Dissolved Organic Carbon Concentration and Phytoplankton Biomass in High-Mountain Lakes of the Austrian Alps: Potential Effect of Climatic Warming on UV Underwater Attenuation

Sommaruga, Ruben; Psenner, Roland; Schafferer, Ellen; Koinig, Karin A.; Sommaruga-Wögrath, Sabine

doi:10.2307/1552253

Cited by 48 publications

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“…On the other hand, in the Central Alps, mean annual air temperature has increased in the last century, but total annual precipitation has not changed (Beniston et al, 1997;Sommaruga-Wçgrath et al, 1997). In this case, climate warming seems to have promoted better conditions for terrestrial vegetation development and higher soil organic content, increasing the allochthonous DOC input to alpine aquatic systems (Hauer et al, 1997;Sommaruga et al, 1999). As for alpine lakes, subarctic lakes, also situated near the treeline, are sensitive to climatic effects on catchment hydrology, rendering them vulnerable to changes in incident UV (Vincent and Pienitz, 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of chromophoric dissolved organic matter on epilimnetic stratification in lakes

Caplanne

Laurion

2008

Aquat. Sci.

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Empirical studies on lake thermal regimes have shown that stratification is correlated with the concentration of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Thermal stratification has implications for photosynthesis, photoinhibition, photobleaching and carbon cycling. The objectives of this study were to quantify the role of chromophoric DOM (CDOM) on epilimnetic thermal structure and to estimate the contribution of ultraviolet (UV), visible and infrared radiation (IR) to the near-surface warming of lakes as a function of their DOM content. A simplified thermal model was applied, assuming all energy absorbed by the system is converted to heat and excluding mixing and heat losses. For the upper 0.5 m of the water column, the model generated a temperature increase of 1.5 8C after one hour of noon irradiance in a strongly humic lake, as compared to 1 8C in pure water. UV, visible light and IR contributed 6, 32 and 62 % of warming in the humic lake, compared to 0, 5 and 95 % in pure water. As CDOM absorption coefficient increases, UVA and especially visible light play an increasing role in stratification. Field data also support the significant role of CDOM absorption on near-surface thermocline occurrence. Near-surface stratification was a common feature during summer in a lake with a moderate DOC content (4.8 mg L -1 ) and color (a 320 = 16.4 m -1 ). Based on a temperature-stability criterion of 0.2 8C m -1 , this lake had a stable epilimnion 64 % of the time, compared to 53 % for a lake that had much lower DOC concentration (1.8 mg L -1 ) and color (3 m -1 ).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of chromophoric dissolved organic matter on epilimnetic stratification in lakes

Caplanne

Laurion

2008

Aquat. Sci.

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“…Here we show that DOM also results in enhanced trophic forcing that alters the producer species assemblage. These substantial changes in ecosystem structure and function are likely to influence alpine systems as climate change is increasing the elevation of tree line (Harsch et al 2009) and hence the inputs of terrestrially derived DOM resource subsidies (Vinebrooke and Leavitt 1998;Sommaruga et al 1999).…”

Section: Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, these watersheds are undergoing rapid vegetation changes due to multiple drivers, including climate change (Roush et al 2007) and insect epidemics (Raffa et al 2008), and these watershed changes affect lakewater chemistry. Tree line advance is occurring in many alpine regions as a result of temperature and precipitation changes (Roush et al 2007;Harsch et al 2009), with the establishment of trees potentially increasing the concentration of DOC in lakes (Vinebrooke and Leavitt 1998;Sommaruga et al 1999). The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) is also causing rapid terrestrial change in high-elevation regions of western North America, inducing high rates of pine (Pinus contorta, P. flexilis, and P. ponderosa) mortality that are accompanied by substantial increases in litterfall to soils, potentially altering DOC concentrations in stream and lake ecosystems (Clow et al 2011).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Response of phytoplankton in an alpine lake to inputs of dissolved organic matter through nutrient enrichment and trophic forcing

Kissman

Williamson

Rose

et al. 2013

Limnology & Oceanography

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Inputs of terrestrially derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) are increasing in alpine lakes due to multiple drivers such as climate change, tree line advancement, and insect epidemics. A 21 d microcosm experiment investigated three potential mechanisms by which increased inputs of terrestrial DOM subsidies might affect phytoplankton density, growth, and species assemblage: (1) directly, by providing nutrients enhancing growth of select phytoplankton species (nutrient stimulation hypothesis); (2) indirectly, through trophic forcing of zooplankton uniformly increasing the total biomass of all zooplankton that selectively graze on phytoplankton (trophic intensity hypothesis); and (3) indirectly, through trophic forcing of zooplankton by favoring zooplankton species that selectively graze on phytoplankton (trophic shift hypothesis). We manipulated DOM (terrestrial DOM additions vs. unmanipulated control), zooplankton (presence vs. absence), and incubation depth (epilimnion vs. hypolimnion) in a full 3 3 3 factorial design. Phytoplankton density and growth increased substantially and species assemblage shifted to near dominance by Asterionella formosa in the presence of DOM. Zooplankton biomass and growth increased with the addition of DOM, yet the species assemblage remained stable across treatments, and contributed to selective grazing effects on phytoplankton. Our data support the nutrient stimulation and trophic intensity hypotheses. While DOM effects have been classically attributed to stimulation by addition of fixed carbon, our experiments indicate that nutrient stimulation is also important. Additionally, the indirect DOM effect of trophic forcing can occur in the absence of selective effects of DOM on zooplankton.

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“…High mountain lakes, which by definition include water bodies of the montane (600-1 4 00 m ), subalpine (1 400-2 200 m) and alpine (> 2 200 m) altitude level, represent a major objective of alpine research, with recently conducted studies mainly covering chemical, physical, and biological aspects (Köck et al, 1995;Sommaruga et al, 1999;Sommaruga, 2001;Lami and Boggero, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aquatic molluscs in high mountain lakes of the Eastern Alps (Austria): Species-environment relationships and specific colonization behaviour

Sturm¹

2012

Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol.

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Mountain lakes represent essential stages for aquatic species on their way colonizing habitats of more elevated regions. Despite extensive biological and chemical study, only little has been reported about the species number and density of freshwater molluscs in these waters. The article presented here elucidates the dispersal of aquatic gastropods and bivalves in 12 mountain lakes that are commonly situated in the Eastern Alps, Austria. Molluscs were recorded at 120 sample points, where a total of 13 species (8 gastropods and 5 bivalves) could be determined. Species distribution data as well as results from contemporarily conducted physico-chemical factor recording were subject to weighted average analysis. In addition, a global marginality coefficient indicating the particularity of a habitat inhabited by a focal species as well as a global tolerance coefficient expressing the width of a niche occupied by this species were computed. Species-environment relationships exhibited that species number and specific density decrease with increasing geographic altitude, declining water temperature, and decreasing amount of submerged vegetation. Whilst waters of the montane altitude level are partly charcterized by high number of mollusc species (> 10), lakes of the subalpine altitude level commonly bear 1 or 2 species with <<1 ind./m 2 . As proposed by the results of statistics, 9 of the 13 mollusc species are characterized by a pronounced behaviour as specialists with respect to most environmental factors. The four remaining species, Pisidium casertanum, Galba truncatula, Radix labiata, and Radix balthica, act as generalists which increases their pioneering role in the long-term occupation of the Central-alpine region.

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Dissolved Organic Carbon Concentration and Phytoplankton Biomass in High-Mountain Lakes of the Austrian Alps: Potential Effect of Climatic Warming on UV Underwater Attenuation

Cited by 48 publications

References 0 publications

Effect of chromophoric dissolved organic matter on epilimnetic stratification in lakes

Effect of chromophoric dissolved organic matter on epilimnetic stratification in lakes

Response of phytoplankton in an alpine lake to inputs of dissolved organic matter through nutrient enrichment and trophic forcing

Aquatic molluscs in high mountain lakes of the Eastern Alps (Austria): Species-environment relationships and specific colonization behaviour

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