0000000000041471
AUTHOR
Sirje Vilbaste
Contributions of autochthonous and allochthonous sources to dissolved organic matter in a large, shallow, eutrophic lake with a highly calcareous catchment
We traced the origin of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the large, shallow, eutrophic Lake Vortsjarv in Estonia. Allochthonous DOM (Al-DOM) had higher δ13C values than autochthonous DOM (Au-DOM). The δ13C of inflow DOM varied from −28.2‰ to −25.4‰ (mean −26.7‰) and in-lake DOM varied from −28.4‰ to −26.1‰ (mean −27.2‰). Low stable isotope (SI) signatures of Au-DOM were caused by relatively 13C-depleted values of its precursors (mainly phytoplankton) with mean δ13C of −28.9‰. SI signatures of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the inflows and in the lake were also relatively low (from −15.1‰ to −3.28‰). SI values of DOM were lower during the active growing season from May to September and…
Science Advances
River ecosystems receive and process vast quantities of terrestrial organic carbon, the fate of which depends strongly on microbial activity. Variation in and controls of processing rates, however, are poorly characterized at the global scale. In response, we used a peer-sourced research network and a highly standardized carbon processing assay to conduct a global-scale field experiment in greater than 1000 river and riparian sites. We found that Earth’s biomes have distinct carbon processing signatures. Slow processing is evident across latitudes, whereas rapid rates are restricted to lower latitudes. Both the mean rate and variability decline with latitude, suggesting temperature constrai…