Drivers for ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period in Dongting Lake, China

Global lakes play an active role in releasing carbon into the atmosphere. However, previous research was less focused on shallow tropical and sub-tropical lakes, especially ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period. This study was designed to determine the environmental factors that determine...

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Main Authors: Yan Zhou, Lei Jing, Shaoquan Wang, Yifei Jia, Yushu Wang, Guangchun Lei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Environmental Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1181894/full
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author Yan Zhou
Lei Jing
Shaoquan Wang
Yifei Jia
Yushu Wang
Guangchun Lei
author_facet Yan Zhou
Lei Jing
Shaoquan Wang
Yifei Jia
Yushu Wang
Guangchun Lei
author_sort Yan Zhou
collection DOAJ
description Global lakes play an active role in releasing carbon into the atmosphere. However, previous research was less focused on shallow tropical and sub-tropical lakes, especially ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period. This study was designed to determine the environmental factors that determine ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period in a typical shallow sub-tropical lake, Dongting Lake in China. Ecosystem respiration from the exposed mudflat and a newly colonized meadow were investigated using a Li-8100 soil CO2 flux system in situ. The soil water content soil organic carbon (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total nitrogen and soil C/N ratio were measured at 0–30 cm soil depth layers. No difference was found among different soil depth layers for soil properties, while the dissolved organic carbon value varied significantly among different levels of the cumulative days of the mudflat exposed to the air (CDE). Carex colonizing significantly increased soil organic carbon and DOC at the surface soil layer. Exposure to the air and Carex colonizing together strengthened the intensity of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in the mudflat, achieving 0.716 ± 0.114 μmol m-2s-1 and 2.240 ± 0.375 μmol m-2s-1, respectively. Exposure to the air led mudflat to exceed other landscapes or different vegetation types in Dongting Lake, becoming the most active area releasing CO2 into the atmosphere, with the respiration flux reaching a peak period at around 60 days after exposure, which was enormously reinforced by Carex colonizing. Reducing the area and duration of mudflat exposure to the air during the drawdown period might be useful in reducing CO2 emissions to the atmosphere in shallow sub-tropical lakes.
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spelling doaj.art-ce90f0e5f0c64548af100c839c44e6f12023-04-10T04:21:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2023-04-011110.3389/fenvs.2023.11818941181894Drivers for ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period in Dongting Lake, ChinaYan Zhou0Lei Jing1Shaoquan Wang2Yifei Jia3Yushu Wang4Guangchun Lei5Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, ChinaCo-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, ChinaSchool of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaGlobal lakes play an active role in releasing carbon into the atmosphere. However, previous research was less focused on shallow tropical and sub-tropical lakes, especially ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period. This study was designed to determine the environmental factors that determine ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period in a typical shallow sub-tropical lake, Dongting Lake in China. Ecosystem respiration from the exposed mudflat and a newly colonized meadow were investigated using a Li-8100 soil CO2 flux system in situ. The soil water content soil organic carbon (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total nitrogen and soil C/N ratio were measured at 0–30 cm soil depth layers. No difference was found among different soil depth layers for soil properties, while the dissolved organic carbon value varied significantly among different levels of the cumulative days of the mudflat exposed to the air (CDE). Carex colonizing significantly increased soil organic carbon and DOC at the surface soil layer. Exposure to the air and Carex colonizing together strengthened the intensity of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in the mudflat, achieving 0.716 ± 0.114 μmol m-2s-1 and 2.240 ± 0.375 μmol m-2s-1, respectively. Exposure to the air led mudflat to exceed other landscapes or different vegetation types in Dongting Lake, becoming the most active area releasing CO2 into the atmosphere, with the respiration flux reaching a peak period at around 60 days after exposure, which was enormously reinforced by Carex colonizing. Reducing the area and duration of mudflat exposure to the air during the drawdown period might be useful in reducing CO2 emissions to the atmosphere in shallow sub-tropical lakes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1181894/fulldongting lakemudflatdrawdownecosystem respirationcarex colonizingsoil
spellingShingle Yan Zhou
Lei Jing
Shaoquan Wang
Yifei Jia
Yushu Wang
Guangchun Lei
Drivers for ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period in Dongting Lake, China
Frontiers in Environmental Science
dongting lake
mudflat
drawdown
ecosystem respiration
carex colonizing
soil
title Drivers for ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period in Dongting Lake, China
title_full Drivers for ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period in Dongting Lake, China
title_fullStr Drivers for ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period in Dongting Lake, China
title_full_unstemmed Drivers for ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period in Dongting Lake, China
title_short Drivers for ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period in Dongting Lake, China
title_sort drivers for ecosystem respiration during the drawdown period in dongting lake china
topic dongting lake
mudflat
drawdown
ecosystem respiration
carex colonizing
soil
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1181894/full
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AT shaoquanwang driversforecosystemrespirationduringthedrawdownperiodindongtinglakechina
AT yifeijia driversforecosystemrespirationduringthedrawdownperiodindongtinglakechina
AT yushuwang driversforecosystemrespirationduringthedrawdownperiodindongtinglakechina
AT guangchunlei driversforecosystemrespirationduringthedrawdownperiodindongtinglakechina