Climate-dependent CO2 emissions from lakes

• Published in: Global biogeochemical cycles Vol. 24; no. 2
• Main Authors: Kosten, Sarian, Roland, Fábio, Da Motta Marques, David M. L., Van Nes, Egbert H., Mazzeo, Néstor, Sternberg, Leonel da S. L., Scheffer, Marten, Cole, Jon J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2010; American Geophysical Union
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; aquatic ecosystems; atmospheric co2; Biogeochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; boreal lakes; Carbon; Carbon cycle; Carbon dioxide emissions; carbon-dioxide; climate; Climate change; Earth; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Geobiology; Geochemistry; heterotrophy; Inland waters; Lakes; Limnology; metabolic balance; Mineralization; Oceans; Organic carbon; respiration; shallow lakes; surface waters; Synecology; terrestrial; South America; ASW, South America; carbon dioxide; reservoirs; decomposition; global; climate; carbon cycle; Shallow water; preservation; mineralization; balance; correlation; burial; ocean; partial pressure; temperature; lakes; organic carbon; sediments; climate change
• ISSN: 0886-6236; 1944-9224
• DOI: 10.1029/2009GB003618

Inland waters, just as the world's oceans, play an important role in the global carbon cycle. While lakes and reservoirs typically emit CO2, they also bury carbon in their sediment. The net CO2 emission is largely the result of the decomposition or preservation of terrestrially supplied carbon. What regulates the balance between CO2 emission and carbon burial is not known, but climate change and temperature have been hypothesized to influence both processes. We analyzed patterns in carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2) in 83 shallow lakes over a large climatic gradient in South America and found a strong, positive correlation with temperature. The higher pCO2 in warmer lakes may be caused by a higher, temperature‐dependent mineralization of organic carbon. This pattern suggests that cool lakes may start to emit more CO2 when they warm up because of climate change.