Fate of Dissolved Organic Carbon in Lakes
Author Information
Author(s): Hanson Paul C., Hamilton David P., Stanley Emily H., Preston Nicholas, Langman Owen C., Kara Emily L.
Primary Institution: Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
Hypothesis
How does DOC recalcitrance, in combination with the processing capacity of lakes, control the fate of DOC loads to lakes?
Conclusion
The fate of allochthonous dissolved organic carbon in lakes is primarily influenced by mineralization rates and hydrologic residence time.
Supporting Evidence
- Mineralization rates at the ecosystem scale were roughly half the values from laboratory experiments.
- Lakes with residence times less than 1 year exported approximately 60% of the DOC.
- Lakes with residence times greater than 6 years mineralized approximately 60% of the DOC.
Takeaway
Lakes can either keep or send away organic carbon from the land, and how they do this depends on how long the water stays in the lake and how quickly the carbon breaks down.
Methodology
A coupled hydrodynamic-water quality model was used to simulate various lake sizes and dissolved organic carbon concentrations.
Limitations
The study's assumptions about constant inflow and fixed loads may not represent natural variability.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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