Eutrophication exacerbates the impact of climate warming on lake methane emission

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 636; pp. 411 - 419
• Main Authors: Sepulveda-Jauregui, Armando, Hoyos-Santillan, Jorge, Martinez-Cruz, Karla, Walter Anthony, Katey M., Casper, Peter, Belmonte-Izquierdo, Yadira, Thalasso, Frédéric
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15.09.2018
• Subjects: Carbon cycle; Climate warming; Greenhouse gases; Lakes; Latitudinal gradient; Trophic status; Carbon cycle; Lakes; Climate warming; Trophic status; Greenhouse gases; Latitudinal gradient
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.283

Net methane (CH4) emission from lakes depends on two antagonistic processes: CH4 production (methanogenesis) and CH4 oxidation (methanotrophy). It is unclear how climate warming will affect the balance between these processes, particularly among lakes of different trophic status. Here we show that methanogenesis is more sensitive to temperature than methanotrophy, and that eutrophication magnifies this temperature sensitivity. Using laboratory incubations of water and sediment from ten tropical, temperate and subarctic lakes with contrasting trophic states, ranging from oligotrophic to hypereutrophic, we explored the temperature sensitivity of methanogenesis and methanotrophy. We found that both processes presented a higher temperature sensitivity in tropical lakes, followed by temperate, and subarctic lakes; but more importantly, we found that eutrophication triggered a higher temperature sensitivity. A model fed by our empirical data revealed that increasing lake water temperature by 2 °C leads to a net increase in CH4 emissions by 101–183% in hypereutrophic lakes and 47–56% in oligotrophic lakes. We conclude that climate warming will tilt the CH4 balance towards higher lake emission and that this impact will be exacerbated by the eutrophication of the lakes. [Display omitted] •Net methane emission from lakes depends on methanogenesis and methanotrophy•Methanogenesis is more sensitive to temperature increments than methanotrophy•Rates of methanogenesis and methanotrophy are positively influenced by eutrophication•A temperature buildup of 2 °C would lead to an increase in CH4 emissions by 47–183%