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Links between Terrestrial Primary Production and Bacterial Production and Respiration in Lakes in a Climate Gradient in Subarctic Sweden

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Abstract

We compared terrestrial net primary production (NPP) and terrestrial export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) with lake water heterotrophic bacterial activity in 12 headwater lake catchments along an altitude gradient in subarctic Sweden. Modelled NPP declined strongly with altitude and annual air temperature decreases along the altitude gradient (6°C between the warmest and the coldest catchment). Estimated terrestrial DOC export to the lakes was closely correlated to NPP. Heterotrophic bacterial production (BP) and respiration (BR) were mainly based on terrestrial organic carbon and strongly correlated with the terrestrial DOC export. Excess respiration over PP of the pelagic system was similar to net emission of CO2 in the lakes. BR and CO2 emission made up considerably higher shares of the terrestrial DOC input in warm lakes than in cold lakes, implying that respiration and the degree of net heterotrophy in the lakes were dependant not only on terrestrial export of DOC, but also on characteristics in the lakes which changed along the gradient and affected the bacterial metabolization of allochthonous DOC. The study showed close links between terrestrial primary production, terrestrial DOC export and bacterial activity in lakes and how these relationships were dependant on air temperature. Increases in air temperature in high latitude unproductive systems might have considerable consequences for lake water productivity and release of CO2 to the atmosphere, which are ultimately determined by terrestrial primary production.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Ludmilla Janeck and Thomas Westin for their assistance during field work. Financial support was given by the Climate Impacts Research Centre, Umeå University and ALARM (funding from the EU Framework Programme 6 Contract number: GOCE-CT-2003-506675).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden

    Mats Jansson & Anders Jonsson

  2. Geobiosphere Science Centre, Department of Physical Geography & Ecosystems Analysis, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62, Lund, Sweden

    Thomas Hickler

  3. Climate Impacts Research Centre (CIRC), Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, BOX 62, 98107, Abisko, Sweden

    Jan Karlsson

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  1. Mats Jansson
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Correspondence to Mats Jansson.

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Jansson, M., Hickler, T., Jonsson, A. et al. Links between Terrestrial Primary Production and Bacterial Production and Respiration in Lakes in a Climate Gradient in Subarctic Sweden. Ecosystems 11, 367–376 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-008-9127-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-008-9127-2

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