Anthropogenic alteration of nutrient supply increases the global freshwater carbon sink

N. J. Anderson; A. J. Heathcote; D. R. Engstrom; D. B. Ryves; K. Mills; Y. T. Prairie; P. A. del Giorgio; H. Bennion; S. Turner; N. L. Rose; V. J. Jones; N. Solovieva; A. Cook Shinneman; C. E. Umbanhowar; S. C. Fritz; D. Verschuren; J. E. Saros; J. M. Russell; R. Bindler; B. Valero-Garcés; M. B. Edlund; R. D. Dietz; A. E. Myrbo

doi:10.1126/sciadv.aaw2145

Anthropogenic alteration of nutrient supply increases the global freshwater carbon sink

N. J. Anderson, A. J. Heathcote, D. R. Engstrom, D. B. Ryves, K. Mills, Y. T. Prairie, P. A. del Giorgio, H. Bennion, S. Turner, N. L. Rose, V. J. Jones, N. Solovieva, A. Cook Shinneman, C. E. Umbanhowar, S. C. Fritz, D. Verschuren, J. E. Saros, J. M. Russell, R. Bindler, B. Valero-GarcésM. B. Edlund, R. D. Dietz, A. E. Myrbo

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

122 Scopus citations

Abstract

Lakes have a disproportionate effect on the global carbon (C) cycle relative to their area, mediating C transfer from land to atmosphere, and burying organic-C in their sediments. The magnitude and temporal variability of C burial is, however, poorly constrained, and the degree to which humans have influenced lake C cycling through landscape alteration has not been systematically assessed. Here, we report global and biome specific trajectories of lake C sequestration based on 516 lakes and show that some lake C burial rates (i.e., those in tropical forest and grassland biomes) have quadrupled over the last 100 years. Global lake C-sequestration (~0.12 Pg year⁻¹) has increased by ~72 Tg year⁻¹ since 1900, offsetting 20% of annual CO₂ freshwater emissions rising to ~30% if reservoirs are included and contributing to the residual continental C sink. Nutrient availability explains ~70% of the observed increase, while rising temperatures have a minimal effect.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	eaaw2145
Journal	Science Advances
Volume	6
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw2145
State	Published - Apr 2020

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Anderson, N. J., Heathcote, A. J., Engstrom, D. R., Ryves, D. B., Mills, K., Prairie, Y. T., del Giorgio, P. A., Bennion, H., Turner, S., Rose, N. L., Jones, V. J., Solovieva, N., Cook Shinneman, A., Umbanhowar, C. E., Fritz, S. C., Verschuren, D., Saros, J. E., Russell, J. M., Bindler, R., ... Myrbo, A. E. (2020). Anthropogenic alteration of nutrient supply increases the global freshwater carbon sink. Science Advances, 6(16), Article eaaw2145. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw2145

Anderson, NJ, Heathcote, AJ, Engstrom, DR, Ryves, DB, Mills, K, Prairie, YT, del Giorgio, PA, Bennion, H, Turner, S, Rose, NL, Jones, VJ, Solovieva, N, Cook Shinneman, A, Umbanhowar, CE, Fritz, SC, Verschuren, D, Saros, JE, Russell, JM, Bindler, R, Valero-Garcés, B, Edlund, MB, Dietz, RD & Myrbo, AE 2020, 'Anthropogenic alteration of nutrient supply increases the global freshwater carbon sink', Science Advances, vol. 6, no. 16, eaaw2145. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw2145

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title = "Anthropogenic alteration of nutrient supply increases the global freshwater carbon sink",

abstract = "Lakes have a disproportionate effect on the global carbon (C) cycle relative to their area, mediating C transfer from land to atmosphere, and burying organic-C in their sediments. The magnitude and temporal variability of C burial is, however, poorly constrained, and the degree to which humans have influenced lake C cycling through landscape alteration has not been systematically assessed. Here, we report global and biome specific trajectories of lake C sequestration based on 516 lakes and show that some lake C burial rates (i.e., those in tropical forest and grassland biomes) have quadrupled over the last 100 years. Global lake C-sequestration (~0.12 Pg year−1) has increased by ~72 Tg year−1 since 1900, offsetting 20% of annual CO2 freshwater emissions rising to ~30% if reservoirs are included and contributing to the residual continental C sink. Nutrient availability explains ~70% of the observed increase, while rising temperatures have a minimal effect.",

author = "Anderson, {N. J.} and Heathcote, {A. J.} and Engstrom, {D. R.} and Ryves, {D. B.} and K. Mills and Prairie, {Y. T.} and {del Giorgio}, {P. A.} and H. Bennion and S. Turner and Rose, {N. L.} and Jones, {V. J.} and N. Solovieva and {Cook Shinneman}, A. and Umbanhowar, {C. E.} and Fritz, {S. C.} and D. Verschuren and Saros, {J. E.} and Russell, {J. M.} and R. Bindler and B. Valero-Garc{\'e}s and Edlund, {M. B.} and Dietz, {R. D.} and Myrbo, {A. E.}",

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AU - Heathcote, A. J.

AU - Engstrom, D. R.

AU - Ryves, D. B.

AU - Mills, K.

AU - Prairie, Y. T.

AU - del Giorgio, P. A.

AU - Bennion, H.

AU - Turner, S.

AU - Rose, N. L.

AU - Jones, V. J.

AU - Solovieva, N.

AU - Cook Shinneman, A.

AU - Umbanhowar, C. E.

AU - Fritz, S. C.

AU - Verschuren, D.

AU - Saros, J. E.

AU - Russell, J. M.

AU - Bindler, R.

AU - Valero-Garcés, B.

AU - Edlund, M. B.

AU - Dietz, R. D.

AU - Myrbo, A. E.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).

PY - 2020/4

Y1 - 2020/4

N2 - Lakes have a disproportionate effect on the global carbon (C) cycle relative to their area, mediating C transfer from land to atmosphere, and burying organic-C in their sediments. The magnitude and temporal variability of C burial is, however, poorly constrained, and the degree to which humans have influenced lake C cycling through landscape alteration has not been systematically assessed. Here, we report global and biome specific trajectories of lake C sequestration based on 516 lakes and show that some lake C burial rates (i.e., those in tropical forest and grassland biomes) have quadrupled over the last 100 years. Global lake C-sequestration (~0.12 Pg year−1) has increased by ~72 Tg year−1 since 1900, offsetting 20% of annual CO2 freshwater emissions rising to ~30% if reservoirs are included and contributing to the residual continental C sink. Nutrient availability explains ~70% of the observed increase, while rising temperatures have a minimal effect.

AB - Lakes have a disproportionate effect on the global carbon (C) cycle relative to their area, mediating C transfer from land to atmosphere, and burying organic-C in their sediments. The magnitude and temporal variability of C burial is, however, poorly constrained, and the degree to which humans have influenced lake C cycling through landscape alteration has not been systematically assessed. Here, we report global and biome specific trajectories of lake C sequestration based on 516 lakes and show that some lake C burial rates (i.e., those in tropical forest and grassland biomes) have quadrupled over the last 100 years. Global lake C-sequestration (~0.12 Pg year−1) has increased by ~72 Tg year−1 since 1900, offsetting 20% of annual CO2 freshwater emissions rising to ~30% if reservoirs are included and contributing to the residual continental C sink. Nutrient availability explains ~70% of the observed increase, while rising temperatures have a minimal effect.

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Anthropogenic alteration of nutrient supply increases the global freshwater carbon sink

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