous organics fuel respiration processes in the littoral. Temporal variation in the metabolic rates was driven mainly by the seasonal variation in irradiance and water temperature, with the peak of metabolic activity occurring in summer and early autumn. Most importantly, significant spatial variation among the four habitats was observed and associated with the different macrophyte growth forms that occurred in the sites. The results highlight the importance of habitat specific characteristics for the assessment of metabolic balance and underline the potentially high contribution of littoral habitats to the whole lake metabolism.

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 1130-1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
George H Lauster ◽  
Paul C Hanson ◽  
Timothy K Kratz

Net ecosystem production (NEP) trends among lakes have been ascribed to differences in nutrient and allochthonous carbon inputs, but little is known on how different habitats within lakes contribute to these trends. We sampled pelagic and littoral surface waters using sonde (i.e., free-water) and bottle methods concurrently in lakes spanning a range of trophic conditions. We considered whether the typically higher metabolism estimates found with sonde methods are due to contributions from littoral habitats not reflected by bottle estimates. We sought the source of littoral contributions by selecting sites with maximum differences in macrophyte abundance. Sonde estimates for pelagic primary production and respiration were two–three times greater than bottle estimates. Sonde/bottle ratios were higher in productive lakes and lakes with more littoral area. Bottle estimates were similar among all sites, and sonde estimates in macrophyte-poor sites were similar to pelagic sondes. However, sonde estimates in macrophyte-rich areas were four–nine times greater than bottle estimates. Results suggest littoral zones increase whole-lake NEP in eutrophic systems, whereas the Sphagnum mat surrounding dystrophic lakes decreases NEP. Non-planktonic organisms associated with macrophytes provide important littoral contributions to whole-lake metabolism and to understanding NEP trends among lakes.


Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Alfonso ◽  
Andrea Brendel ◽  
Alejandro Vitale ◽  
Carina Seitz ◽  
María Piccolo ◽  
...  

Understanding the drivers and how they affect ecosystem metabolism is essential for developing effective management policy and plans. In this study, net ecosystem production (NEP), ecosystem respiration (R), and gross primary production (GPP) rates were estimated in relation to physicochemical, hydrological, and meteorological variables in La Salada (LS) and Sauce Grande (SG), two shallow lakes located in an important agricultural region with water management. LS is a mesosaline, mesotrophic-eutrophic lake, whereas SG is a hyposaline and eutrophic lake. GPP and R showed daily and seasonal variations, with R exceeding GPP during most of the study period in both lakes. Net heterotrophic conditions prevailed during the study period (NEP LS: −1.1 mmol O2 m−2 day−1 and NEP SG: −1.25 mmol O2 m−2 day−1). From data analysis, the temperature, wind speed, and lake volume are the main drivers of ecosystem metabolism for both lakes. Despite the significant differences between the two lakes, the NEP values were similar. The different hydrological characteristics (endorheic vs. flushing lake) were crucial in explaining why the two different systems presented similar ecosystem metabolic rates, emphasizing the importance of water management.


2007 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 250 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Fellows ◽  
M. L. Wos ◽  
P. C. Pollard ◽  
S. E. Bunn

Little is known about ecosystem processes in dryland rivers, despite the global distribution of these systems. Those in Australia are characterised by long periods of no flow in which they persist for many months as series of isolated, often turbid, waterholes. We assessed benthic and pelagic primary production, respiration, and bacterial production in one of these waterholes to determine the metabolic balance of the waterhole and resolve the relative importance of autochthonous and allochthonous sources of organic carbon. Despite a photic zone depth of only 0.25 m, three lines of evidence suggested that autochthonous sources of organic carbon were important for fuelling bacterial production under no-flow conditions: the metabolic balance of the waterhole was not indicative of large allochthonous inputs; rates of gross primary production were great enough to meet a substantial fraction of estimated bacterial carbon demand; and pathways for allochthonous carbon to enter the waterhole were limited. These results suggest that models of lake metabolism based on temperate ecosystems can be expanded to include dryland river waterholes, which group with eutrophic lakes owing to their high levels of inorganic nutrients, low allochthonous inputs and autotrophic metabolic balance.


2011 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 768-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeng-Wei Tsai ◽  
Timothy K. Kratz ◽  
Paul C. Hanson ◽  
Nobuaki Kimura ◽  
Wen-Cheng Liu ◽  
...  

We studied how typhoon strength affects the daily dynamics of ecosystem metabolism of a subtropical alpine lake in Taiwan. We identified proximal agents of typhoon disturbance and assessed the resistance (the extent of change induced by a disturbance) and resilience (the rate of recovery after a disturbance) of lake metabolism to them. Gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (ER), and net ecosystem production were estimated from high-frequency dissolved oxygen data provided by an instrumented buoy. Typhoons resulted in significantly lower GPP (3%–81% decrease), and higher ER (7%–828% increase) compared with immediately before the events, and thus the lake became more heterotrophic (28%–852% increase in heterotrophy). The resistance and resilience of lake metabolism depended on the intensity of the typhoon. Smaller typhoons (with average daily accumulated precipitation (ADAP) < 200 mm·day–1) had greater effects on lake metabolism than medium (ADAP = 200–350 mm·day–1) and large (ADAP > 350 mm·day–1) typhoons. However, metabolism also recovered more quickly after smaller typhoons than after medium or larger typhoons. Typhoon effects on ecosystem metabolism is likely mediated by the magnitude and duration of typhoon-induced changes in lake mixing, the quantity and quality of dissolved organic carbon, and the biomass of primary producers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 263-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana López-Ballesteros ◽  
Cecilio Oyonarte ◽  
Andrew S. Kowalski ◽  
Penélope Serrano-Ortiz ◽  
Enrique P. Sánchez-Cañete ◽  
...  

Abstract. Currently, drylands occupy more than one-third of the global terrestrial surface and are recognized as areas vulnerable to land degradation. The concept of land degradation stems from the loss of an ecosystem's biological productivity due to long-term loss of natural vegetation or depletion of soil nutrients. Drylands' key role in the global carbon (C) balance has been recently demonstrated, but the effects of land degradation on C sequestration by these ecosystems still need to be investigated. In the present study, we compared net C and water vapor fluxes, together with satellite, meteorological and vadose zone (CO2, water content and temperature) measurements, between two nearby (∼ 23 km) experimental sites representing “natural” (i.e., site of reference) and “degraded” grazed semiarid grasslands. We utilized data acquired over 6 years from two eddy covariance stations located in southeastern Spain with highly variable precipitation magnitude and distribution. Results show a striking difference in the annual C balances with an average net CO2 exchange of 196 ± 40 (C release) and −23 ± 2 g C m−2 yr−1 (C fixation) for the degraded and natural sites, respectively. At the seasonal scale, differing patterns in net CO2 fluxes were detected over both growing and dry seasons. As expected, during the growing seasons, greater net C uptake over longer periods was observed at the natural site. However, a much greater net C release, probably derived from subterranean ventilation, was measured at the degraded site during drought periods. After subtracting the nonbiological CO2 flux from net CO2 exchange, flux partitioning results point out that, during the 6 years of study, gross primary production, ecosystem respiration and water use efficiency were, on average, 9, 2 and 10 times higher, respectively, at the natural site versus the degraded site. We also tested differences in all monitored meteorological and soil variables and CO2 at 1.50 m belowground was the variable showing the greatest intersite difference, with ∼ 1000 ppm higher at the degraded site. Thus, we believe that subterranean ventilation of this vadose zone CO2, previously observed at both sites, partly drives the differences in C dynamics between them, especially during the dry season. It may be due to enhanced subsoil–atmosphere interconnectivity at the degraded site.


Hydrobiologia ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 506-509 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 781-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasper Reitzel ◽  
Jonas Hansen ◽  
Henning S. Jensen ◽  
Frede Ø. Andersen ◽  
Kjeld S. Hansen

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