0000000001310451
AUTHOR
Jussi Huotari
Effect of catchment characteristics on aquatic carbon export from a boreal catchment and its importance in regional carbon cycling
Inland waters transport and emit into the atmosphere large amounts of carbon (C), which originates from terrestrial ecosystems. The effect of land cover and land-use practises on C export from terrestrial ecosystems to inland waters is not fully understood, especially in heterogeneous landscapes under human influence. We sampled for dissolved C species in five tributaries with well-determined subcatchments (total size 174.5 km(2)), as well as in various points of two of the subcatchments draining to a boreal lake in southern Finland over a full year. Our aim was to find out how land cover and land-use affect C export from the catchments, as well as CH4 and CO2 concentrations of the streams,…
High Nitrogen Removal in a Constructed Wetland Receiving Treated Wastewater in a Cold Climate
Constructed wetlands provide cost-efficient nutrient removal, with minimal input of human labor and energy, and their number is globally increasing. However, in northern latitudes, wetlands are rarely utilized, because their nutrient removal efficiency has been questioned due to the cold climate. Here, we studied nutrient retention and nitrogen removal in a boreal constructed wetland (4-ha) receiving treated nitrogen-rich wastewater. On a yearly basis, most of the inorganic nutrients were retained by the wetland. The highest retention efficiency was found during the ice-free period, being 79% for ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+-N), 71% for nitrate-nitrogen (NO3--N), and 88% for phosphate-phosphorus…
Denitrifying microbial communities along a boreal stream with varying land-use
Streams have an important role in regulating nitrogen (N) transportation from terrestrial ecosystems to downstream waters. Here, we examined how catchment land-use affects potential denitrification rates and the function and composition of denitrifier communities in boreal stream sediments, using stable isotope incubations and qPCR and 454-pyrosequencing targeted on nirS, nirK and nosZ genes. Although land-use influenced the water chemistry as higher nitrite + nitrate (NO x − ) concentration at the agriculture-affected sampling point, sediment organic matter content was found to be the key factor in regulating potential denitrification rates. However, the abundance as well as the diversity …
Ecosystem responses to increased organic carbon concentration: comparing results based on long-term monitoring and whole-lake experimentation
Recent increases in terrestrial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in northern inland waters have many ecological consequences. We examined available data on carbon cycles and food webs of 2 boreal headwater lakes in southern Finland. Basic limnology and catchment characteristics of a pristine lake, Valkea-Kotinen (VK), were monitored over the past 25 years while the lake has undergone browning and DOC increased from similar to 11 to 13 mg L-1. Pronounced changes in the early 2000s represent a regime shift in DOC concentration and color. Lake Alinen Mustajarvi (AM) was manipulated for 2 years by additions of labile DOC (cane sugar), raising the DOC concentration from similar to 1…
Ecosystem responses to increased organic carbon concentration: comparing results based on long-term monitoring and whole-lake experimentation
Recent increases in terrestrial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in northern inland waters have many ecological consequences. We examined available data on carbon cycles and food webs of 2 boreal headwater lakes in southern Finland. Basic limnology and catchment characteristics of a pristine lake, Valkea-Kotinen (VK), were monitored over the past 25 years while the lake has undergone browning and DOC increased from ∼11 to 13 mg L−1. Pronounced changes in the early 2000s represent a regime shift in DOC concentration and color. Lake Alinen Mustajärvi (AM) was manipulated for 2 years by additions of labile DOC (cane sugar), raising the DOC concentration from ∼10 to 12 mg L−1, but …