TY - JOUR
T1 - Freshwater Biogeochemical Hotspots
T2 - High Primary Production and Ecosystem Respiration in Shallow Waterbodies
AU - Rabaey, Joseph S
AU - Holgerson, Meredith A.
AU - Richardson, David C.
AU - Andersen, Mikkel R.
AU - Bansal, Sheel
AU - Bortolotti, Lauren E.
AU - Cotner, James B.
AU - Hornbach, Daniel J.
AU - Martinsen, Kenneth T.
AU - Moody, Eric K.
AU - Schloegel, Olivia F.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024. The Author(s).
PY - 2024/8/16
Y1 - 2024/8/16
N2 - Ponds, 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.
AB - Ponds, 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.
KW - ecosystem metabolism
KW - oxygen
KW - pond
KW - shallow
KW - shallow lake
KW - wetland
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U2 - 10.1029/2023GL106689
DO - 10.1029/2023GL106689
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85200051256
SN - 0094-8276
VL - 51
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
JF - Geophysical Research Letters
IS - 15
M1 - e2023GL106689
ER -