Rates Of Gross Primary Production Research Articles

Freshwater Biogeochemical Hotspots: High Primary Production and Ecosystem Respiration in Shallow Waterbodies

AbstractPonds, wetlands, and shallow lakes (collectively “shallow waterbodies”) are among the most biogeochemically active freshwater ecosystems. Measurements of gross primary production (GPP), respiration (R), and net ecosystem production (NEP) are rare in shallow waterbodies compared to larger and deeper lakes, which can bias our understanding of lentic ecosystem processes. In this study, we calculated GPP, R, and NEP in 26 small, shallow waterbodies across temperate North America and Europe. We observed high rates of GPP (mean 8.4 g O2 m−3 d−1) and R (mean −9.1 g O2 m−3 d−1), while NEP varied from net heterotrophic to autotrophic. Metabolism rates were affected by depth and aquatic vegetation cover, and the shallowest waterbodies had the highest GPP, R, and the most variable NEP. The shallow waterbodies from this study had considerably higher metabolism rates compared to deeper lakes, stressing the importance of these systems as highly productive biogeochemical hotspots.

Evaluation of metrics and thresholds for use in national-scale river harmful algal bloom assessments

The spatiotemporal distribution of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in rivers remains poorly understood, and there is an urgent need to develop a consistent set of metrics to better document HAB occurrences and forecast future events. Using data from seven sites in the Illinois River Basin, we computed metrics focused on HAB conditions related to excess algal growth and hypoxia. Daily mean chlorophyll and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, gross primary productivity (GPP), and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) rates, focused on water quality status, identifying the timing of the transition from a clear-water to an algal dominated state. Early warning indicators (EWIs), the first-order autoregressive process (Ar1) and standard deviation (SD) of chlorophyll concentrations, focused on future events, forecasting blooms. Metrics were compared to either literature-derived or statistical-based thresholds and were normalized by total number of daily samples for an exceedance rate. Exceedances of a daily mean chlorophyll concentration averaged 50 % across all sites using a 10 µg L−1 threshold but increasing the threshold to 50 μg L−1 reduced the average exceedance rate to 5 %. The average exceedance rate for GPP (∼8 g O2 m2d−1 threshold) was 15 %, similar to the daily amplitude DO concentration (∼3 mg L−1 threshold), but the average for NEP (0 g O2 m2 d−1 threshold) was higher, at 28 %. The number of days with at least 1 continuous DO concentration below the threshold of 5, 3, or 2 mg L−1, had basin wide exceedance rates of 9 %, 3 %, and 2 %, respectively. Thresholds for EWIs, Ar1 and SD, were exceeded at 5 of the 7 sites with high chlorophyll concentrations and GPP rates. The correlation between proxies for algal biomass (chlorophyll concentration) and productivity (GPP) was strongest for sites in the middle region of the basin, with R2 values between 0.54 and 0.74. Although, cyanotoxin concentrations are the most commonly used metrics by states to define an inland water HAB, there is a paucity of publicly available data. The wider availability of chlorophyll and oxygen data combined with the results from this study suggest that biomass and productivity state and event-based metrics may be a promising way to assess and predict the vulnerability of rivers to some of the deleterious effects of HABs at broad spatial scales.

Long‐Term Response of Peatland Carbon Exchange to Climatic Changes in the Hudson Bay Lowlands

AbstractNorthern peatlands have been a persistent net sink of atmospheric carbon (C) due to the greater rates of gross primary production (GPP) compared to ecosystem respiration (ER). Global warming has raised concerns about the C sink strength of northern environments. In the vast peatlands of the Hudson Bay Lowlands (HBL) region of Canada, warming‐induced changes in sea ice dynamics over the Bay have altered its advective influence on the adjacent lowlands. Despite our knowledge of the short‐term C exchange in these peatlands, there remain uncertainties in the long‐term combined response of GPP and ER to climate change. In this study, the satellite‐data‐driven Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model was employed to investigate the response of peatland GPP, ER, and net ecosystem exchange to temperature and moisture changes. The results show contrasting net CO2 exchange at the two peatland sites over the last 20 years, with the fen acting as a net C source (+24 g C m−2) to the atmosphere and the bog serving as a net C sink (−130 g C m−2). There is ample evidence that a warmer and wetter climate enhanced GPP more than ER, while cooler temperatures weakened the peatland net C sink, regardless of the moisture conditions. Additionally, the advective influence of Hudson Bay on the lowlands produced markedly different C dynamics between offshore and onshore winds, with higher respiration rates (12%–26%) during offshore winds. We discuss the implications for peatland C balance under more frequent onshore winds in the region.

Structural complexity and benthic metabolism: resolving the links between carbon cycling and biodiversity in restored seagrass meadows

Abstract. Due to large losses of seagrass meadows worldwide, restoration is proposed as a key strategy for increasing coastal resilience and recovery. The emergence of a seagrass meadow is expected to substantially amplify biodiversity and enhance benthic metabolism by increasing primary productivity and respiration. Nevertheless, open questions remain regarding the metabolic balance of aging seagrass meadows and the roles benthic communities within the seagrass ecosystem play in overall metabolism. To address these questions, we investigated a chronosequence of bare sediments and adjacent Zostera marina meadows of 3 and 7 years since restoration alongside a natural meadow located within a high-temperate marine embayment in Gåsö, Sweden. We combined continuous measurements of O2 fluxes using underwater eddy covariance with dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and O2 fluxes from benthic chambers during the productive season (July). Based on the ratio between O2 and DIC, we derived site-specific photosynthetic and respiratory quotients, enabling the conversion of eddy covariance fluxes to DIC. We assessed benthic diversity parameters as potential drivers of metabolic flux variability. We observed high rates of gross primary productivity (GPP) spanning −18 to −82 mmolDICm-2d-1, which increased progressively with meadow age. Community respiration (CR) mirrored the GPP trend, and all meadows were net heterotrophic (GPP < CR), with net community productivity (NCP) ranging from 16 to 28 mmolDICm-2d-1. While autotrophic biomass did not increase with meadow age, macrophyte diversity did, elucidating potential effects of niche complementarity among macrophytes on community metabolism. These findings provide valuable insights into how community composition and meadow development relate to ecosystem functioning, highlighting potential tradeoffs between carbon uptake and biodiversity.

Ecosystem metabolism in the deep and oligotrophic Lake Tanganyika

This study investigated variability in ecosystem metabolism in the meromictic, oligotrophic, and deep Lake Tanganyika. A large buoy equipped with a weather station, oxygen and temperature sensors for every 10 m down to 102 m depth and an irradiance sensor at 0 and 22 m depth, provided a three-month data with one-minute frequency. These data enabled us to derive detailed description of water column mixing and light conditions along with daily depth specific rates of gross primary production, ecosystem respiration and net production over a 3-month period. We applied a mass balance approach which included dissolved oxygen exchange between depth layers driven by mixed-layer deepening and eddy diffusivity from a one-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The vertical extent of the upper mixed layer varied between 21–40 m and the extent of the metalimnion varied between 48–75 m, with the euphotic zone (20–38 m) extending into the metalimnion on several days, providing enough light for primary production to occur below the upper mixed layer. Vertical profiles of metabolism showed several periods with elevated primary production in the metalimnion around the deep chlorophyll maximum. This deep productivity may compensate for the decreasing primary production in the epilimnion caused by climate change induced reductions in nutrient inputs from deeper waters.

Light‐use efficiency for coral reef communities and benthic functional types

AbstractCoral reef metabolism is dominated by benthic photoautotrophic communities that comprise varying combinations of algae, coral, and sand. Rates of daily gross primary production (GPP) for these benthic functional types (BFTs) are remarkably consistent across biogeographical regions, supporting the idea that reefs exhibit modal metabolism. Most variability in reported rates likely arises from differences in light availability. In fact, GPP is a linear function of incident photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), the fraction of PAR absorbed (fAPAR) by photoautotrophic organisms or communities, and light‐use efficiency (ε), which parameterizes photosynthesizers' biochemical capacity for CO2 fixation: GPP = ε × fAPAR × PAR. On time scales of days to weeks, fAPAR and ε are far more stable than PAR. ε is a critical parameter, because it represents productive response integrated across all environmental conditions, other than light. If BFTs exhibit consistent GPP across wide geographic ranges, then their εs must also be consistent. The aim of this study was to estimate ε for algae, coral, and sand. Using data collected during NASA's CORAL mission in 2016–2017, ε was calculated for 32 mixed communities at Lizard Island, Australia (10); Kāne'ohe Bay, Hawai'i (8); Guam (6); and Palau (8). Nonnegative least squares was used to solve for ε of each BFT, producing values of 0.038, 0.060, and 0.016 C photon−1 for algae, coral, and sand, respectively. These values can be used in light‐driven models of reef metabolism. Further work is necessary to refine these estimates and, importantly, to explore how ε is affected by environmental conditions.

Experimental riparian forest gaps and increased sediment loads modify stream metabolic patterns and biofilm composition

AbstractForest management operations greatly influence stream habitats. Canopy clearing and subsequent canopy development during succession, site preparation, and ditching alter the light environment, and increase sediment inputs and nutrient exports from upland and riparian soils to streams. These physicochemical changes affect aquatic biofilms and metabolic rates, and in this study, we tested their individual and combined effects. We used 12 artificial streamside channels, together with a field survey of nine streams in and around clear‐cuts, to assess the effects of shading, substrate composition, and nutrient addition on biofilm biomass and composition, as well as metabolic rates. We found that biofilm biomass and gross primary production (GPP) were light limited in channels under 70% canopy shading. Nitrate additions at this shading level only marginally increased autotrophic biomass, while the rates of respiration increased 10‐fold when carbon was added. Open (unshaded) channels had three times higher rates of GPP compared with channels with 70% shading, and autotrophic biomass was twice as high, largely caused by the colonization of filamentous green algae. These changes to biofilm biomass, composition, and GPP were caused by differences in light alone, as temperature was not affected by the shading treatment. Notably, higher rates of GPP led to no positive effect on net ecosystem production. Further, fine‐grained substrates negatively affected GPP as compared with stone substrates in the experimental channels. In the surveyed streams, the negative effects of fine‐grained substrates exceeded the positive influence of light on biofilm biomass. Altogether, our results highlight the need for riparian management that protects headwaters from unwanted stressors by focusing on preventing sediment erosion and carbon transport in clear‐cuts, while providing variable shade conditions in second‐growth forests.

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.

High potential but low achievement: Frequent disturbance constrains the light use efficiency of river ecosystems

AbstractWe rarely consider light limitation in ecosystem productivity, yet light limitation is a major constraint on river autotrophy. Because the light that reaches benthic autotrophs must first pass through terrestrial vegetation and an overlying water column that can be loaded with sediments or colored organic material, there is strong selection for river autotrophs to have high light use efficiencies (LUEs), that is, the efficiency at which light energy is converted to biomass. In contrast to prior studies that have estimated river LUE on single days, we calculated continuous LUE over more than 6 full years for 64 free‐flowing rivers across the United States. This dataset represents the largest compilation of continuous estimates of daily rates of gross primary productivity (GPP) and daily light inputs from which we calculated daily estimates of LUE. Early estimates of LUE in rivers found that clearwater springs with stable flows could achieve LUEs of 4%, much higher than LUEs reported for terrestrial plants. We found that 53% of the rivers in our dataset have LUEs that exceed 4% on at least one day of their time series. Because of the high variability in daily LUE, measurements taken on any given day may misrepresent a river ecosystem's annual LUE. Though most rivers share a high potential, the mean annual LUE of all rivers in our dataset is much lower, only 0.5%. We found that rivers with more variable flow regimes had lower annual LUEs, which indicates that LUE is constrained by hydrologic disturbances that remove, bury, or shade autotrophic biomass. Comparisons of LUE across ecosystems allow us to reframe our view of rivers, by recognizing the high efficiency with which they convert light to biomass compared with lentic, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems.

Proximal remote sensing and gross primary productivity in a temperate salt marsh

Salt marshes are highly productive ecosystems relevant for Blue Carbon assessments, but information for estimating gross primary productivity (GPP) from proximal remote sensing (PRS) is limited. Temperate salt marshes have seasonal canopy structure and metabolism changes, defining different canopy phenological phases, GPP rates, and spectral reflectance. We combined multi-annual PRS data (i.e., PhenoCam, discrete hyperspectral measurements, and automated spectral reflectance sensors) with GPP derived from eddy covariance. We tested the performance of empirical models to predict GPP from 12 common vegetation indices (VIs; e.g., NDVI, EVI, PSRI, GCC), Sun-Induced Fluorescence (SIF), and reflectance from different areas of the electromagnetic spectrum (i.e., VIS-IR, RedEdge, IR, and SIF) across the annual cycle and canopy phenological phases (i.e., Greenup, Maturity, Senescence, and Dormancy). Plant Senescence Reflectance Index (PSRI) from hyperspectral data and the Greenness Index (GCC) from PhenoCam, showed the strongest relationship with daily GPP across the annual cycle and within phenological phases (r2=0.30–0.92). Information from the visible-infrared electromagnetic region (VIS-IR) coupled with a partial least square approach (PLSR) showed the highest data-model agreement with GPP, mainly because of its relevance to respond to physiological and structural changes in the canopy, compared with indices (e.g., GCC) that particularly react to changes in the greenness of the canopy. The most relevant electromagnetic regions to model GPP were ∼550 nm and ∼710 nm. Canopy phenological phases impose challenges for modeling GPP with VIs and the PLSR approach, particularly during Maturity, Senescence, and Dormancy. As more eddy covariance sites are established in salt marshes, the application of PRS can be widely tested. Our results highlight the potential to use canopy reflectance from the visible spectrum region for modeling annual GPP in salt marshes as an example of advances within the AmeriFlux network.

Coastal marine megaripple fields are metabolic hotspots with highly dynamic oxygen exchange

AbstractMegaripples are current‐generated seafloor bedforms of well‐sorted sand or gravel and wavelengths over 1 m. In this aquatic eddy covariance study, we measured large rates of benthic primary production and respiration for a shallow‐water sandy megaripple field exposed to strong tidally driven currents and intense sunlight. Current and light were the main short‐term drivers of a highly dynamic oxygen exchange. Daytime oxygen release as high as 300 mmol m−2 d−1 and nighttime oxygen uptake up to −100 mmol m−2 d−1 were likely sustained by current‐driven transport of oxygen, nutrients, and organic matter (fuel) into and out of the sand and superimposed by rapid internal cycling. Seasonal differences in temperature (45%) and light (69%) between April and September were the main long‐term drivers of substantially greater rates of gross primary production and respiration in September. The megaripples functioned as an intense metabolic hotspot with carbon cycling rates larger than those of most near‐shore sediments.

Higher sensitivity of gross primary productivity than ecosystem respiration to experimental drought and warming across six European shrubland ecosystems

Shrubland ecosystems across Europe face a range of threats including the potential impacts of climate change. Within the INCREASE project, six shrubland ecosystems along a European climatic gradient were exposed to ecosystem-level year-round experimental nighttime warming and long-term, repeated growing season droughts. We quantified the ecosystem level CO2 fluxes, i.e. gross primary productivity (GPP), ecosystem respiration (Reco) and net ecosystem exchange (NEE), in control and treatment plots and compared the treatment effects along the Gaussen aridity index. In general, GPP exhibited higher sensitivity to drought and warming than Reco and was found to be the dominant contributor to changes in overall NEE. Across the climate gradient, northern sites were more likely to have neutral to positive responses of NEE, i.e. increased CO2 uptake, to drought and warming partly due to seasonal rewetting. While an earlier investigation across the same sites showed a good cross-site relationship between soil respiration responses to climate over the Gaussen aridity index, the responses of GPP, Reco and NEE showed a more complex response pattern suggesting that site-specific ecosystem traits, such as different growing season periods and plant species composition, affected the overall response pattern of the ecosystem-level CO2 fluxes. We found that the observed response patterns of GPP and Reco rates at the six sites could be explained well by the hypothesized position of each site on site-specific soil moisture response curves of GPP/Reco fluxes. Such relatively simple, site-specific analyses could help improve our ability to explain observed CO2 flux patterns in larger meta-analyses as well as in larger-scale model upscaling exercises and thereby help improve our ability to project changes in ecosystem CO2 fluxes in response to future climate change.

Drying, more than warming, alters ecosystem functioning in streams with different energy pathways

Abstract Empirical evidence and theory suggest that climate warming and an increase in the frequency and duration of drying events will alter the metabolic balance of freshwater ecosystems. However, the impacts of climate change on ecosystem metabolism may depend on whether energy inputs are of autochthonous or allochthonous origin. To date, few studies have examined how warming and drying may interact to alter stream metabolism, much less how their impacts may depend on the energy‐base of the food web. To address this research gap, we conducted a multi‐factorial experiment using outdoor mesocosms to investigate the individual and synergistic effects of warming and drought on metabolic processes in stream mesocosms with green (algal‐based) vs. mixed (algal‐ and detritus‐based) vs. brown (detritus‐based) energy pathways. We set up 48 mesocosms with one of three different levels of shade and leaf litter input combinations to create mesocosms with different primary energy channels. In addition, we warmed half of the mesocosms by ~2–3°C. We assessed changes in ecosystem respiration (ER), gross primary production (GPP), net ecosystem production (NEP) and organic matter biomass in warmed and ambient temperature mesocosms before a 24 day drying event and after rewetting. Surprisingly, experimental warming had little effect on metabolic processes. Drying, however, led to decreased rates of ER and GPP and led to an overall reduction in NEP. Although the effects of drying were similar across energy channel treatments, reductions in ER and GPP were primarily driven by decreases in biomass of benthic and filamentous algae. Overall, we demonstrate that drying led to lower rates of NEP in mesocosms regardless of energy inputs. While warming showed little effect in our study, our results suggest that an increase in the frequency of stream drying events could greatly alter the metabolic balance of many aquatic ecosystems. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Using structure to model function: incorporating canopy structure improves estimates of ecosystem carbon flux in arctic dry heath tundra

Most tundra carbon flux modeling relies on leaf area index (LAI), generally estimated from measurements of canopy greenness using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), to estimate the direction and magnitude of fluxes. However, due to the relative sparseness and low stature of tundra canopies, such models do not explicitly consider the influence of variation in tundra canopy structure on carbon flux estimates. Structure from motion (SFM), a photogrammetric method for deriving three-dimensional (3D) structure from digital imagery, is a non-destructive method for estimating both fine-scale canopy structure and LAI. To understand how variation in 3D canopy structure affects ecosystem carbon fluxes in Arctic tundra, we adapted an existing NDVI-based tundra carbon flux model to include variation in SFM-derived canopy structure and its interaction with incoming sunlight to cast shadows on canopies. Our study system consisted of replicate plots of dry heath tundra that had been subjected to three herbivore exclosure treatments (an exclosure-free control [CT], large mammals exclosure), and a large and small mammal exclosure [ExLS]), providing the range of 3D canopy structures employed in our study. We found that foliage within the more structurally complex surface of CT canopies received significantly less light over the course of the day than canopies within both exclosure treatments. This was especially during morning and evening hours, and was reflected in modeled rates of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and gross primary productivity (GPP). We found that in the ExLS treatment, SFM-derived estimates of GPP were significantly lower and NEE significantly higher than those based on LAI alone. Our results demonstrate that the structure of even simple tundra vegetation canopies can have significant impacts on tundra carbon fluxes and thus need to be accounted for.

Interannual variability in the ecosystem CO2fluxes at a paludified spruce forest and ombrotrophic bog in the southern taiga

Abstract. Climate warming in high latitudes impacts CO2 sequestration of the northern peatlands through the changes in production and decomposition processes. The response of the net CO2 fluxes between ecosystems and the atmosphere to climate change and weather anomalies can vary across forest and non-forest peatlands. To better understand the differences in CO2 dynamics at forest and non-forest boreal peatlands induced by changes in environmental conditions, the estimates of interannual variability in the net ecosystem exchange (NEE), total ecosystem respiration (TER), and gross primary production (GPP) was obtained at two widespread peatland ecosystems – paludified spruce forest and the adjacent ombrotrophic bog in the southern taiga of west Russia using 6 years of paired eddy covariance flux measurements. Both positive and negative annual and growing season air temperature and precipitation anomalies were observed in the period of measurement (2015–2020). Flux measurements showed that, in spite of the lower growing season TER (332±17 … 339±15 gC m−2) and GPP (442±13 … 464± 11 gC m−2) rates, the bog had a higher CO2 uptake rates (NEE was -132±11 … -108±6) than the forest, except for the warmest and the wettest year of the period (2020), and was an atmospheric CO2 sink in the selected years, while the forest was a CO2 sink or source, depending on the environmental conditions. Growing season NEE at the forest site was between -142±48 and 28±40 gC m−2, TER between 1135±64 and 1366±58 gC m−2, and GPP between 1207±66 and 1462±107 gC m−2. Annual NEE at the forest was between -62±49 and 145±41 gC m−2, TER between 1429±87 and 1652±44 C m−2, and GPP between 1345±89 and 1566±41 gC m−2, respectively. Under the anomalously warm winter conditions with sparse and thin snow cover (2019/2020), the increased daily GPP, TER, and net CO2 uptake at the forest was observed, while at the bog, the changes in CO2 fluxes between the warm and cold winters were not significant. This study suggests that the warming in winter can increase the CO2 uptake of the paludified spruce forests of the southern taiga in non-growing seasons.

Dynamics of O2 and pCO2 in a Southeast Asia seagrass meadow: Metabolic rates and carbon sink capacity

Dissolved oxygen (DO) and partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) were measured at half-hourly intervals from June 29 to September 9, 2019, in a seagrass meadow in the Southeast Asia archipelagos region. The open water mass balance of the O2 approach was used to calculate metabolic rates (i.e., gross primary production (GPP), community respiration (CR), and net community production (NCP). The calculations show that GPP and CR rates in the seagrass meadow of Dongsha Island were approximately 2.5 times higher than the global means (GPP, 507 ± 173 vs. 225 ± 11 mmol O2 m-2 d-1; CR, 497 ± 171 vs. 188 ± 10 mmol O2 m-2 d-1), while NCP was similar to the global mean (8 ± 61 vs. 27 ± 6 mmol O2 m-2 d-1), suggesting that seagrass meadows with high GPP may not necessarily hold high potential for carbon sequestration. The current data set also reveal that NCP tended to increase with GPP only at lower GPP levels, while NCP did not increase with GPP anymore at higher GPP levels. Moreover, the autotrophic/heterotrophic status did not correspond well to the sink/source behavior of CO2, suggesting that organic carbon metabolism could not be the only dominant factor in determining the sink/source status in a typical seagrass meadow underlain by carbonate sediments, which was further supported by the observed decrease in the trend of pCO2 with a relatively stable NCP level over the study period. These results demonstrate that the metabolism and the relationship between NCP and pCO2 in the seagrass meadows of Dongsha Island may deviate greatly from the global mean condition. To obtain a better assessment of the global potential of seagrass meadows as a nature-based solution for carbon sequestration, more regional-specific studies are still needed in the key regions, such as Indonesia and the Pacific archipelagos, that support extensive seagrass meadows but have not been charted.

Benthic metabolism and nutrient uptake vary with geomorphology and season in a lowland river

Meandering rivers are characterized by geomorphic units like cut banks, point bars, and thalwegs. These units arise from interactions between hydrological and geomorphological forces. However, the individual contributions of geomorphic units to whole-river metabolism or nutrient processing are unclear because these quantifications are often done at larger spatial scales. We used closed recirculating chambers to measure benthic gross primary production (GPP), respiration (R), N uptake or release, and P uptake or release at bimonthly intervals over 1 y at different geomorphic units in the Mulde River, Germany. We compared GPP, R, and nutrient processing among a cut bank, a point bar, and the thalweg at a natural meander. We also compared the cut bank of this natural meander with a cut bank fixed by riprap at a human-altered meander. In the natural meander, GPP, R, and nutrient processing rates were higher at the point bar than the cut bank or thalweg. These differences are likely related to larger sediment grain sizes that provide a more stable substrate for microbial communities. A strong interaction between geomorphic units and time for GPP and NH4+ fluxes suggested that differences in nutrient processing rates among geomorphic units were restricted to specific times during the year. Specifically, we found that the nutrient processing rates differed among geomorphic units during the summer, but not winter. Furthermore, in June and August 2017, R was 2 to 3× lower at the cut bank stabilized by riprap than at the natural cut bank. Our results demonstrate that rivers are composed of functionally distinct geomorphic units susceptible to human-induced hydromorphological degradation. However, strong interactions between space and time and large within-geomorphic unit variability propose that local drivers influence ecosystem function, suggesting that we need additional research to resolve these drivers at the scales of geomorphic units.

石羊河流域水分利用效率及其对饱和水汽压差的响应

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 石羊河流域水分利用效率及其对饱和水汽压差的响应 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202111243322 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学青年基金项目(41705062,32071606); 甘肃省气象局研究型业务重点项目(ZD2021-02); 云南省教育厅项目"云南省高校山地实景点云数据处理及应用重点实验室" Spatial-temporal dynamics of water use efficiency and responding to vapor pressure deficit in Shiyang River Basin, northwestern China Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:水分利用效率(WUE)是叶片通过光合作用调节水分生理过程的指标,是联系生态系统碳循环与水循环关系的关键,反映了植被生态系统对立地环境快速调整和资源的变化适应策略。基于卫星遥感和地面观测数据,利用光能利用率模型和蒸散发经验估算模型,模拟石羊河流域2000-2019年植被总初级生产力(GPP)和蒸散发(ET)数据,估算2000-2019年不同植被类型的WUE空间分布特征,研究GPP/ET/WUE与饱和水汽压差(VPD)的相关性,探讨干旱区不同类型植被对水分利用及胁迫的适应策略。结果表明:(1) 2000-2019年石羊河流域植被WUE、GPP和ET的平均值分别为0.80 gC m-2 mm-1、256.52 gC/m2和302.52 mm,其三者的空间分布特征表现为"南高北低",即由流域源头至下游逐渐减少的空间分布。(2) 近20年内,流域内WUE、GPP和ET的变化率的平均值分别为0.017 gC m-2 mm-1 a-1,6.99 gC m-2 a-1和3.80 mm/a,流域总体呈现波动上升的趋势,但城区和民勤耕地-荒漠交接区呈不同程度的减少趋势。(3) 流域内不同类型植被的WUE平均值关系为:森林>农作物>草地>灌丛>荒漠植被>湿地植被,WUE增加速度的平均值关系为:农作物>森林>草地>灌丛>荒漠植被>湿地植被,与GPP基本一致,其中ET在灌丛、荒漠植被、湿地植被地区呈现降低趋势。(4) 研究区内GPP/ET/WUE与VPD相关性的空间分布特征与石羊河径流方向具有高度一致性,WUE与VPD相关性分布特征受土地利用以及径流方向影响显著。WUE与VPD呈正相关的区域主要分布在河西走廊绿洲东部和荒漠区东部,呈负相关区域主要分布在祁连山高海拔地区、河西走廊绿洲中部和荒漠区西部。因此,正确揭示内陆河植被GPP/ET/WUE的空间分异以及变化趋势及其对驱动因素VPD的响应,是了解流域尺度中干旱区植被对全球干旱加剧的适应性策略前提,进而为生态保护提供决策服务。 Abstract:Water use efficiency (WUE) is the regulation index of leaf photosynthesis on the water physiological process, as the key to link the relationship between the ecosystem carbon cycle and the water cycle, and directly reflects the rapid adjustment of the ecosystem to the site environment and the adaptation strategy of resource changes. The Gross primary production (GPP) temporal and spatial characteristics derived from the data of MODIS-NDVI by the Light Energy Utilization Model, and the Evapotranspiration (ET) temporal and spatial characteristics derived from the meteorological data by the Thornthwaite Evapotranspiration Model during 2000-2019 in Shiyang River Basin (SRB). In this research, we estimated the spatial pattern and temporal variations of the GPP, ET and WUE in different vegetation types from 2000 to 2019, investigated the co-relationship between GPP/ET/WUE and Vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and discussed the response of adaptation strategies for water utilization and stress in the arid area among the different vegetation. The results show that: (1) from 2000 to 2019, the average annual value of total WUE, GPP, and ET in SRB were 0.80 gC m-2 mm-1, 256.52 gC/m2, and 302.52 mm, respectively; The spatial patterns of average annual WUE, GPP and ET in the SRB's vegetated areas varied widely, and the values decreased from upstream on the south side of the Qilian Mountains and middle to downstream on the north side of the desert. (2) During the 20 years, the average slope of WUE, GPP, and ET showed an obvious upward trend in almost whole basin, with the rate of 0.017 gC m-2 mm-1 a-1, 6.99 gC m-2 a-1 and 3.80 mm/a. The change rates of WUE, GPP and ET within the basin exhibited an upward trend, except for Liangzhou and the areas surrounding Minqin cropland according to the urbanization and industrial adjustment. (3) The WUE, GPP and ET annual average values, and slope of trends among the different land use types also varied significantly. Among various vegetation types, the highest values of WUE, GPP and ET appeared in forests, and the lowest values presented in wetlands; the highest change rate of different vegetation was forest, and the lowest one was the wetland. (4) Correlation analysis and statistical results indicated that the correlation distribution characteristics of GPP/ET/WUE and VPD in the study area were highly consistent with the runoff direction of the SRB. As the WUE was determined by GPP and ET, the correlation distribution between WUE and VPD had obviously spatial heterogeneity with the land-use and SRB runoff direction. The positive correlation was distributed in the eastern part of the Hexi Corridor oasis and the eastern desert area, and the negative correlation was distributed in the high-altitude areas of the Qilian Mountains, the middle of the Hexi Corridor oasis and the western part of the desert area. Overall, correctly revealing the spatial differentiation and changing trend of GPP/ET/WUE of inland river vegetation and its response to the driving factor VPD was the premise of understanding the adaptive strategy of vegetation in arid areas at the watershed scale to the intensification of global drought, to provide decision-making services for ecological protection. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Seasonal Variations of Ecosystem Water Use Efficiency and Their Responses to Climate Factors in Inner Mongolia of China

Ecosystem water use efficiency (eWUE) is a useful metric to examine the interactions between water and carbon cycles in ecosystems. To reveal the response and adaptation characteristics of different vegetation types within the context of global warming on a regional scale, the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of the seasonal eWUE of various vegetation types in Inner Mongolia from 2001 to 2020 were explored. Based on MODIS gross primary productivity (GPP), evapotranspiration (ET) data and meteorological data, in this study, we estimated eWUE in different seasons in Inner Mongolia and used trend analysis and correlation analysis methods to analyze the relationship between eWUE in spring, summer and autumn and the temperature–precipitation. From 2001 to 2020, in this region, the GPP and ET in spring, summer and autumn showed increasing trends. In addition, the growth rates of GPP and ET in spring and summer were higher than those in autumn. Under the combined effect of GPP and ET, eWUE in different seasons showed a significant decreasing trend (p < 0.05)—this is ascribed to the extent of ET increasing more than GPP, especially in summer, with the most obvious decreasing rate. In terms of spatial trend, in spring and summer, there is a decreasing trend from northeast to southwest. The effects of precipitation and temperature on the eWUE in Inner Mongolia were mainly negatively correlated in the northeastern part of Inner Mongolia with higher altitudes during the spring and autumn seasons. In total, 95.096% of the total area had positive correlations between eWUE and temperature in spring. In summer, the region in which the WUE of the vegetation had an inverse relationship with both the temperature and the amount of precipitation was the largest compared to these regions in spring and autumn.

Temporal variability of phytoplankton biomass and net community production in a macrotidal temperate estuary

Coastal zones play a significant role in Earth's biogeochemical processes. Within these regions, estuaries are particularly important due to their complex ecological interactions and spatial and temporal variability. The aim of this study was to apply a year long high-frequency (15 min) environmental data time series to identify both the timing and factors influencing phytoplankton blooms in the Southampton Water estuary. Dissolved oxygen measurements from an in situ deployed optode were applied to the open diel oxygen method to estimate daily integrated rates of gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (ER) and net community production (NCP). Additional water quality data including temperature, salinity, chlorophyll concentration and turbidity allowed the relationship between physical and biological processes occurring over different time scales to be investigated. The occurrence of major phytoplankton blooms during the spring-summer period were associated with critical values of estuarine water temperature and mean water column irradiance. In addition, neap tides were found to promote the initiation of phytoplankton blooms in late spring and summer months. Annual daily average NCP for the estuarine ecosystem presented an estimated net heterotrophic state (−0.8 mmol O2 m−2 d−1), although seasonal productivity events shifted this state for several days and sometimes weeks to net autotrophic conditions. The results of this study have demonstrated how high frequency in situ dissolved oxygen measurements from an optode can make a valuable contribution to understanding the key factors influencing bloom events in a temperate macrotidal estuary. This approach if applied more widely to other coastal sites could therefore contribute to consolidating global annual primary production budgets for coastal regions.