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Boreal lakes are the most abundant lakes on Earth. Changes in acid rain deposition, climate, and catchment land use have increased lateral fluxes of terrestrial dissolved organic matter (DOM), resulting in a widespread browning of boreal freshwaters. This browning affects the aqueous communities and ecosystem processes, and boost emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHG) CH 4 , CO 2 , and N 2 O. In this study, we predicted biotic saturation of GHGs in boreal lakes by using a set of chemical, hydrological, climate, and land use parameters. For this purpose, concentrations of GHGs and nutrients (organic C, -P, and -N) were determined in surface water samples from 73 lakes in south-eastern Norway covering wide ranges in DOM and nutrient concentrations, as well as catchment properties and land use. The spatial variation in saturation of each GHG is related to explanatory variables. Catchment characteristics (hydrological and climate parameters) such as lake size and summer precipitation, as well as NDVI, were key determinants when fitting GAM models for CH 4 and CO 2 saturation (explaining 71 and 54%, respectively), while summer precipitation and land use data were the best predictors for the N 2 O saturation, explaining almost 50% of deviance. Our results suggest that lake size, precipitation, and terrestrial primary production in the watershed control the saturation of GHG in boreal lakes. These predictions based on the 73-lake dataset was validated against an independent dataset from 46 lakes in the same region. Together, this provides an improved understanding of drivers and spatial variation in GHG saturation in boreal lakes across wide gradients of lake and catchment properties. The assessment highlights the need to incorporate multiple explanatory parameters in prediction models of GHGs for extrapolation across the boreal biome.
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Coupled CH 4 production and oxidation support CO 2 supersaturation in a tropical flood pulse lake (Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia)
Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) supersaturation in lakes and rivers worldwide is commonly attributed to terrestrial–aquatic transfers of organic and inorganic carbon (C) and subsequent, in situ aerobic respiration. Methane (CH 4 ) production and oxidation also contribute CO 2 to freshwaters, yet this remains largely unquantified. Flood pulse lakes and rivers in the tropics are hypothesized to receive large inputs of dissolved CO 2 and CH 4 from floodplains characterized by hypoxia and reducing conditions. We measured stable C isotopes of CO 2 and CH 4 , aerobic respiration, and CH 4 production and oxidation during two flood stages in Tonle Sap Lake (Cambodia) to determine whether dissolved CO 2 in this tropical flood pulse ecosystem has a methanogenic origin. Mean CO 2 supersaturation of 11,000 ± 9,000 μ atm could not be explained by aerobic respiration alone. 13 C depletion of dissolved CO 2 relative to other sources of organic and inorganic C, together with corresponding 13 C enrichment of CH 4 , suggested extensive CH 4 oxidation. A stable isotope-mixing model shows that the oxidation of 13 C depleted CH 4 to CO 2 contributes between 47 and 67% of dissolved CO 2 in Tonle Sap Lake. 13 C depletion of dissolved CO 2 was correlated to independently measured rates of CH 4 production and oxidation within the water column and underlying lake sediments. However, mass balance indicates that most of this CH 4 production and oxidation occurs elsewhere, within inundated soils and other floodplain habitats. Seasonal inundation of floodplains is a common feature of tropical freshwaters, where high reported CO 2 supersaturation and atmospheric emissions may be explained in part by coupled CH 4 production and oxidation.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1740042
- PAR ID:
- 10344507
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Volume:
- 119
- Issue:
- 8
- ISSN:
- 0027-8424
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2107667119
