Effects of soil dissolved organic matter inputs on high-elevation lake metabolism

Abstract:

Concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) have been increasing in many aquatic ecosystems. In snow-dominated systems, longer growing seasons and shifts in precipitation from snow to rain are expected to increase terrestrial DOM loading in lakes. In particular, high-elevation lakes are susceptible to the effects of rain-induced loading because they are often located in steep catchments with thin soils and impermeable rock outcrops that rapidly channel runoff. Observational studies have linked rain-induced loading with increased lake DOM and nutrient concentrations, altering ecosystem metabolic rates. However, the aquatic ecosystem response to different magnitudes of terrestrial DOM loading remains unclear. We hypothesize that low levels of DOM loading will stimulate rates of primary production to a greater extent than heterotrophic respiration as phytoplankton in these oligotrophic lakes exploit increased inorganic nutrient availability, ultimately increasing net ecosystem production. In contrast, we expect high levels of loading to suppress rates of gross primary production through reduced transparency of photosynthetically active radiation, while stimulating heterotrophic respiration through increased DOM substrate availability for bacterioplankton. We predict there will be a threshold DOM-loading level above which net ecosystem metabolism becomes heterotrophic. To test these hypotheses we conducted a series of in situ incubations of lake water amended with soil DOM extracted from catchment Entisols and Inceptisols. Background concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in these lakes are typically ~60 - 80 μM during the ice-free season. Incubation treatments included a control with ambient DOC concentration, soil DOM additions targeting +10 μM, +20 μM, +60 μM, +190 μM, +440 μM, and +940 μM DOC, and a nutrient amendment matching inorganic N and P concentrations in the highest soil DOM treatment. We develop models that predict phytoplankton and bacterioplankton dynamics and ecosystem metabolic rates along this gradient of terrestrial loading. Such models are critical to understanding how aquatic ecosystems may change in response to the ‘browning’ of inland waters.