Biophysical controls on organic carbon fluxes in fluvial networks

Tom J. Battin; Louis A. Kaplan; Stuart Findlay; Charles S. Hopkinson; Eugenia Marti; Aaron I. Packman; J. Denis Newbold; Francesc Sabater

doi:10.1038/ngeo101

Biophysical controls on organic carbon fluxes in fluvial networks

Tom J. Battin, Louis A. Kaplan, Stuart Findlay, Charles S. Hopkinson, Eugenia Marti, Aaron I. Packman, J. Denis Newbold, Francesc Sabater

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1134 Scopus citations

Abstract

Metabolism of terrestrial organic carbon in freshwater ecosystems is responsible for a large amount of carbon dioxide outgassing to the atmosphere, in contradiction to the conventional wisdom that terrestrial organic carbon is recalcitrant and contributes little to the support of aquatic metabolism. Here, we combine recent findings from geophysics, microbial ecology and organic geochemistry to show geophysical opportunity and microbial capacity to enhance the net heterotrophy in streams, rivers and estuaries. We identify hydrological storage and retention zones that extend the residence time of organic carbon during downstream transport as geophysical opportunities for microorganisms to develop as attached biofilms or suspended aggregates, and to metabolize organic carbon for energy and growth. We consider fluvial networks as meta-ecosystems to include the acclimation of microbial communities in downstream ecosystems that enable them to exploit energy that escapes from upstream ecosystems, thereby increasing the overall energy utilization at the network level.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	95-100
Number of pages	6
Journal	Nature Geoscience
Volume	1
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo101
State	Published - Feb 2008

Funding

We wish to thank Kenneth Bencala, Robert Runkel and Björn Gücker for making available data from tracer experiments. Patrick J. Mulholland, Robert Hall, Jeff Houser, Urs Ühlinger and Walter Dodds provided data on whole-ecosystem metabolism. Wilfred F. Wollheim, Balazs M. Feteke and Charles Vörösmarty generously made available unpublished data on stream and river surface area. Our work in this area is supported by the FWF (P16935-B03, S10005-B17) and ESF (I43-B06) to T.J.B., NSF (DEB-0516516, EAR 0450331) to L.A.K., NSF (OCE-0423565, DEB-0614282, BCS-0709685)to C.S.H., NSF (EAR-0408744) to A.I.P. and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science to E.M. T.J.B. and A.I.P. are affiliates of NSF EAR-0636043.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Earth and Planetary Sciences

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1038/ngeo101

Cite this

@article{d6d2527411844578ac5b06f928343048,

title = "Biophysical controls on organic carbon fluxes in fluvial networks",

abstract = "Metabolism of terrestrial organic carbon in freshwater ecosystems is responsible for a large amount of carbon dioxide outgassing to the atmosphere, in contradiction to the conventional wisdom that terrestrial organic carbon is recalcitrant and contributes little to the support of aquatic metabolism. Here, we combine recent findings from geophysics, microbial ecology and organic geochemistry to show geophysical opportunity and microbial capacity to enhance the net heterotrophy in streams, rivers and estuaries. We identify hydrological storage and retention zones that extend the residence time of organic carbon during downstream transport as geophysical opportunities for microorganisms to develop as attached biofilms or suspended aggregates, and to metabolize organic carbon for energy and growth. We consider fluvial networks as meta-ecosystems to include the acclimation of microbial communities in downstream ecosystems that enable them to exploit energy that escapes from upstream ecosystems, thereby increasing the overall energy utilization at the network level.",

author = "Battin, {Tom J.} and Kaplan, {Louis A.} and Stuart Findlay and Hopkinson, {Charles S.} and Eugenia Marti and Packman, {Aaron I.} and Newbold, {J. Denis} and Francesc Sabater",

note = "Funding Information: We wish to thank Kenneth Bencala, Robert Runkel and Bj{\"o}rn G{\"u}cker for making available data from tracer experiments. Patrick J. Mulholland, Robert Hall, Jeff Houser, Urs {\"U}hlinger and Walter Dodds provided data on whole-ecosystem metabolism. Wilfred F. Wollheim, Balazs M. Feteke and Charles V{\"o}r{\"o}smarty generously made available unpublished data on stream and river surface area. Our work in this area is supported by the FWF (P16935-B03, S10005-B17) and ESF (I43-B06) to T.J.B., NSF (DEB-0516516, EAR 0450331) to L.A.K., NSF (OCE-0423565, DEB-0614282, BCS-0709685)to C.S.H., NSF (EAR-0408744) to A.I.P. and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science to E.M. T.J.B. and A.I.P. are affiliates of NSF EAR-0636043.",

year = "2008",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1038/ngeo101",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "1",

pages = "95--100",

journal = "Nature Geoscience",

issn = "1752-0894",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Biophysical controls on organic carbon fluxes in fluvial networks

AU - Battin, Tom J.

AU - Kaplan, Louis A.

AU - Findlay, Stuart

AU - Hopkinson, Charles S.

AU - Marti, Eugenia

AU - Packman, Aaron I.

AU - Newbold, J. Denis

AU - Sabater, Francesc

N1 - Funding Information: We wish to thank Kenneth Bencala, Robert Runkel and Björn Gücker for making available data from tracer experiments. Patrick J. Mulholland, Robert Hall, Jeff Houser, Urs Ühlinger and Walter Dodds provided data on whole-ecosystem metabolism. Wilfred F. Wollheim, Balazs M. Feteke and Charles Vörösmarty generously made available unpublished data on stream and river surface area. Our work in this area is supported by the FWF (P16935-B03, S10005-B17) and ESF (I43-B06) to T.J.B., NSF (DEB-0516516, EAR 0450331) to L.A.K., NSF (OCE-0423565, DEB-0614282, BCS-0709685)to C.S.H., NSF (EAR-0408744) to A.I.P. and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science to E.M. T.J.B. and A.I.P. are affiliates of NSF EAR-0636043.

PY - 2008/2

Y1 - 2008/2

N2 - Metabolism of terrestrial organic carbon in freshwater ecosystems is responsible for a large amount of carbon dioxide outgassing to the atmosphere, in contradiction to the conventional wisdom that terrestrial organic carbon is recalcitrant and contributes little to the support of aquatic metabolism. Here, we combine recent findings from geophysics, microbial ecology and organic geochemistry to show geophysical opportunity and microbial capacity to enhance the net heterotrophy in streams, rivers and estuaries. We identify hydrological storage and retention zones that extend the residence time of organic carbon during downstream transport as geophysical opportunities for microorganisms to develop as attached biofilms or suspended aggregates, and to metabolize organic carbon for energy and growth. We consider fluvial networks as meta-ecosystems to include the acclimation of microbial communities in downstream ecosystems that enable them to exploit energy that escapes from upstream ecosystems, thereby increasing the overall energy utilization at the network level.

AB - Metabolism of terrestrial organic carbon in freshwater ecosystems is responsible for a large amount of carbon dioxide outgassing to the atmosphere, in contradiction to the conventional wisdom that terrestrial organic carbon is recalcitrant and contributes little to the support of aquatic metabolism. Here, we combine recent findings from geophysics, microbial ecology and organic geochemistry to show geophysical opportunity and microbial capacity to enhance the net heterotrophy in streams, rivers and estuaries. We identify hydrological storage and retention zones that extend the residence time of organic carbon during downstream transport as geophysical opportunities for microorganisms to develop as attached biofilms or suspended aggregates, and to metabolize organic carbon for energy and growth. We consider fluvial networks as meta-ecosystems to include the acclimation of microbial communities in downstream ecosystems that enable them to exploit energy that escapes from upstream ecosystems, thereby increasing the overall energy utilization at the network level.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=51249119056&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=51249119056&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/ngeo101

DO - 10.1038/ngeo101

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:51249119056

SN - 1752-0894

VL - 1

SP - 95

EP - 100

JO - Nature Geoscience

JF - Nature Geoscience

IS - 2

ER -

Biophysical controls on organic carbon fluxes in fluvial networks

Abstract

Funding

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this