Terrestrial carbon and intraspecific size-variation shape lake ecosystems
Conceptual models of lake ecosystem structure and function have generally assumed that energy in pelagic systems is derived from in situ photosynthesis and that its use by higher trophic levels depends on the average properties of individuals in consumer populations.These views are challenged by evidence that allochthonous subsidies of organic carbon greatly influence energy mobilization and transfer and the trophic structure of pelagic food webs, and that size variation within consumer species has major ramifications for lake communitydynamics and structure. These discoveries represent conceptual shifts that have yet to be integrated into current views on lake ecosystems. Here, we assess k…
Inter-laboratory differences in the apparent quantum yield for the photochemical production of dissolved inorganic carbon in inland waters and implications for photochemical rate modeling
Solar radiation initiates photochemical oxidation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in inland waters, contributing to their carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. Models can determine photochemical DIC production over large spatiotemporal scales and assess its role in aquatic C cycling. The apparent quantum yield (AQY) spectrum for photochemical DIC production, defined as mol DIC produced per mol chromophoric dissolved organic matter-absorbed photons, is a critical model parameter. In previous studies, the principle for the determination of AQY spectra is the same but methodological specifics differ, and the extent to which these differences influenc…