Cryptic Constituents: The Paradox of High Flux–Low Concentration Components of Aquatic Ecosystems

The interface between terrestrial ecosystems and inland waters is an important link in the global carbon cycle. However, the extent to which allochthonous organic matter entering freshwater systems plays a major role in microbial and higher-trophic-level processes is under debate. Human perturbation...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water (Basel) 2021, Vol.13 (16), p.2301
Main Authors: Olofsson, Malin, Power, Mary E., Stahl, David A., Vadeboncoeur, Yvonne, Brett, Michael T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Aquatic ecosystems
Aquatic environment
Biofilms
Biomass
Carbon
Constituents
Consumers
Consumption
Cyanobacteria
Dissolved organic carbon
Fluxes
Food chains
Food quality
Food webs
Inland waters
Lakes
Low concentrations
Mass balance
Metabolism
Microorganisms
Molecular interactions
Oceanografi, hydrologi, vattenresurser
Oceanography, Hydrology, Water Resources
Organic matter
Plankton
Predation
Sediments
Terrestrial ecosystems
Terrestrial environments
Turnover rate
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Summary:The interface between terrestrial ecosystems and inland waters is an important link in the global carbon cycle. However, the extent to which allochthonous organic matter entering freshwater systems plays a major role in microbial and higher-trophic-level processes is under debate. Human perturbations can alter fluxes of terrestrial carbon to aquatic environments in complex ways. The biomass and production of aquatic microbes are traditionally thought to be resource limited via stoichiometric constraints such as nutrient ratios or the carbon standing stock at a given timepoint. Low concentrations of a particular constituent, however, can be strong evidence of its importance in food webs. High fluxes of a constituent are often associated with low concentrations due to high uptake rates, particularly in aquatic food webs. A focus on biomass rather than turnover can lead investigators to misconstrue dissolved organic carbon use by bacteria. By combining tracer methods with mass balance calculations, we reveal hidden patterns in aquatic ecosystems that emphasize fluxes, turnover rates, and molecular interactions. We suggest that this approach will improve forecasts of aquatic ecosystem responses to warming or altered nitrogen usage.
ISSN:2073-4441
2073-4441
DOI:10.3390/w13162301