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Vegetation transitions drive the autotrophy-heterotrophy balance in Arctic lakes

McGowan, Suzanne; Anderson, N. John; Edwards, Mary E.; Hopla, Emma; Jones, Viv; Langdon, Pete G.; Law, Antonia; Soloveiva, Nadia; Turner, Simon; van Hardenbroek, Maarten; Whiteford, Erika J.; Wiik, Emma

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Authors

Suzanne McGowan

N. John Anderson

Mary E. Edwards

Emma Hopla

Viv Jones

Pete G. Langdon

Antonia Law

Nadia Soloveiva

Simon Turner

Maarten van Hardenbroek

Erika J. Whiteford

Emma Wiik



Abstract

“Arctic greening” will alter vegetation quantity and quality in northern watersheds, with possible consequences for lake metabolic balance. We used paleolimnology from six Arctic lakes in Greenland, Norway, and Alaska to develop a conceptual model describing how climate-driven shifts in terrestrial vegetation (spanning herb to boreal forest) influence lake autotrophic biomass (as chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments). Major autotrophic transitions occurred, including (1) optimal production of siliceous algae and cyanobacteria/chlorophytes at intermediate vegetation cover (dwarf shrub and Betula; dissolved organic carbon (DOC) range of 2–4 mg L-1), below and above which UVR exposure (DOC;4 mgL-1), respectively limit algal biomass, (2) an increase in potentially mixotrophic cryptophytes with higher forest cover and allochthonous carbon supply. Vegetation cover appears to influence lake autotrophs by changing influx of (colored) dissolved organic matter which has multiple interacting roles—as a photoprotectant—in light attenuation and in macronutrient (carbon, nitrogen) supply.

Citation

McGowan, S., Anderson, N. J., Edwards, M. E., Hopla, E., Jones, V., Langdon, P. G., …Wiik, E. (in press). Vegetation transitions drive the autotrophy-heterotrophy balance in Arctic lakes. Limnology and Oceanography Letters, https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10086

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Apr 10, 2018
Online Publication Date May 4, 2018
Deposit Date May 21, 2018
Publicly Available Date May 21, 2018
Journal Limnology and Oceanography Letters
Electronic ISSN 2378-2242
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10086
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/930942
Publisher URL https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/lol2.10086
Contract Date May 21, 2018

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