Lake Dissolved Organic Carbon Concentrations Research Articles

Satellite algorithms for retrieving dissolved organic carbon concentrations in Chinese lakes

Water quality and the carbon cycle in lakes are strongly related to the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Several regional algorithms have been proposed to remotely retrieve lake DOC concentration at a regional scale, but further efforts are needed to reliably retrieve DOC concentration over a large area. Based on bio-optical measurements from 55 lakes across China, this study investigates feasible satellite algorithms for retrieving DOC concentrations from OLCI/Sentinel-3 imagery. The results revealed that the bio-optical characteristics of DOC were different in freshwater and saline lakes. Compared to saline lakes, freshwater lakes had lower DOC concentrations (9.89 ± 3.97 mg/L vs. 32.97 ± 42.07 mg/L) but similar levels of colored dissolved organic matter as indicated by its absorption coefficient at 280 nm (aCDOM(280), 12.8 ± 6.94 1/m vs. 17.15 ± 22.97 1/m). Moreover, DOC concentrations in freshwater lakes were exponentially related to aCDOM(280) (r = 0.74) and linearly correlated with red-to-green reflectance ratios. However, DOC concentration in saline lakes was linearly related to aCDOM(280) (r = 0.93) and exponentially correlated with red-to-blue reflectance ratios. Then, although we discriminated freshwater and saline lakes with a conductivity threshold of 2000 μs/cm, the three commonly used linear regression methods for estimating DOC concentrations still obtained mean absolute percent difference (MAPD) of 55.68–66.44 %. Alternatively, we developed a hybrid machine learning algorithm (MAPD = 18.16 %), that used water reflectance and lake/basin properties to model DOC concentrations in freshwater and saline lakes, respectively. Satellite monitoring of 370 large lakes (> 20 km2) showed that DOC concentration was high in the northwest and low in the southeast of China. This study has implications for dynamic monitoring of DOC concentrations in lakes using satellite imagery.

Remote sensing estimation of dissolved organic carbon concentrations in Chinese lakes based on Landsat images

Long-term estimation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) dynamics based on satellite data provides important information to comprehensively understand the lake carbon cycle, climate change, and sustainable water resource management. Here, we proposed a novel DOC concentration estimation model based on water classification using a large field dataset (n = 1929) collected from 123 Chinese lakes. We divided water into terrestrial-DOM-dominated and endogenous-DOM-dominated water bodies using the optimal spectral slope ratio (SR) threshold determined by setting the classification scenario. Then, we calibrated the optimal DOC estimation model using stepwise quadratic polynomial regression for the different types of water and determined the final DOC estimation model. The final DOC estimation model performed well in both the calibration and validation datasets, with R2 ≥ 0.78, RMSD ≤ 0.78 mg/L, and MAPD ≤ 16.51 %. Subsequently, we mapped the spatiotemporal dynamics of DOC concentrations in Chinese lakes with surface area greater than 1 km2 (n = 2621) between 1986 and 2021 using the Landsat data. Spatially, we observed obvious spatial heterogeneity in the DOC concentrations in the Chinese lakes, with the highest DOC concentration occurring in the Northeast Region (NER) (4.39 ± 0.21 mg/L) and the lowest DOC concentration occurring in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Region (QTR) (3.76 ± 1.12 mg/L). Temporally, the average DOC concentration in Chinese lakes generally decreased at a rate of − 0.09 mg/L decade−1 from 1986 to 2021, during which 56.5 % of the lakes experienced a decrease, 29.6 % of the lakes experienced no obvious change, and 13.9 % of the lakes experienced an increase. We also revealed that human activities are the main drivers of DOC increases in lakes, while vegetation and climate change are the main drivers of DOC decreases in lakes. Our results contribute to improving the accuracy of organic carbon estimations in lakes worldwide and provides meaningful insights into the lake carbon cycle..

Response of lake metabolism to catchment inputs inferred using high‐frequency lake and stream data from across the northern hemisphere

AbstractIn lakes, the rates of gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (R), and net ecosystem production (NEP) are often controlled by resource availability. Herein, we explore how catchment vs. within lake predictors of metabolism compare using data from 16 lakes spanning 39°N to 64°N, a range of inflowing streams, and trophic status. For each lake, we combined stream loads of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) with lake DOC, TN, and TP concentrations and high frequency in situ monitoring of dissolved oxygen. We found that stream load stoichiometry indicated lake stoichiometry for C : N and C : P (r2 = 0.74 and r2 = 0.84, respectively), but not for N : P (r2 = 0.04). As we found a strong positive correlation between TN and TP, we only used TP in our statistical models. For the catchment model, GPP and R were best predicted by DOC load, TP load, and load N : P (R2 = 0.85 and R2 = 0.82, respectively). For the lake model, GPP and R were best predicted by TP concentrations (R2 = 0.86 and R2 = 0.67, respectively). The inclusion of N : P in the catchment model, but not the lake model, suggests that both N and P regulate metabolism and that organisms may be responding more strongly to catchment inputs than lake resources. Our models predicted NEP poorly, though it is unclear why. Overall, our work stresses the importance of characterizing lake catchment loads to predict metabolic rates, a result that may be particularly important in catchments experiencing changing hydrologic regimes related to global environmental change.

Crustacean zooplankton densities in northern temperate lakes are related to habitat temperature across a wide gradient in lake dissolved organic carbon and nutrient content

Abstract Lake crustacean zooplankton densities often are negatively correlated with terrestrial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. These reductions in zooplankton with increased DOC are hypothesised to be linked to diminished resource quantity or lower resource quality as terrestrial material is low in essential nutrients and macromolecules. The impact of DOC on lake physics also potentially reduces available habitat for zooplankton as the warm and well‐oxygenated epilimnion is shallower in lakes with high DOC concentrations. Our goal was to investigate these potential mechanisms to determine the influence of DOC on drivers of zooplankton densities in a survey of north temperate lakes. We sampled crustacean zooplankton densities in 10 lakes that varied in mean DOC concentration from 6 to 27 mg L−1. We also measured resource availability as chlorophyll concentration, resource quality as essential fatty acid (EFA) concentration and the stoichiometric ratio of carbon‐to‐phosphorus (C:P), and habitat availability as integrated habitat temperature and dissolved oxygen to determine the strongest predictor of zooplankton densities across lakes. In addition, we quantified zooplankton habitat use through Schindler trap profiles through the water column. Zooplankton densities were most strongly related to integrated habitat temperature and were not closely related to measures of resource quantity or quality. Depth of the mix layer was negatively correlated with DOC concentration, yet there was no relationship between DOC concentration and zooplankton habitat use. Overall resource quantity and quality increased across the DOC gradient, as chlorophyll and EFA concentration were greatest in lakes with higher DOC. Our results indicate the potential for physics‐mediated responses between lake DOC and zooplankton density. As lakes with greater DOC concentrations have, on average, shallower mixed layers and colder habitats, zooplankton may either be constrained to a relatively smaller proportion of the catchment or experience reduced temperatures that may delay development or feeding rates. Lake DOC concentrations are projected to increase under future climate scenarios, so accompanying changes in lake temperature profiles are likely to follow. These also may reduce food‐web productivity, as shrinking mixed layers or colder total water columns resulting from steeper thermoclines may reduce habitat availability or suitability for zooplankton communities.

Benthic–limnetic morphological variation in fishes: Dissolved organic carbon concentration produces unexpected patterns

AbstractVariation in traits related to foraging and locomotion in benthic and limnetic habitats has been observed in many fishes. Benthic and limnetic food chain productivity in lakes is strongly influenced by the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the water, suggesting that DOC might indirectly impose selection on these traits and lead to classic benthic forms at low DOC concentrations and limnetic forms at high DOC concentrations. We tested this hypothesis via geometric morphometric and meristic analyses of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus, Centrarchidae) from 14 lakes with DOC concentrations ranging from 4 to 24 mg/L. These lakes, located in close proximity to each other, straddle the drainage divide between the Mississippi River and Laurentian Great Lakes basins in northern Wisconsin, USA. Bluegill morphology was consistently related to lake DOC concentration in both drainage basins, despite differences in morphology between basins. Fish from higher DOC lakes had deeper bodies and smaller heads, among other differences, though the proportion of shape variation described by DOC was low. Gill raker length and inter‐raker spacing were positively related to DOC concentration. Although some traits were thus related to DOC concentration, the directions of these relationships did not match the predicted benthic–limnetic patterns. Further, no relationships were evident between DOC and gill raker number, eye width, pectoral fin dimensions, or pectoral fin insertion angle in univariate analyses. These variable outcomes suggest that selection linked to DOC does not map neatly onto the classic benthic–limnetic axis, that high DOC favors a benthic–limnetic generalist rather than a limnetic specialist, or that the benthic–limnetic morphological dichotomy is less clear and universal than is often suggested.

First pan-Arctic assessment of dissolved organic carbon in lakes of the permafrost region

Abstract. Lakes in permafrost regions are dynamic landscape components and play an important role for climate change feedbacks. Lake processes such as mineralization and flocculation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), one of the main carbon fractions in lakes, contribute to the greenhouse effect and are part of the global carbon cycle. These processes are in the focus of climate research, but studies so far are limited to specific study regions. In our synthesis, we analyzed 2167 water samples from 1833 lakes across the Arctic in permafrost regions of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Siberia to provide first pan-Arctic insights for linkages between DOC concentrations and the environment. Using published data and unpublished datasets from the author team, we report regional DOC differences linked to latitude, permafrost zones, ecoregions, geology, near-surface soil organic carbon contents, and ground ice classification of each lake region. The lake DOC concentrations in our dataset range from 0 to 1130 mg L−1 (10.8 mg L−1 median DOC concentration). Regarding the permafrost regions of our synthesis, we found median lake DOC concentrations of 12.4 mg L−1 (Siberia), 12.3 mg L−1 (Alaska), 10.3 mg L−1 (Greenland), and 4.5 mg L−1 (Canada). Our synthesis shows a significant relationship between lake DOC concentration and lake ecoregion. We found higher lake DOC concentrations at boreal permafrost sites compared to tundra sites. We found significantly higher DOC concentrations in lakes in regions with ice-rich syngenetic permafrost deposits (yedoma) compared to non-yedoma lakes and a weak but significant relationship between soil organic carbon content and lake DOC concentration as well as between ground ice content and lake DOC. Our pan-Arctic dataset shows that the DOC concentration of a lake depends on its environmental properties, especially on permafrost extent and ecoregion, as well as vegetation, which is the most important driver of lake DOC in this study. This new dataset will be fundamental to quantify a pan-Arctic lake DOC pool for estimations of the impact of lake DOC on the global carbon cycle and climate change.

From Highs to Lows: Changes in Dissolved Organic Carbon in a Peatland Catchment and Lake Following Extreme Flow Events

The concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in freshwater catchments has implications for carbon availability in downstream lakes and for water supplies. The links between catchment hydrology and stream and lake DOC concentrations are, however, still not fully understood. Much of the literature has been from catchments with organo-mineral soils, with fewer studies from upland peat sites. We used high-frequency fluorescence data, a proxy for DOC, to investigate 1. the relationship between stream discharge and concentration in a blanket peat catchment during extreme high flows and 2. the relationship between inflow and in-lake estimated DOC concentrations. We found that for approximately two thirds of extreme events, there was a decrease in stream DOC concentration (i.e., a dilution) on the rising limb rather than an increase (i.e., a flushing out of DOC from terrestrial stores). Flushing events dominated only in summer when concentrations in the stream were also increasing. In comparison to the stream, concentrations in the downstream lake were less variable, and peaks and troughs were damped and lagged. Replicating these patterns and processes in DOC models would be critical in order to provide appropriate simulations in response to shorter- and longer-term changes in climate, and thus inform future catchment and lake management.

Patterns and trends in lake concentrations of dissolved organic carbon in a landscape recovering from environmental degradation and widespread acidification

Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) have increased in lakes throughout North America and Europe over the last three decades. Recovery from acid deposition and climate change have both been postulated as the primary mechanisms for the increase in DOC. To provide a clearer insight into the mechanisms responsible for increasing DOC we evaluated changes in lake and peat porewater chemistry collected in an area of approximately 33,000 km2 surrounding Sudbury, Ontario, a region undergoing dramatic recovery from acidic deposition. DOC concentrations varied considerably among the 44 lakes and over time (samples annually from 1981 to 2018), but the Sens Slope value showed a strong increase in lake DOC concentration over time, at 0.05 mg/ L y−1 (p < 0.001) that was related to increasing pH [0.03 units y−1, p < 0.001] and decreasing lake SO4 concentration [−0.24 mg/ L y−1; p < 0.001], but showed no relationship with temperature or precipitation. Similar strong relationships between DOC and pH (positive) and SO4 (negative) were observed in 18 peatlands sampled in the region. In a spatial analysis of 82 lakes sampled in 2018, concentrations of DOC in lakes were highest in flatter catchments with a greater wetland area, suggesting that wetlands are a major source of DOC in lakes. Optical properties of DOC obtained from extracts of wetland and upland soils at 6 catchments could be distinguished, primarily due to upland litter extracts having distinct optical properties from mineral soils or wetland soils. Optical properties of DOC in lakes however were inconsistent with those measured in soil extracts indicating that they are not useful for distinguishing DOC sources in these lakes. A predictive model was developed to explain DOC trends within Sudbury lakes using a stepwise linear regression combined with hierarchical partitioning to confirm the most influential processes on DOC. Almost 50% of the variability in DOC change in the 44 lakes was explained by the magnitude in lake pH change, catchment size and catchment sparse tree cover showing that recovery from acidic deposition is overwhelmingly responsible for increasing DOC in Sudbury lakes.

Influence of hydro-morphologic variables of forested catchments on the increase in DOC concentration in 36 temperate lakes of eastern Canada

In the last decades, a worldwide increase in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations has been observed in temperate and boreal lakes. This phenomenon has several detrimental effects on the aquatic life and affect local C geochemical cycles. In this study, we measured DOC concentration in the water column of 36 lakes located in eastern Canada over a period of 35 years (1983–2017) and assessed the influence of climatic, hydrologic and morphometric variables on both DOC concentrations and on the rate of DOC changes (∆DOC). Our data show that morphometric and hydrologic variables have a stronger direct influence on lake water DOC concentrations than vegetation and climatic variables. DOC concentration strongly increased with the drainage ratio and the surface covered by organic deposits, which together explained 59% of the variance. As expected, we observed a significant increase in lake water DOC concentration in 72% of the surveyed lakes, which averaged 20% over the study period. Meanwhile, lake water SO42− concentration decreased by 60%. ∆DOC was poorly influenced by the rate of changes in lake water SO42− as well as by the rate of changes in mean annual air temperature and precipitation. ∆DOC was more related to the vegetation type and the morphometry of the catchment: a model including the percentage of conifers, terrestrial catchment area and ∆Cl yielded a variance explanation of 39%. This shows that the rate of increase was primarily driven by morphometric variables which did not change over the study period.

Predicting lake dissolved organic carbon at a global scale

The pool of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), is one of the main regulators of the ecology and biogeochemistry of inland water ecosystems, and an important loss term in the carbon budgets of land ecosystems. We used a novel machine learning technique and global databases to test if and how different environmental factors contribute to the variability of in situ DOC concentrations in lakes. In order to estimate DOC in lakes globally we predicted DOC in each lake with a surface area larger than 0.1 km2. Catchment properties and meteorological and hydrological features explained most of the variability of the lake DOC concentration, whereas lake morphometry played only a marginal role. The predicted average of the global DOC concentration in lake water was 3.88 mg L−1. The global predicted pool of DOC in lake water was 729 Tg from which 421 Tg was the share of the Caspian Sea. The results provide global-scale evidence for ecological, climate and carbon cycle models of lake ecosystems and related future prognoses.

Dissolved organic carbon in eastern Canadian lakes: Novel patterns and relationships with regional and global factors

Long-term patterns in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in 49 eastern Canadian lakes from four sites were re-examined with a ~ 35-year (~1980–2015) dataset. The study sites were Dorset (number of lakes, n = 8), Experimental Lakes Area (ELA, n = 4), Kejimkujik (n = 26) and Yarmouth (n = 11). Lake DOC patterns were synchronous within each site. However, comparisons of DOC patterns across sites showed that they were synchronous only between the Kejimkujik and Yarmouth locations. Hence, these two sites were pooled into a single Nova Scotia site (NS). Increases in DOC concentration were evident in Dorset, Ontario from 1988 (r2 = 0.78, p < 0.001) and NS from 2000 (r2 = 0.43, p = 0.006). DOC at the ELA in northwestern Ontario had a different pattern compared to the other sites, i.e., DOC had increased earlier (1983–2000), and then, unlike Dorset and NS, neither an increase nor decrease was detected between 2001 and 2015 (p = 0.78). Precipitation and sulfur deposition explained the greatest variance in DOC patterns at the Dorset and NS sites (i.e., precipitation: 21–49% and sulfur deposition: 24–54%). Precipitation was the most important driver of DOC at the ELA. Our results indicate that all the sites have gone through a process of increasing DOC, but at different times. The stabilizing pattern at the ELA since 2001 may suggest that DOC concentrations in ELA lakes have reached, or are approaching a new equilibrium, a phenomenon that was not observed at the other sites. Also, the increase in DOC was not always associated with declining sulfur deposition (e.g., ELA). Therefore, we conclude that there was considerable variation in DOC patterns across this large geographic region of Canada and potential drivers of these patterns were not consistent across these diverse sites.

Quantification of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) storage in lakes and reservoirs of mainland China

As a major fraction of carbon in inland waters, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) plays a crucial role in carbon cycling on a global scale. However, the quantity of DOC stored in lakes and reservoirs was not clear to date. In an attempt to examine the factors that determine the DOC storage in lakes and reservoirs across China, we assembled a large database (measured 367 lakes, and meta-analyzed 102 lakes from five limnetic regions; measured 144 reservoirs, and meta-analyzed 272 reservoirs from 31 provincial units) of DOC concentrations and water storages for lakes and reservoirs that are used to determine DOC storage in static inland waters. We found that DOC concentrations in saline waters (Mean/median ± S.D: 50.5/30.0 ± 55.97 mg/L) are much higher than those in fresh waters (8.1/5.9 ± 6.8 mg/L), while lake DOC concentrations (25.9/11.5 ± 42.04 mg/L) are much higher than those in reservoirs (5.0/3.8 ± 4.5 mg/L). In terms of lake water volume and DOC storage, the Tibet-Qinghai lake region has the largest water volume (552.8 km3), 92% of which is saline waters, thus the largest DOC (13.39 Tg) is stored in these alpine lake region; followed by the Mengxin lake region, having a water volume of 99.4 km3 in which 1.75 Tg DOC was stored. Compared to Mengxin lake region, almost the same amount of water was stored in East China lake region (91.9 km3), however, much less DOC was stored in this region (0.43 Tg) due to the lower DOC concentration (Ave: 3.45 ± 2.68 mg/L). According to our investigation, Yungui and Northeast lake regions had water storages of 32.14 km3 and 19.44 km3 respectively, but relatively less DOC was stored in Yungui (0.13 Tg) than in Northeast lake region (0.19 Tg). Due to low DOC concentration in reservoirs, especially these large reservoirs having lower DOC concentration (V > 1.0 km3: 2.31 ± 1.48 mg/L), only 1.54 Tg was stored in a 485.1 km3 volume of water contained in reservoirs across the entire country.

Life history constraints explain negative relationship between fish productivity and dissolved organic carbon in lakes.

Resource availability constrains the life history strategies available to organisms and may thereby limit population growth rates and productivity. We used this conceptual framework to explore the mechanisms driving recently reported negative relationships between fish productivity and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in lakes. We studied populations of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) in a set of lakes with DOC concentrations ranging from 3 to 24 mg/L; previous work has demonstrated that primary and secondary productivity of food webs is negatively related to DOC concentration across this gradient. For each population, we quantified individual growth rate, age at maturity, age‐specific fecundity, maximum age, length‐weight and length‐egg size relationships, and other life history characteristics. We observed a strong negative relationship between maximum size and DOC concentration; for instance, fish reached masses of 150 to 260 g in low‐DOC lakes but <120 g in high‐DOC lakes. Relationships between fecundity and length, and between egg size and length, were constant across the DOC gradient. Because fish in high‐DOC lakes reached smaller sizes but had similar fecundity and egg size at a given size, their total lifetime fecundity was as much as two orders of magnitude lower than fish in low‐DOC lakes. High DOC concentrations appeared to constrain the range of bluegill life history strategies available; populations in high‐DOC lakes always had low initial growth rates and high ages at maturity, whereas populations in low‐DOC showed higher variability in these traits. This was also the case for the intrinsic rates of natural increase of these populations, which were always low at the high end of the DOC gradient. The potentially lower capacity for fish populations in high‐DOC lakes to recover from exploitation has clear implications for the sustainable management of recreational fisheries in the face of considerable spatial heterogeneity and ongoing temporal change in lake DOC concentrations.

Growth rate and abundance of common fishes is negatively related to dissolved organic carbon concentration in lakes

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) can limit food web productivity in lakes, potentially imposing resource limitation on fishes. We asked whether the abundance or early growth rate of three fish species was negatively related to DOC in 59 lakes in southern Quebec, Canada, where DOC concentrations ranged from 4 to 16 mg·L−1 for lakes containing walleye (Sander vitreum) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and from 2.6 to 9 mg·L−1 for lakes containing lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). Estimates of abundance and growth rate were more precise for walleye and lake trout than for yellow perch because of differences in sample size. Abundance was negatively related to DOC for walleye and perhaps also for lake trout and yellow perch. Early growth rate was negatively related to DOC for walleye and lake trout, but not for yellow perch. These results support a growing body of literature suggesting that the productivity of fish populations may be negatively related to DOC concentrations in lakes.

Dissolved organic carbon and its potential predictors in eutrophic lakes

Understanding of the true role of lakes in the global carbon cycle requires reliable estimates of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and there is a strong need to develop remote sensing methods for mapping lake carbon content at larger regional and global scales. Part of DOC is optically inactive. Therefore, lake DOC content cannot be mapped directly. The objectives of the current study were to estimate the relationships of DOC and other water and environmental variables in order to find the best proxy for remote sensing mapping of lake DOC. The Boosted Regression Trees approach was used to clarify in which relative proportions different water and environmental variables determine DOC. In a studied large and shallow eutrophic lake the concentrations of DOC and coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were rather high while the seasonal and interannual variability of DOC concentrations was small. The relationships between DOC and other water and environmental variables varied seasonally and interannually and it was challenging to find proxies for describing seasonal cycle of DOC. Chlorophyll a (Chl a), total suspended matter and Secchi depth were correlated with DOC and therefore are possible proxies for remote sensing of seasonal changes of DOC in ice free period, while for long term interannual changes transparency-related variables are relevant as DOC proxies. CDOM did not appear to be a good predictor of the seasonality of DOC concentration in Lake Võrtsjärv since the CDOM–DOC coupling varied seasonally. However, combining the data from Võrtsjärv with the published data from six other eutrophic lakes in the world showed that CDOM was the most powerful predictor of DOC and can be used in remote sensing of DOC concentrations in eutrophic lakes.

Habitat, not resource availability, limits consumer production in lake ecosystems

AbstractFood web productivity in lakes can be limited by dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which reduces fish production by limiting the abundance of their zoobenthic prey. We demonstrate that in a set of 10 small, north temperate lakes spanning a wide DOC gradient, these negative effects of high DOC concentrations on zoobenthos production are driven primarily by availability of warm, well‐oxygenated habitat, rather than by light limitation of benthic primary production as previously proposed. There was no significant effect of benthic primary production on zoobenthos production after controlling for oxygen, even though stable isotope analysis indicated that zoobenthos do use this resource. Mean whole‐lake zoobenthos production was lower in high‐DOC lakes with reduced availability of oxygenated habitat, as was fish biomass. These insights improve understanding of lake food webs and inform management in the face of spatial variability and ongoing temporal change in lake DOC concentrations.

Recent decrease in DOC concentrations in Arctic lakes of southwest Greenland

AbstractA key indicator of changes in the terrestrial carbon cycle is shifting dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in surface waters. Arctic permafrost holds twice as much C as the atmosphere, thus recent warming and changes in atmospheric deposition to the region raise the need for a better understanding of how DOC is changing in arctic surface waters. In Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, lakewater DOC concentrations declined by 14 to 55% (absolute changes of 1 to 24 mg L−1) between 2003 and 2013, without significant changes in quality. Lakewater sulfate concentrations, but not chloride or conductivity, increased. These results suggest that similar to processes that have occurred at northern midlatitudes, increases in soil ionic strength as a result of sulfate enrichment may be linked to declining surface water DOC concentrations. Such enrichment may be occurring with enhanced non‐sea‐salt sulfate deposition. Our results reveal that rapid changes are occurring in the carbon cycle of this region of southwest Greenland.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of boreal landscapes with ecosystem engineers: beavers influence the biogeochemistry of small lakes

It has been suggested that beavers affect biogeochemical processes and the environment on a relatively large scale, thus acting as ecosystem engineers. In this long-term study we evaluated the effects of beavers on water chemistry in small boreal lakes of Southern Finland. We addressed the following three questions; does water chemistry differ between beaver and non-beaver lakes; does water chemistry differ between the flood years in comparison to the antecedent years; and does the flood impact downstream lakes? The results showed that beaver lakes had higher dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations but lower dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations than non-beaver lakes. DOC concentration increased during the first three beaver-impoundment years when compared to the pre-impoundment situation, and DO concentrations simultaneously decreased. Lake DOC concentrations furthermore declined back to initial levels after the impoundment had lasted for 4–6 years. The opposite occurred with DO. No clear effects caused by beaver impoundments were found in downstream lakes however. Beaver activity had no effect on N and P concentrations in lakes, but our results emphasize that the beaver affects the carbon cycling in the boreal zone. Further research is therefore needed to clarify its effect on the carbon balance at different spatial scales.

Taxonomic identity and phytoplankton diet affect fatty acid composition of zooplankton in large lakes with differing dissolved organic carbon concentration

An increase in loading of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from terrestrial to freshwater ecosystems has recently been documented in several boreal regions. We studied how transfer of important biomolecules, fatty acids, may be connected to DOC in pelagic food webs of large boreal lakes. We collected nine zooplankton taxa during three seasons from six lakes along a gradient of DOC (5–10 mg C L−1). Taxonomic identity explained 62% of the variation in zooplankton fatty acids, while the effects of DOC and season were less pronounced. This suggests that the community composition of zooplankton is important in determining the quality of food available for higher trophic level consumers. Seasonal differences in fatty acid composition were most evident in the taxa that overwinter in an active stage, and especially C18 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) accumulated toward fall. Small part of the within–taxa variation in zooplankton fatty acids was related to lake DOC concentration. However, the proportion of fatty acids indicative of bacteria or terrestrial vegetation were not linked to DOC. Instead, DOC was connected to PUFA, with zooplankton in high DOC lakes having higher ω3 : ω6 ratios. We propose that this is due to decrease of chlorophytes in phytoplankton community with increasing DOC concentration. Our results with significant among–taxa differences in zooplankton fatty acids imply that terrestrial organic matter may affect the transfer of fatty acids more profoundly if it modifies the zooplankton community composition. However, shifts in the phytoplankton community structure could also cause smaller–scale changes in zooplankton fatty acid composition.

Role of ambient light in structuring north-temperate fish communities: potential effects of increasing dissolved organic carbon concentration with a changing climate

The vertical light environment in freshwater lakes is sensitive to changes in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, and DOC concentrations in most boreal lakes appear to be increasing as the climate changes. Understanding how DOC dynamics in lakes and watersheds are then linked to fish habitat is therefore critical to assessing the effects of climate change on fish communities. This paper reviews the evidence for climate-induced alterations to DOC in north-temperate watersheds and assesses the potential consequences of the resultant decreases in water clarity on fish production and community structure in small boreal lakes (&lt;500 ha). Although DOC increases are forecast for most boreal lakes, complex interactions between local climate, rates of terrestrial organic matter decomposition and runoff, existing water quality, species shifts in forest communities, and changing season lengths can all combine to affect the magnitude of water clarity declines that will occur in individual lakes. Elevated DOC concentrations will affect the availability of coldwater versus warmwater habitat and niche characteristics that are dependent on lake depth, water clarity, and the preferences and physiological tolerances of the individual species. The shifts in availability of suitable thermal habitat will in turn affect fish growth, production, and community composition. Range expansions for warmwater species and range reductions for coldwater species will likely occur in warmer, darker environments, with adverse consequences for some native species and likely advantages for invasive species such as smallmouth bass. Likewise, major shifts in trophic dynamics would accompany the darkening of boreal lakes as species-specific feeding efficiencies change and primary and secondary production are altered. From a beneficial perspective, elevated DOC concentrations will likely relieve some physiological stress in biota via protection against contaminant toxicity and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure. As with many other disturbances, we need to view climate change impacts on fish communities as a multiple stressor problem and the potential impacts of the changing light environment needs to be given as much prominence as the study of stressors such as eutrophication and trace contaminants.